Brown the ground beef or sausage in a 4-quart Dutch oven or stock pot over medium heat. Drain off the grease.
Add the onion, bell pepper, and minced garlic and saute for 5-6 minutes until the onion has softened.
Add the spices and broth and bring to a simmer. Cover the soup and reduce the heat to low; cook 10 minutes.
Remove the lid from the pot and add the softened cream cheese, green chiles, and shredded cheese. Whisk the soup vigorously until the cream cheese and cheese has softened completely.
If desired, add 1 tablespoon of cornstarch dissolved in 1 tablespoon of cold water to the pot and stir until the soup has thickened.
Serve with additional cheese, fresh tomatoes, green onions or chopped avocado.
