It doesn’t get much tastier than this Skillet Bacon Cheeseburger Casserole! This easy weeknight dinner is a great spin on an American classic and cooks in less than 20 minutes. This ground beef meal idea is a real crowd pleaser, will keep in the refrigerator for a few days and can easily be reheated later on.
Bacon Cheeseburger Casserole Recipe
Well, I don’t know about you, but for me, life just seems to get busier and more hectic every day. Often it means that preparing tasty, healthy meals that everyone in the house will love can sometimes be a bit of a challenge, so you’ll thank me for this really easy Bacon Cheeseburger Pasta recipe! It cooks up in a skillet and is ready to serve in almost no time at all.
I was looking through an old Taste of Home book recently when I came across a very similar recipe and knew instantly that it would be something that I could tweak to cook on a weeknight without too much stress, and most importantly I knew my family would enjoy it.
Did I mention how simple it is to make? You can throw this together very quickly and have it cooked and ready to serve in less than thirty minutes, and you probably have most of the ingredients in your pantry and fridge already. This was just as popular as the John Wayne Casserole and my Shepherd’s Pie I make regularly.
To make Bacon Cheeseburger Casserole you will need:
(full printable recipe is below)
- 8 ounces elbow macaroni pasta
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 6 bacon strips, cooked and cut into pieces
- 1 1/2 cups beef broth
- 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 3 tablespoons ketchup
- 1-2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese
You’ll also need:
How to Make Cheeseburger Pasta
- Cook the bacon first, I prefer to cook it on a sheet pan in the oven until it’s crispy but you can cook it whatever way you prefer. Drain it on paper towels and cut it or break it into small pieces and set aside.
- Cook your macaroni according to directions on the pack, then drain.
- While the macaroni is cooking brown the beef in a large skillet until fully cooked. If after cooking the beef has a lot of fat/liquid/juice left you can pour some of that off, I prefer to use lean beef and keep some of the juice as I think it adds to the flavor.
- Measure the beef broth, Worcestershire sauce and ketchup into a small bowl or measuring jug and mix well to combine. Place cornstarch in a separate small bowl and add a tablespoon or two of the broth mixture. Stir until well combined then add that mixture to the rest of the broth mixture. Doing it this way will keep the cornstarch from clumping together.
- Add cooked pasta to the skillet along with the beef broth mixture, stir well to combine beef, pasta, bacon, and sauce.
- Cook on a medium heat until the sauce bubbles and thickens. If it’s too thick for you, thin it out with a little more beef broth.
- Sprinkle shredded cheeses over the top of the skillet cheeseburger mixture. Cover and cook on very low heat until cheese has melted, about 2-3 minutes.
If you’d like to print this recipe, scroll down to the printable recipe card.
Gluten Free & Dairy Free Options
If you have gluten-free family or friends this would be a very easy dish to make for them.
- Simply substitute gluten-free pasta for regular, make sure the beef broth and Worcestershire sauce is gluten-free, and you are good to go!
- For those that are also dairy free like I am then you can use a shredded vegan cheese substitute instead, it works just as well and I know they will thank you for it.
More dinner ideas you might like:
- One Pan Beef Stroganoff – Noshtastic
- Crockpot Roast Beef – Amanda’s Cookin’
- Oven Chili Dogs– Amanda’s Cookin’
- Southwest Ground Beef Casserole – Amanda’s Cookin’
- Ramen Noodle & Beef Skillet – Amanda’s Cookin’
- BBQ Chicken Tater Tot Skillet– Amanda’s Cookin’
- One Pot Chili Pasta – Kids Activities Blog
- See all my Macaroni and Cheese recipes here.
- This is my favorite meatloaf recipe in the world.
Bacon Cheeseburger Casserole
Ingredients
- 8 oz elbow macaroni pasta
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 6 strips bacon cooked and cut into pieces
- 1 1/2 cup beef broth
- 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 3 tablespoons ketchup
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch may use less
- 4 ounces shredded cheddar cheese 1 cup
- 2 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese 1/2 cup
Instructions
- Cook the bacon first, I prefer to cook it on a sheet pan in the oven until it's crispy but you can cook it whatever way you prefer. Drain it on paper towels and cut it or break it into small pieces and set aside.
- Cook your macaroni according to directions on the pack, then drain.
- While the macaroni is cooking brown the beef in a large skillet until fully cooked. If after cooking the beef has a lot of fat/liquid/juice left you can pour some of that off, I prefer to use lean beef and keep some of the juice as I think it adds to the flavor.
- Measure the beef broth,Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, and cornstarch into a small bowl or measuring jug and mix well to combine the cornstarch.
- Add cooked pasta to the skillet along with the beef broth mixture, stir well to combine beef, pasta, bacon, and sauce.
- Cook on a medium heat until the sauce bubbles and thickens. If it's too thick for you, thin it out with a little more beef broth.
- Sprinkle shredded cheeses over the top of the skillet cheeseburger mixture.
- Cover and cook on very low heat until cheese has melted, about 2-3 minutes.
- serve hot
Video
Nutrition
This post was originally published on this blog on April 12, 2016.
Sheena Strain
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Jill Buswell says
I added a little more ketsup and worcestershire sauce to make it a little tangier, but l like it all in all.
Sam says
I give this 5 stars & commented on it in 2016. However, I have tweaked it & believe one additional ingredient takes it to the next level: hamburger seasoning. I’ve used both Weber & McCormick’s hamburger seasoning, but prefer the Weber. Adding (at least) a teaspoon works wonders!
Amanda Formaro says
Such a great tip, thank you so much Sam!
Dwight Guy says
Thank you! I LOVE this!
Amanda Formaro says
So glad you enjoyed it! :)
Kiki says
I tweaked it a bit, cooked the beef first, then the bacon and left a few tablespoon for the sauce. I put it in an oven dish and combined the pasta and beef and the cheese. Poured the mixture over it and put it in the oven at 450 for 5 minutes… took it out put a bit more cheese on it along with the bacon and put it in the oven for only 3 or 4 minutes. It came out smelling like HEAVEN! And my normal VERY picky, non-casserole eating son LOVED it!
Amanda Formaro says
Hooray, thanks for explaining your changes too!!
Sharon lawson says
Very good. I used crushed fritos on top.
Amanda Formaro says
Sounds great!
Michelle says
Perfect for a chilly rainy day! My boyfriend and I loved it. Comfort food at its finest with the right blend of flavors. Thank you!
Amanda Formaro says
Thanks Michelle, so glad you enjoyed it!
Lisa Lysholm says
In addition to being unable to print a recipe with the image, I also keep getting more and more pop-up ads that block thebottom of the recipe. When I click to close the recipe, I keep unsubscribing. This never happened before, yet in the past few days has happened about a half dozen times. I really love your recipes, but I’m so frustrated with this new format that I’m thinking I’ll stay unsubscribeunsubscribeunsubscribed. Wishing you well, regardless.
Amanda Formaro says
I’m so sorry you had trouble. I’m unable to duplicate what you are describing. It’s possible that your cache cleared and when that happens it can make a bunch of ads appear that you wouldn’t normally see. But the fact that it’s happened over the last few days is troubling. Is there a way you could email a couple of screenshots to me so I can try and troubleshoot?
Lisa Lysholm says
Sure, if there’s any way to correct the issue.
Of course, I’d have to subscribe again, as I’d given up last time I accidentally unsubscribed.
Candice says
Made it a month ago and my husband is asking for it again!. Making it again tonight!
Amanda Formaro says
Awesome! It’s such an easy dinner, so glad you guys enjoyed it! Thanks for stopping by and letting me know! :)
Judy says
I was looking forward to this recipe, but was disappointed. Next time I will sauté some diced Inuits and diced green or red pepper in a tablespoon of the bacon grease. It definitely will add some more flavor. I’m also going to try to add a can of baked beans to add liquid and flavor.
Amanda Formaro says
Sorry it wasn’t for you Judy! Everyone has different tastes :)
Kat says
This turned out really good. I added onion, mushrooms, bell pepper, and 1/4 grape tomatoes and I didn’t have bacon so I made it without.. (bet its supurb with it) I also didn’t have miss. So I used havarti dill I had on hand and it worked fine. This is a great way to throw together whatever you have on hand to make a fast meal. Thanks this one saved the day.
Amanda Formaro says
Wow that’s a lot of changes but sounds delicious!
Julie @ Back To My Southern Roots says
Made this tonight, but didn’t have cornstarch, so I added flour. It was delicious! Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Amanda Formaro says
So glad you enjoyed it!
Kelly says
I made this a couple of weeks ago and all my kids loved it. I will be making it this evening and adding dry ranch to it. I am sure that every one is going to eat it.
Kelly says
But instead of using elbow noodles I use the egg noodles. Little it healthier
Colette Grewe says
I make this all the time n my family loves it. I do it just a little differently. I add diced onion. After the bacon is done, I soften the onion in the bacon grease, then add the ground beef and brown it. Adds such incredible flavor that it doesn’t matter if you drain all the grease. The flavor is in there. Like you and sooo many others, I’m a casserole junkie and my husband was constantly complaining about there always being so much. The next time I made one, I made just barely enough for the four of us. He immediately started whining about no leftovers, “This, my love, is exactly why I make so much”.
Amanda Formaro says
That sounds delicious, Colette! I can see why he wanted leftovers after that ;)
Misty says
Cheeseburger helper is my husband’s favorite, so this will be so much better. Thanks, and im going to cook allot of delicious recipes I’ve found. ?
Amanda Formaro says
I hope it turns out to be a hit! :) Good luck with all your tasty recipes!
Whitney says
Is there a way I can cook then froze?
Amanda Formaro says
I would be concerned about the pasta getting mushy, mot to mention that melted cheese doesn’t freeze well. so I wouldn’t freeze it.
luke says
Very nice