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.
Why this recipe works
This bacon cheeseburger casserole is a real crowd pleaser, it keeps in the refrigerator for a few days and can easily be reheated later on.
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.
Ingredients you will need
Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.
BEEF – Lean ground beef is our beef of choice. You can substitute for ground chicken, turkey, or pork instead if you’d like.
CHEESE – We recommend grating your own mozzarella and cheddar as fresh shredded cheese doesn’t contain additives and provides a smoother, creamier consistency as opposed to store-bought shredded cheese which can sometimes be grainy when melted.
How to Make Bacon Cheeseburger Casserole
These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. You can Jump to Recipe to get the printable version of this recipe, complete with measurements and instructions at the bottom.
- 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 whichever way you prefer. Drain it on paper towels and chop 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 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.
Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Tips
Our readers have had success adding seasonings like garlic powder, onion powder, and hamburger seasoning as well as diced onions, green or red bell peppers, and fresh garlic. Red pepper flakes or jalapeno would make a great addition as well for some heat!
To make bacon cheeseburger casserole gluten free, 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 dairy free, you can use a shredded vegan cheese substitute instead, it works just as well.
You can store this casserole in an air tight container kept in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Try adding a little bit of water when reheating to add moisture back to the dish.
Serving Suggestions
Put ideas here about how to serve, bulleted list with links and a short sentence or phrase (i.e. Our crockpot mashed potatoes and roasted asparagus make a great side for this recipe.)
Bacon cheeseburger pasta is quick, easy, and takes ingredients you most likely already have on hand to make a delicious weeknight meal that’s budget-friendly and filling.
More Dinner Recipes
- Crockpot Roast Beef – Amanda’s Cookin’
- Oven Chili Dogs– Amanda’s Cookin’
- Southwest Ground Beef Casserole – Amanda’s Cookin’
- One Pan Beef Stroganoff – Noshtastic
- Crockpot Beef Burgundy – 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.
- Crockpot John Wayne Casserole – Amanda’s Cookin’
- Chicken Stuffing Casserole – Amanda’s Cookin’
- 7 Layer Casserole – Amanda’s Cookin’
- Dorito Casserole – Amanda’s Cookin’
- Ground Beef Stroganoff – Amanda’s Cookin’
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Bacon Cheeseburger Casserole
IMPORTANT – There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
Print It Rate ItIngredients
- 8 oz elbow macaroni pasta
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 6 strips bacon cooked and cut into pieces
- 1 ½ cup beef broth
- ½ teaspoon 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
Things You’ll Need
Before You Begin
- You can store this casserole in an air tight container kept in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Try adding a little bit of water when reheating to add moisture back to the dish.
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.
Nutrition
This post originally appeared here on Sept. 4, 2018 and has since been updated with new photos.
Amanda Davis
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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
Christine says
So I just made it and doubled the recipe and it tastes so good. I didn’t have cornstarch so I used flour still turnwd out great. My toddler ate 4 helpings. Thank you for the recipe.
Amanda Formaro says
That’s awesome to hear, Christine!! I’m glad you enjoyed :)
Bradley says
Just finished it! It was great for an easy meal! Thank you.
Amanda Formaro says
So happy you enjoyed, Bradley! :)
Tracy says
How many will it feed, I have 6 people should I double it
Amanda Formaro says
Hi, Tracy! This recipe serves 6, if you think they may devour this or have a large appetite it could never hurt to double the recipe :)
Devin says
Is there any substitute for beef broth? Thats the only thing I am missing.
Amanda Formaro says
Hi Devin, though I’ve never tried a substitute for the beef broth in this recipe an alternative may be soy sauce and water or potentially beef bouillon. Again, I’m not positive how the result will taste using those substitutions. If you find that something works well for you, please let us know! Best of luck!
Christine says
Totally just made it with beef bullion and it’s super yummy. Calls for one cube per cup of water, but I added two to the called for 1.5 cups. My 17 mo old, who usually shies away from meat and starches, has DEVOURED three bowls!
Amanda Formaro says
That’s awesome to hear, Christine! I’m glad it turned out for you :)
Gina says
Is it right you only use a half a box of noodles?
Amanda Formaro says
yes
Linda says
I found this recipe on fb but then couldn’t find it back. I Googled the ingredients and this popped up. So glad I found it back as this is going to be a keeper of a recipe! Perfect just as posted! No changes needed!
Amanda Formaro says
Thanks so much, Linda! I hope you enjoy!
Penny says
Just fixed this tonight and it was a definite win! I precook and freeze my ground beef, so it didn’t take long at all to fix. Thank you for sharing this…it’s now in my meal rotation ?
Amanda Formaro says
That’s fabulous Penny, so glad you enjoyed it!
Sam says
I actually made this last spring & it was terrific. My only changes were to add more Worcestershire sauce (1T) & I used Wondra (double the amount) instead of the cornstarch. While I love casseroles, it’s rare that I put a new one into my rotation & this one is now in it!
Amanda Formaro says
That is awesome to hear Sam, so glad you enjoyed it so much!
Karly says
I definitely thought stuff this good (and this cheesy) existed in my dreams. I am totally obsessing over this bacon-y burger-y goodness and I cannot wait to try it out!
Amanda Formaro says
It is definitely getting rave reviews, you should try it!
Sarah says
This recipe WON THE DAY at my house! At 6:30ish I took to Pinterest, hoping for inspiration I could use, given the meager contents of my fridge, freezer, and pantry. (*Somebody* is a grocery-shopping procrastinator. It might be me…) Even with having to thaw the package of venison burger, dinner – for my hubby, four extremely picky kids, and me – was on the table by 7:15. What?! And the best part was that 5/6 of us loved it. You have NO IDEA what a rarity that is in this joint. Thank you, thank you, thank you! This recipe is definitely going into heavy rotation for the next few months.
Amanda Formaro says
That’s such a great testimony Sarah, thank you so much! So glad you enjoyed it, and believe me when I say that I DO understand what a rarity it is when almost everyone enjoys a dish :)
Caitlin says
What if I am allergic to tomatoes what would you recommend to replace the ketchup?
Sheena Strain says
Hi Caitlin, for this recipe you could leave out the tomato ketchup. I can’t really think of an alternative but I think you’ll still love it without ketchup, I hope that helps.
Ron says
As the man in the house that does the cookin, I like to keep it simple and that sure sounds simple enough for me plus I love bacon, let you know how it turns out, thanks for all the ideas!
Amanda Formaro says
I hope you enjoy it Ron!
Stephanie says
Just wanted to say that I made this for dinner and it was very good and easy. Thanks for the recipe.
Amanda Formaro says
Wonderful, so glad you enjoyed it!
ron says
I like youe recipes
jackie altman says
you also forgot where and when to add the bacon
Amanda Formaro says
Thank you for pointing that out, I just updated the recipe. It gets combined with the beef, pasta and sauce.
Lori says
1/2 cup of corn starch is WAY to much! I’m thinking it was a mistake in the recipe. It made it so thick it was gross!! Should be more like 1 or 2 table spoons.
Amanda Formaro says
You are absolutely correct Lori, and thank you so much for bringing this to my attention. I have made the correction in the recipe, it should be 1-2 tablespoons. Please watch your inbox for a small gift from me to help make up for the lost ingredients.