If your family likes bacon as much as mine, they'll love the addition of some bacon in this hearty soup!  Simply brown a few strips of bacon in the pan (before adding the ground beef).  Once they're nice and crisp, remove the bacon and set aside.  Skip the addition of butter later on and rely on the bacon grease to do the trick instead!!  The added flavor is always a huge hit!  Add the bacon at the end when you're stirring in the cheese.