Cheeseburger casserole is a fantastic easy, weeknight meal that uses minimal ingredients, and it's sure to please the whole family. Plus, you can have it on the table in 30 minute!
Contents
🌟 Why this recipe works
Cheeseburger casserole is the perfect comfort food! It's easy to make, and everyone always loves it. It's made with minimal pantry ingredients and has a delicious ground beef mixture with a cream cheese topping and lots of melty cheddar cheese.
It's affordable for families on a budget, and it's a great way to use up leftover ground beef. Plus, it's always a hit with kids! Serve it with a side of crispy fries or a delicious salad for a complete meal.
This one-skillet cooking method is perfect for home cooks who want an easy weeknight meal. You can also make it ahead of time and freeze it for later. Just pop it in the oven for a quick and easy dinner!
The best part is that you can customize it however you want, so it's perfect for any occasion. Whether you're looking for a quick and easy weeknight meal or a dish to bring to a potluck, cheeseburger casserole is the answer!
🍽 Key Ingredients
The ingredients in this cheeseburger casserole recipe are common in most fridges and cupboards and some basic seasoning to make life easier.
Beef - Use quality lean ground beef from the butchers if you can - and use chuck roast or sirloin steak for lean beef with lots of flavors.
Spices - You only need staple seasoning of garlic & onion powder for the burger and a touch of kosher salt and pepper to taste.
Cream sauce - The creamy sauce is a mixture of cream cheese, cream, eggs, and a splash of Worcestershire sauce to give it richness.
Cheese - Strong cheese is best for cheeseburgers, and sharp cheddar cheese is one of the strongest cheese around and perfect for this recipe.
Substitutions
Cream
You can swap the heavy cream for sour cream as a 1:1 replacement.
Cheese
If you don't have cheddar cheese on hand, use Monterey Jack, Colby, or Emmental for a similar flavor.
Additions
- Enhance the burger mixture with a tablespoon of tomato paste and ½ cup of beef broth. Let it simmer for 30 minutes with the seasoning for a delicious rich tomatoey flavor.
- Make the hamburger helper recipe by mixing 2 cups of cooked elbow macaroni pasta with the creamy sauce and pouring it over the burger mixture.
🔪 How to make easy cheeseburger casserole
This cheeseburger casserole is super easy to make in 30 minutes using minimal ingredients. You can learn how to make it with my easy-to-follow instructions and helpful cooking tips.
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (170 degrees Celsius).
Step 2
In a cast iron skillet, brown ground beef and drain.
Step 3
Mix onion powder, garlic powder, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, and 8 oz cheddar cheese into ground beef
Step 4
Spread the beef mixture evenly across the bottom of the casserole dish.
Step 5
In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, heavy cream, eggs and Worcestershire sauce with a hand blender.
Step 6
Pour cream and egg mixture over the top of the ground beef.
Step 7
Top with remaining cheddar cheese.
Step 8
Bake for 30-35 minutes.
💭 Cooking tips
Buy the block cheese.
For a creamier consistency that melts better, buy the block of cheddar cheese and grate it yourself using the large holes instead of buying the pre-shredded cheese in the packet.
Use fresh onion and minced garlic.
If you want your burger mixture to be extra fragrant, chop 1 tablespoon of onion and garlic, and mix it into the beef while cooking.
📖 Recipe Variations
You can do many variations with this recipe, and I have outlined some of my favorites below.
Cheeseburger Hawaiian casserole
Add a can of pineapple (15 oz) to the burger mixture and replace the 8 oz cheddar cheese with Monterey Jack cheese.
Cheeseburger Mexican casserole
Add a can of black beans (15 oz), ½ cup salsa (or marinara sauce), and ¼ teaspoon chili powder to the burger mixture. Replace the 8 oz cheddar cheese with Monterey Jack cheese.
Cheeseburger BBQ casserole
Add 1 cup BBQ sauce to the burger mixture and 3 or 4 chopped pickles.
Make-ahead and freezing instructions
If you want to make this casserole ahead of time, follow the instructions up to the point where you would put it in the oven. Instead, cover it with cling wrap and freeze. When ready to eat, thaw it in the fridge overnight and then bake in a preheated oven for 15-20 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
🥗 What to serve with this recipe
This cheeseburger casserole goes well with a simple green salad, veggies (steamed or roasted, and even some oven-roasted potatoes. Here are a few of my simple but delicious side dishes to pair with this tasty dinner.
Sauteed asparagus
A classic pairing with burgers is asparagus, and it's simple to make. Just trim the woody ends off the spears, then heat some oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add the asparagus and saute for 3-5 minutes until tender.
Green beans with ham
Another simple side dish that takes just minutes to make is green beans with ham. Just trim the ends off of the green beans and cut up some ham into small pieces. Cook them together in a pan over medium heat for 10 minutes until browned and tender.
Steamed veggies
If you want a fuss-free side dish, steamed veggies are always winners. Just chop up your favorite vegetables and steam them in a covered pot over medium-high heat for 5-10 minutes until tender.
Roasted potatoes
Oven-roasted potatoes are one of my favorite things to make. Just cube some Russet potatoes and toss them with some olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread them on a baking sheet and roast in a preheated oven at 425 degrees Fahrenheit (220 degrees Celsius) for 20-30 minutes until crispy.
🙋 Frequently asked questions
Is hamburger helper similar to cheeseburger casserole?
There are many variations of cheeseburger casserole, and most of the delicious recipes include ground beef, cheese, and a creamy sauce. Hamburger helper is a boxed meal with similar flavors, but it usually includes egg noodles or elbow macaroni.
🧊 Storage and ♨️ Reheating
If you have any leftover cheeseburger casserole, you can easily store it and reheat it another day.
Fridge - Store them in an airtight container in the fridge. They will keep for 3-4 days.
Freezer - You can also freeze them in an airtight container for 2-3 months.
Reheating - To reheat, place them in a covered baking dish and bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius) for 15-20 minutes until heated through.
You can also place the leftovers in a covered pot over medium heat until warm and microwave them for a few minutes.
🍳 More Ground Beef Recipes to try
If you like this cheeseburger casserole recipe, check out these easy and quick ground beef recipes to make for your next meal.
👪 Serving size
This cheeseburger casserole will give you approximately 8 servings, or you could scale the recipe up to feed more people.
Cheeseburger casserole is a classic American dish that is simple to make and can be tailored to your liking. This recipe is easy to follow for any home cook and includes all of the classic flavors of a cheeseburger, perfect for serving a crowd, so grab some beef and get cooking!
📋 Recipe
Easy Cheeseburger Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 lbs ground beef
- 4 eggs
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 16 oz shredded cheddar
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F or 177°C.
- In a cast iron skillet, brown ground beef and drain.
- Mix onion powder, garlic powder, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, and 8 oz cheddar cheese into ground beef and spread beef mixture evenly across the bottom of the skillet.
- In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, heavy cream, eggs and Worcestershire sauce with a hand blender.
- Pour cream and egg mixture over the top of the ground beef and top with remaining cheddar cheese.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes.
Marlene McFaull
I will most definitely be making this as someone who often has to cook for one and needs low carb / high protein meals this sounds like it checks all the spots off