This skillet Bacon Cheeseburger Casserole is one of the most requested meals in our family, and the reasons are pretty obvious. It’s hearty, cheesy, savory, and has all the flavors of a cheeseburger.
Cheeseburger Casserole
Once you try this cheeseburger casserole, you’ll be hooked!
This easy casserole takes about 30 minutes to make and is the same delicious as my another family's favorite hamburger bake made in the oven.
It’s an indulgent, cozy, and fulfilling dinner as making my ham and potato casserole, chicken casserole, or broccoli casserole.
For a more extensive list of one-pot recipes, check out my casserole recipe list.
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Cheeseburger Casserole Video
What is a Cheeseburger Casserole?
It tastes just like your favorite cheeseburger but instead of a hamburger bun, it is served with pasta and a couple more tasty ingredients.
It is my version of a healthier hamburger helper-cheese macaroni that tastes better than the old school popular recipe.
In this recipe, we use all fresh ingredients, cooked from scratch without all powdered seasonings.
Ingredients
You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make this bacon cheeseburger casserole.
- Ground beef – lean ground beef is preferred so you don’t have to drain the extra fat but you can use any that you have. Swaps include ground chicken, pork, or ground turkey.
- Yellow onion – Sweet white onion or red onion would be great here too. Onion powder is a quick swap but won't give you great flavor like fresh.
- Tomato sauce - use a good quality rich and dense tomato sauce. If you can’t find a good one, use tomato paste instead. It plays a big role in the flavor, and I highly recommend going the extra mile and using the best you can.
- Honey-dijon mustard – I wouldn’t substitute it with regular yellow mustard (American mustard) as it will simply ruin the taste and make the whole thing bitter. Dijon is creamier and has a less vinegary bitter flavor. Normal dijon mustard or grainy mustard can be used, just make sure it is on the sweeter side.
- Dill relish – Sweet pickle relish or dill pickle relish are great here. If you can’t find it, use finely chopped gherkins or dill pickles instead.
- Bacon - totally optional, but I like to stir it in the pasta as well as add it on top.
- Cheese - I used cheddar cheese but Colby jack cheese, Monterey jack, pepper jack, your favorite Mexican blend, and Gouda are great swaps. You can use Mozzarella too, but I like the strong flavor of Cheddar here.. Grate it from a block for the ultimate cheesy finish.
Pasta
Elbow macaroni is the classic choice for Hamburger Helper, but small pasta like mini shells, rotini, or fusilli works well too. Gluten-free versions of these are also great.
Avoid chickpea or lentil pasta as they tend to get mushy when cooked directly in the sauce.
If you'd rather not cook the pasta in the skillet, cook it al dente separately, and omit the 2 cups of broth.
You’ll still need some liquid, so reserve some pasta cooking water to mix in with the tomato sauce.
How To Make Cheeseburger Casserole
In a large skillet, over medium-high heat add some cooking oil and cook bacon until crumbly.
Set aside on a plate with a paper towel and let it absorb the excess fat.
In the same skillet with half of the bacon grease (discard the rest) add more oil and cook the beef crumbling it until cooked through.
Towards the end of cooking the beef add paprika, black pepper, and onion and cook until onion is translucent.
Add tomato sauce, beef broth and dijon. Stir until all is combined.
Add in dry pasta, close the lid and let it come to a boil. Then, lower the heat, stir through and close the lid back again.
- Related: Fried cabbage with bacon
Cook for 15 minutes until the pasta is cooked. Stir again and add in cheddar, half of the bacon, and relish.
Stir through until cheese is melted and serve.
Now, I like to add another layer of cheese on top here, close the lid and let it melt like you would do with a casserole when baking.
Garnish with the remaining crumbled bacon pieces. (optional step)
Additional toppings could include gherkins, shredded lettuce/cabbage, and diced tomatoes.
Best pasta to use
- For gluten-free pasta check the package labels for appropriate GF labels. Refrain from using lentil pasta as these are not suitable for cooking directly in the sauce. I haven’t tried, but in theory, they can be used, but need to be cooked separately al dente.
- Elbow Macaroni - your classical pasta type that resembles the old-school Hamburger Helper.
- Rotini, Rigatoni, fusilli (like I did with my Hamburger Casserole), or any tubular pasta is great for keeping the sauce ‘’in’’. Or my favorite Mini Shells would also work well.
- Long pasta such as spaghetti, fettuccine, and linguine are not suitable for this particular recipe as they require more liquid and time to cook.
Want to make it smoother and creamier? By the end of cooking, stir in ½ cups of plain cream cheese (such as Philadelphia).
Make sure it’s at room temperature for better blending without curdling. You don’t want your pasta grainy.
Tips
- Don’t overcook the pasta - if you do the pasta will absorb all the sauce and you end up with dry cheeseburger pasta. This is actually my personal preference, I know some folks like to have a very liquid pasta here but I like to stick to a medium sauce texture and cook the pasta for around 15-20 minutes. You’ll still have to add some extra liquid when reheating this dish later.
- Grate the cheese from a block - whatever cheese you end up using, grate it yourself from a block. It simply melts better and is best when you make a skillet casserole.
- Experiment with new flavors - if you like it smoky, add some chili powder, chipotle or smoked paprika to the mix. These are not your typical cheeseburger flavors but great to alternate when making this pasta again.
- Canned jalapenos, and green chilies add tasty smoky heat to the dish too.
- Swap the tomato sauce to fire-roasted tomatoes or crushed tomatoes instead. We need some color here, so I’d add a couple of tablespoons of tomato pasta here too.
- This recipe can be doubled and made in a larger pot or dutch oven.
- For a low-carb cheeseburger casserole, you could use quinoa or rice. Cook these separately before adding them to the beef mixture.
- For more flavor, we sometimes like to add a splash of Worcestershire sauce. Add it along with the tomato sauce.
For a little heat add some red pepper flakes or hot sauce
Serving Suggestions
For a complete meal we typically like to serve this cheeseburger casserole with:
- Plain Caesar Salad or simple cabbage or lettuce-based salad such as my Cabbage Cucumber Salad
- Roasted or steamed veggies - Carrots, cheesy asparagus, cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, green beans
- Dinner rolls, garlic bread or crusty baguette
The best thing is that it is a very fulfilling and delicious casserole, and doesn't need much to serve it with.
🥓 Make Next: Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Chicken
Freezing And Storing Instructions
Store any cheeseburger pasta leftovers in an airtight container, refrigerated for up to 3 days.
To reheat, let the casserole come to room temperature first. Just like with pasta salads, the pasta absorbs a lot of liquid while it sits.
Add some broth or warm water to the skillet and reheat, stirring occasionally over medium-low heat on the stovetop.
It is normal that the pasta becomes dry after refrigerating, as the longer it sits, the more liquid it absorbs.
Hence, we add extra when reheating, or simply microwave individual serving portions.
To make ahead, you can cook the beef with onion and keep it refrigerated until ready to use for up to 3-4 days.
You can also cook the dish in the morning or, at maximum, the evening prior and keep it refrigerated. In the evening when ready to serve, add some broth to the skillet, and reheat on the stovetop.
Instead of the stovetop method, if you have an oven-safe dish or skillet, you can actually reheat the whole thing in the oven.
Cover the casserole dish with foil, and transfer to a preheated oven at 350 F covering. Bake until the casserole is warmed through (cook time about 15 min), top with cheese layer, and pop back to the oven until cheese is melted.
FAQs
I like to use lean ground meat, as everything is cooked directly in one skillet without draining anything (except my optional bacon).
However this being said, it’s no issue if you use whatever ground meat you have and simply drain the fat before adding the flour and other ingredients.
A good melty cheese that has been grated from a block. Cheddar, Gouda, Mozzarella, and Mexican blend cheeses.
You can make this casserole 24 hours ahead of time. You will have to add extra liquid (beef broth or warm water) as the pasta will absorb most of the liquid as it sits.
Well, I wouldn't say it is the healthiest meal. I tend to shy away from dividing foods into healthy or unhealthy.
It is a comfort food that the entire family can enjoy in moderation.
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Skillet Bacon Cheeseburger Casserole
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INGREDIENTS
- 3 cup elbow macaroni, uncooked
- 2 ½ cups beef broth
- ½ cup tomato sauce, rich and good quality
- ½ teaspoon ground paprika
- ½ pounds ground lean beef
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil
- ½ cup yellow onion, diced
- 1 cup cheddar
- 2 tablespoons green onions or scallions, sliced
- ¼ cup sweet pickle relish
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard, or honey dijon mustard
- ½ cup bacon, small dice
- salt to taste, I didn’t use any as the cheese has lots of it
- black pepper to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
- In a large skillet, over medium-high heat add some cooking oil and cook bacon until crumbly. Set aside on a plate with a paper towel and let it absorb the excess fat.
- In the same skillet with half of the bacon grease (discard the rest) add more oil and cook the beef crumbling it until cooked through. Towards the end of cooking the beef add paprika, black pepper, and onion and cook until onion is translucent.
- Add tomato sauce, broth and dijon. Stir until all is combined.
- Add in dry pasta, close the lid and let it come to a boil. Then, lower the heat, stir through and close the lid back again. Cook for 15 minutes until the pasta is cooked.
- Stir again and add in cheddar, half of the bacon and relish. Stir through until cheese is melted and serve. Now, I like to add another layer of cheese on top here, close the lid and let it melt like you would do with a casserole when baking. Garnish with the remaining crumbled bacon pieces. (optional step)
VIDEO
NOTES
- Don’t overcook the pasta - if you do, the pasta will absorb all the sauce and you end up with dry cheeseburger pasta. This is my personal preference, I know some folks like to have very liquid pasta here but I like to stick to a medium saucy texture and cook the pasta for around 15-20 minutes. You’ll still have to add some extra liquid when reheating this dish later.
- Grate the cheese from a block - whatever cheese you end up using, grate it yourself from a block. It simply melts better and is best when you make a skillet casserole.
- For gluten-free check the pasta labels for appropriate GF labels. Refrain from using chickpea or lentil pasta as these are not suitable for cooking directly in the sauce (these will become too mushy). I haven’t tried, but in theory, they can be used, but need to be cooked separately al dente.
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container, refrigerated for up to 3 days.
- To reheat, let the casserole come to room temperature first. The pasta absorbs a lot of liquid while it sits. Add some broth or warm water to the skillet and reheat, stirring occasionally over medium-low heat on the stovetop. It is normal that after refrigerating the pasta becomes dry as the longer it sits the more liquid it absorbs, hence why we add extra when reheating. Or simply microwave individual serving portions.
ADD YOUR OWN PRIVATE NOTES
NUTRITION
Note: Nutrition information is estimated and varies based on the products used.
Full Nutrition Disclaimer can be found here.
Michael S Ford
I’m sorry ,but one never discards the remainder of the bacon grease.
Julia
Hi Michael, you are right!
Cindy j
Needs more bacon. One can never have enough bacon in a recipe.
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
Agree Cindy, bacon makes a great dish taste even better!
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
Enjoy an easy and tasty cheeseburger pasta in just under 30 minutes!