We love a good cheeseburger, so why not take those flavors and turn them into a casserole? It’s easy to put together, and full of all those delicious flavors you know and love. And just like any good burger, you can also play around with the toppings to make sure it’s exactly what you like.
For more beefy, cheesy goodness, try our American Skillet Picadillo.
Why Our Recipe
- All the flavors you love from cheeseburgers, in a beefy, cheesy casserole.
- Toasted hamburger buns add the perfect, crispy texture on top.
- Easily add extra toppings to make it your own.
We have to admit, this casserole is a lot heartier than your regular old burger. With a little prep work and a little patience while it bakes, you’ll be chowing down in about an hour. We highly recommend getting creative with your toppings. Pick and choose from our suggestions, or create something totally your own!
Ingredient Notes
- Ground Beef: Choose lean ground beef. We prefer 90/10 or 93/7 for this to avoid excessive grease. 85/15 also works, but will have some grease. Ground turkey or chicken can also be used.
- White Onion: If you have a yellow onion on hand, that will also work
- Butter: Adds flavor and moisture if you’re using lean ground beef.
- All-Purpose Flour: This is the thickening agent for the sauce. Cornstarch can also be used in half the amount.
- Rotini Pasta: You can easily substitute with elbow macaroni, shells, bowtie, or fusilli.
- Beef Broth: Use low-sodium broth to better control the flavor.
- Heavy Cream: You can also substitute with half and half if needed, but the sauce won’t be as creamy.
- Ketchup: Gives a great base flavor to the sauce.
- Worcestershire Sauce: Can substitute with soy sauce with a splash of vinegar.
- Cheddar Cheese: Freshly shredded cheese melts better than pre-shredded, which contains anti-caking agents. Feel free to experiment with Monterey Jack or a Mexican blend.
Add Extra Toppings
One of the best parts about our easy cheeseburger casserole is that you can really play around with the topping options. We’re huge onion lovers, which is why we load our version with plenty of them. If you love pickles, feel free to double our suggested quantity! There are just a few examples of some other toppings you can use:
- Sautéed mushrooms
- Crumbled bacon
- Fresh tomatoes (add after baking)
- Onion rings or french fries (add after baking)
- Sliced avocado (add after baking)
- Banana peppers
Get creative, and make this cheeseburger casserole exactly how you want it! We recommend that you add some of these extra toppings to the melty cheese layer once it comes out of the oven for the best results.
Make-Ahead Option
You can easily make this casserole ahead of time. To make this process a whole lot easier, we suggest that you bake your casserole in an aluminum dish. That way, you’ll be able to slip the entire pan into your freezer. Make sure to tightly wrap it in plastic wrap, then place a layer of aluminum foil on top. When you’re ready to eat, let it thaw overnight in the fridge and heat at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes, or until the cheese starts to bubble.
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Reheat in the oven at 350 degrees until warmed through, about 15 minutes.
Microwave portions on high in 30-second increments.
More delicious casseroles…
When I was searching through your recipes, I was on the fence about this one, but I’ve never made a recipe from here that wasn’t delicious! This one is super simple, large quantities, and the absolute comfort food. Family loved, loved, loved it!
– Diane
Could I substitute tater tots for the bread? If so, would there be any change to the baking time?
Yes you can! Tots need about 30 minutes in the oven, so increase the baking time to 30 minutes.
My husband is diabetic, so I modified slightly to reduce carbs. Instead of pasta, I shredded cabbage, boiled it in water and drained it in advance. I ended up making a little bit of a slurry to make the sauce thicker since I didn’t have pasta to soak up the extra moisture. I also omitted the bun for his. Hubby, who hates it when I “health up” his recipes, couldn’t get enough of this so it’s a winner (The original recipe as-is was a winner too, but this makes me feel better about meeting his cravings for a big, juicy cheeseburger.).
Remarkably like a cheeseburger. We took our first bites and broke out into giggles. 😀 Tasty! It was made with 2 lbs of 80/20 beef – **straitly drained and patted* – wheat fusilli, and whatever cheddar we had in the fridge (maybe a half-cup?). Yes, it had a little extra liquid at the finish. But as it sat, any extra liquid was fully absorbed into the casserole. It was served with a little extra ketchup and dill relish on the side. So yes, it was pretty good. I’m still a little WAA! at the fact that it tastes like a cheeseburger. 😀
Would like to try this, but I am leary after reading it may come out soupy. Could you precook the pasta, then add all the ingrediants except the broth?
All of Stay at Home recipes are a hit, but want to ensure this one will be too!
Thanks!
You could, but you’d still have to add some broth. A different approach would be to add a thickening agent. In this case, I’d suggest a cornstarch slurry after cooking the pasta to create an extra thick sauce.
Could you use croutons on the bottom vs the buns on the top?
You could definitely try it out! The concern would be that the croutons on the bottom may end up soggy.
I have always thought this type of dish is kinda cringe worthy. I have only come across them since I plug into social media,and I just thought why.
But I have to say this one could be a game changer…lol
Going to make this tomorrow for Sunday dinner, so l’ll let you know and could well change my rating…🌻🇦🇺
I followed the recipe exactly. It was very liquidy, almost like a soup. The taste was good but too much liquid. Had to serve it in soup bowls. Maybe tomorrow there will be less liquid.
It really could be that ground beef that was used. I have realized that not all ground beef is created equal!
When I was searching through your recipes, I was on the fence about this one, but I’ve never made a recipe from here that wasn’t delicious! This one is super simple, large quantities, and the absolute comfort food. Family loved, loved, loved it!