Skillet Bacon Cheeseburger Casserole
Skillet Bacon Cheeseburger Casserole has all the flavor of a classic bacon burger combined with pasta for a hearty casserole the whole family will love. Even picky kids will enjoy this delicious cheesy casserole.
Elbow macaroni is such a budget friendly item so we’ve used it in our Ham Macaroni and Cheese and Pizza Pasta recipes.
Why make this bacon cheeseburger casserole recipe
If you’re of a certain age, you’ve no doubt had the ground beef boxed dinner help-you stuff. It was all the rage in the 70’s & 80’s.
We’re not here to praise or condemn it; it has it’s place in the world. But the cheeseburger one NEVER tasted like an actual cheeseburger. Noodles, meat, cheese do not a deconstructed cheeseburger make.
The goal was to make a skillet dinner that tasted like a bacon cheeseburger. Not just one that sounds delicious but really is delicious.
Turns out, the secret, as they say, is in the sauce!
You may look at the ingredients and think, whoa there, that’s some serious ketchup or mustard or pickle you’ve got going on there.
But it’s what gives this recipe that true delicious cheeseburger taste. The bacon does its part all on its own because, hello, bacon!
We used pasta as the bun component to make this a true casserole. We know this is not a low carb or keto cheeseburger casserole, but the entire family loved this easy recipe for cheeseburger casserole because it has all the flavors of the real thing.
Recipe Ingredients
- Macaroni — elbow macaroni is the perfect size for this recipe.
- Ground Beef — lean beef is best, 85% or higher.
- Bacon — we used regular thickness.
- Cheese — we used mozzarella for its melty, creaminess and cheddar for the classic burger topping taste. we recommend using block cheese vs bagged shredded cheese.
- Onion — we used a yellow onion, finely diced.
- Sauce — low sodium beef broth, ketchup, mustard, pickle juice, Worcestershire sauce. Cornstarch is optional (depending on how thick you like your sauce).
- Pickle relish — we used jarred dill pickle relish.
- Seasonings — salt, black pepper, granulated garlic, and paprika.
How to make Bacon Cheeseburger Casserole
Step 1 — Preheat oven to 350°F. Cook macaroni is a pot of salted water ONE minute shy of package directions. Chop bacon and cook it in a large skillet over medium high heat until crispy. Remove it from the skillet once cooked and place it on a paper towel lined plate or bowl to soak up any excess renderings. Drain fat except 1-2 tablespoons.
Step 2 — Sauté the diced onion in the renderings (for better flavor) for 2-3 minutes. Once the diced onions have begin to soften, crumble in the lean ground beef and cook until done. Drain any renderings.
Step 3 — Once the ground beef is fully cooked, sprinkle in garlic, paprika, salt and pepper. Mix well. Then stir in the reserved cooked bacon pieces.
Step 4 — Turn off the heat, add the cooked and drained pasta, stir until thoroughly combined.
Pro Tip: Reserve about a quarter cup of the sauce in a small bowl in case you decide to use cornstarch to thicken the sauce up. If you don’t use cornstarch, you can add the unused reserved sauce in after step 6.
Step 5 — In a large bowl, mix up the sauce and add it to the beef mixture. Resume cooking on medium heat. Stir well making sure it is fully combined into the ground beef mixture
Step 6 — Stir in the dill pickle relish and mozzarella cheese. Mix well. Bring the mixture to a simmer. The sauce will thicken as the dish comes together, about 5 minutes.
Step 7 —Turn off the heat. Even sprinkle the shredded cheddar cheese over the top of the skillet.
Step 8 — Bake for 10 minutes uncovered or until the cheese is melted and started to turn golden brown. Allow the bacon cheeseburger casserole to rest for a couple of minutes before serving.
Pro Tip: While the casserole rests, rendered fat from the various ingredients will have risen to the top. Use a paper towel to dab it off.
How to serve Bacon Cheeseburger Casserole
- Serve with a side green salad.
- Fresh vegetables like green beans, broccoli, or asparagus.
- Make dinner fun and serve a root beer float or a classic milkshake. Or even a sundae for dessert.
- Top with sliced or diced tomatoes.
Recipe FAQs
Most fast food places use dill pickle, so that’s the flavor we went with. But you can use your favorite pickle flavor. Or omit it all together if you hate pickles.
Use butter or your favorite cooking oil.
We’ve not done this but in theory, it should work. However, it will need time to melt in, so I’d remove the beef mixture and set it aside in a large bowl and add 4 ounces of cream cheese to the skillet. As it begins to melt, add some of the sauce to prevent the cream cheese from burning. Once fully incorporated, add the meat mixture back to the skillet and the rest of the sauce; continue the regular directions from there.
Yes, add 1/2 teaspoon of onion powder with the rest of the spices.
Yes, use the same amount for garlic powder (but don’t use garlic salt) or finely mince two or three cloves of garlic, and add that when cooking the onions and beef.
Absolutely, just chop them really fine.
Of course, a 9 x 13 will work. Spray it with cooking spray before pouring in the recipe. Smooth it out and then add the cheese.
We’ve not tried to halve this great recipe, but it should work.
Our favorite tools to make Skillet Bacon Cheeseburger Casserole!
Lodge Blacklock 12″ Cast Iron Skillet
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BuzzyWaxx Original Blend – Cast Iron and Carbon Steel Seasoning
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Bacon Cheeseburger Casserole
Equipment
- 12-inch cast iron skillet
Ingredients
- 8 oz. elbow macaroni (any small pasta)
- 1 lb bacon chopped
- 2 tbsp. bacon grease (butter or oil will work too)
- ½ cup onions finely diced
- 1½ lbs. ground beef
- ½ tsp. salt +/-, to taste
- ½ tsp. pepper +/-, to taste
- ½ tsp. granulated garlic (or powdered, not garlic salt)
- 1 tsp. paprika
Cheeseburger Sauce
- 1½ cups beef broth
- 4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 1¼ cup ketchup
- 4 tbsp. yellow mustard
- 2½ tbsp. dill pickle juice (brine from a jar)
- 1 tsp. cornstarch (OPTIONAL)
Casserole Mix-ins
- ¼ cup dill pickle relish (or finely diced dill pickles)
- 4 oz. mozzarella cheese grated/shredded
- 4 oz. cheddar cheese grated/shredded
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cook the macaroni according to package directions EXCEPT stop cooking one minute before it should be done.
- Heat the skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chopped bacon, reserving 2 tbsp. renderings once done, drain the rest; set aside.
- In the same skillet, return to medium-high heat, add the reserved bacon renderings and onions, cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Crumble the ground beef into the skillet, stirring to mix in the onions.
- Add the salt, pepper, garlic, and paprika; cook about 5 minutes or until done, drain any renderings.
- In a medium bowl, combine the beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, mustard, pickle juice, and cornstarch; whisk until combined.
- Once the beef is cooked, remove from heat and stir in the bacon and the pasta.
- Over medium heat, pour in the liquid mixture, stir to combine.
- Stir in the pickle relish and the mozzarella cheese, cook until it starts to bubble and the sauce begins to thicken; about 5 minutes.
- Sprinkle the cheddar cheese over the top.
- Place the skillet in the oven uncovered and cook until the cheese is melted; 7-10 minutes.
Notes
Slow Cooker Bacon Cheeseburger Casserole
This casserole will work well in the slow cooker, especially if you prep the night before and toss it together in the morning. Read over the regular directions first before beginning these alternative directions. Cook the noodles according to package direction, but stop ONE minute before the time indicated. Drain and toss with a bit of olive oil to prevent clumping. Allow to cool, then seal in an airtight container and place in the refrigerator (if prepping ahead, otherwise do this before the end of cooking time and omit the oil.) Cook the bacon in a large cast iron skillet, set aside. Quickly sear the ground beef with the onions and spices in the same skillet; drain the renderings. The beef doesn’t need to be fully cooked, it will finish cooking in the slow cooker. Mix the meats together. Allow to cool, then seal in an airtight container and place in the refrigerator (if prepping ahead, otherwise toss it in the slow cooker.) Mix the sauce ingredients together, seal in an airtight container and place in the refrigerator if prepping ahead; otherwise toss it in the slow cooker with the meats and mix well. Once the sauce and meats are in the slow cooker, stir in the pickle relish and the mozzarella cheese. Place the lid. Cook on LOW for 4 hours. After the cooking time, open the lid and stir in the cooked noodles. Once combined, sprinkle the cheddar cheese over the top. Replace the lid and cook for an additional 30-60 minutes. Serve and enjoy.Nutrition
Dutch Oven Daddy is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.
This post has been updated from its original publishing on November 7, 2017 with new photography, content, recipe card, and clarified directions.
Loved this, hope my wife makes it soon.
I thought this recipe was great! The pickles make the recipe. It really does taste like a cheeseburger.
It was such a hit in my house, I made it twice in one week!
That’s awesome Nikki! I’m so glad you and family are loving this one! Thank you for sharing. 🙂
You know that feeling when you get home from work and you step out of the car and your hit with a wonderful aroma of someone’s meal and you think to yourself “I hope that smell is coming from my place!”. Well this is one of those meals. It smells so good when it’s cooking which just adds to the delight of eating it because it tastes just as good as it smells. This was a great recipe! So tasty! You nailed the taste of a bacon cheeseburger. I went with the option of dicing up the dill pickles instead of the relish and it was perfect. I doubled the batch when I made this last night and I’m glad I did because I was feeding 7 people and some of them went back for seconds. Thanks for creating such a great dish.
This makes me so happy to hear!! I’m glad you and your family loved it! There’s just something awesome about creating delicious food and sharing it with loved ones.
My wife and I really enjoyed this dish. I don’t like pickles on anything and I considered leaving it out of the recipe but I decided to make it according to the recipe. I’m glad I did. It was really good. Can’t wait to try more recipes.
Awesome, Joe! So glad you tried it as is and you liked it! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
This sounded quirky so we tried it. It actually has great flavor. The kids looked at it like timid deer.
We absolutely LOVED this. It’d been a long somewhat stressful week and we were just really hankering something cozy. Something we could curl up with. This was perfect. So much flavor and so easy to make—and it’s great reheated, too!
This is the absolute comfort food! With pasta, hamburger, and gooey cheese all mixed together, what’s not to like? Absolutely delicious. I love how it’s made in a cast iron skillet too.
ok chopping the bacon is the easiest thing ever, but such a game changer. I’m going to chop it first from now on
Nothing more delicious and satisfying than bacon cheeseburger! This casserole hits the spot and is actually easier than making individual burgers. Thanks for sharing!
I’ve made this casserole several times, and my family always loves it! It’s so comforting, delicious and super easy to make!
I made this for my weekly family meal. I tripled it to serve 12. Good thing, it was all gone. They all said I could make it every week.
This was so good it’s become a family favorite recipe. Everyone loves it!
This looks like the ultimate comfort food. I’m making this for the super bowl!
This casserole was so cheesy and flavorful! It’s perfect for a weeknight meal. Everyone loved it!
I love one pan meals, and this casserole is one of my favorites! We have it at least once every couple weeks!
I saw the words bacon, cheeseburger, and casserole used in the same sentence, and I knew I had to make this. It is every bit as amazing as it looks!
What a mix of delicious flavours.
The Skillet Bacon Cheeseburger Casserole recipe was a real treat! It perfectly captured the classic flavors of a cheeseburger in a comforting, home-cooked dish. The ease of preparation in a single skillet was a huge plus, making cleanup a breeze. This recipe is definitely going into my regular meal rotation. Great job on this one!
How can you go wrong with a bacon and cheeseburger casserole? My family loved this one and we can’t wait to make it again.
Oh wow! Such a fantastic, comforting meal for the whole family. I love how easily it all comes together too.
This is my new go to easy weeknight meal! It was delicious and so easy to make!