Set the Instant Pot to Sauté High and let the inner pot reach about 350°F for 3 minutes. Add the thick-cut bacon and stir every 30 seconds for 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer half the crisp pieces for garnish. Then add the 85/15 ground beef. Press it into one layer and leave it untouched for 2 minutes before breaking it into rough crumbles. Cook the beef for another 3 to 4 minutes and scrape the bottom as the edges turn deep brown. You'll hear the sizzling soften when most moisture has evaporated. The bacon should look dark amber and the beef should lose its pink center. Go longer and the bacon tastes bitter. Brown at 350°F so the Maillard reaction builds a savory base.

Keep Sauté High at about 350°F. Add the diced yellow onion, carrot and celery to the browned meat. Stir from the bottom every minute for 4 minutes. Add minced garlic, smoked paprika and dried thyme during the final 30 seconds. Then pour in 1 cup of beef broth and scrape firmly until every browned bit releases from the base. The vegetables should look glossy and slightly softened while the onion turns translucent at the edges. You'll smell toasted garlic and smoky paprika right before the broth goes in. The bottom must feel smooth under the spoon. Miss a stuck patch and the cooker may trigger a burn warning. Deglaze fully because trapped fond overheats under pressure.

Add the remaining beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, kosher salt and black pepper. Fold in the 1-inch Yukon Gold potato cubes so most sit beneath the liquid. Lock the lid and cook on High Pressure for 8 minutes. The liquid reaches about 242°F. Then allow a 5-minute natural release before venting the remaining pressure. The potatoes should hold their rough cube shape but yield when pressed against the side. The broth will look slightly cloudy from released starch and the vegetables will appear fully softened. (I tested 10 minutes first, the potatoes broke down too much. Eight minutes keeps real chunks.) Release too early and the centers stay firm. Eight minutes balances tenderness with structure.

Switch to Keep Warm and let the soup settle near 160°F for 2 minutes. Whisk whole milk, heavy cream, cornstarch and cool water until smooth. Pour the slurry into the soup while stirring in slow circles. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Then add softened cream cheese and shredded sharp cheddar in three handfuls, stirring after each addition. The Bacon Cheeseburger Potato Soup Instant Pot Recipe is ready when the broth coats a spoon and a finger leaves a clean trail. The color should shift from brown-gold to creamy orange. You'll see no cheese strings or white cream cheese flecks. Boiling can split the dairy and make the cheddar grainy. Hold near 160°F because gentle heat keeps the emulsion smooth.

Keep the soup between 150°F and 160°F and rest it for 5 minutes. Stir once from the bottom so the beef and potatoes redistribute. Ladle one portion into a round white ceramic bowl. Finish with 2 tablespoons reserved crisp bacon, 2 tablespoons shredded sharp cheddar, chopped green onion and flat-leaf parsley. Serve within 10 minutes. The bowl should show creamy orange broth around uneven potato cubes and beef crumbles. The cheddar on top should soften at the edges without disappearing. Green onion and parsley add fresh color like the reference photos. Wait too long and a skin forms across the surface. Rest 5 minutes because the starch finishes hydrating and thickens the bowl.