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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Janice Holland says
Easy & Excellent!! Will add to my most used recipe collection!!!
Morgan says
It was good, but wasn’t oh my goodness make that good. Probably would be better if I would have grated my own cheese. Not sure I will make it again.
Brittany says
I’m curious if anyone has tried making this ahead or how it reheats?
Sam says
I make casseroles just for myself, so I portion & freeze them for later. This is one of my favorites & have used it for years. I do a couple of things differently though. I make a béchamel sauce instead of a slurry & I add a teaspoon or so of hamburger seasoning.
Cathy Ryan says
Thanks, Amanda, for sharing this recipe! Not only is it filled with flavor (I added a bit of garlic), easy to make, economical, and satisfying.
ANALIESE says
Very tasty and great for stretching a lb of ground beef- I added 1/2 of an onion when I browned the beef and made it one step up- Thanks for a lovely recipe
Samantha says
This recipe was very good!!
Amanda Formaro says
So glad you enjoyed it!
Brandy says
My hubby is not crazy about me constantly trying new recipes. Made this a while back and again last night. He still loves it! Only thing I did different was added a little garlic powder, onion powder, and of course mustard. A quick fall back recipe for a last minute dinner!
Amanda Formaro says
Hooray, so glad you guys love it!