This yummy, cheesy, bacon cheeseburger casserole is easy for weeknight dinners, potlucks and makes a great left over meal.
Okay folks, today I’m sharing one of my favorite weeknight recipes. It combines three of my favorite ingredients: cheese, beef, and bacon. It also calls for a can of cream of chicken soup. Let’s be honest, all great casseroles contain this creamy can of meaty goodness.
I found a similar recipe a few years back in a magazine and I’ve tweaked it over the years and it’s turned into this yummy recipe.
Jump to RecipeIngredients
So I find that ground beef with a higher fat content does better with this recipe. Normally, I’m an extra lean kind of girl. But since the meat will be cooked twice, the added fat helps keep the meat juicy. Otherwise, I find the meat tougher and dryer. Therefore, I recommend using 93% lean 7% fat. You’ll be draining off the excess fat, but that fat in the meat will keep it soft and tender.
Now let’s talk bacon. The recipe calls for a couple of strips of bacon. In a pinch you can buy bacon bits found in the salad section. But don’t use those God-awful fake orange ones. Use 100% real bacon. Hormel makes a decent one. Otherwise, I recommend using a couple of strips of actual bacon. No need to dirty another pan. Cut it up and add it to the meat. It also makes your meat extra flavorful. Drain off the excess fat.
The recipe also calls for a can of condensed cream of chicken soup. You may wonder why were adding that to a cheeseburger casserole. Well something has to hold the casserole together. Condensed soup works well, even when diluted. If you prefer to use cream of mushroom, that would work too. I’ve used it when that’s all I had in the pantry! The condensed soup combined with a small amount of cheese really helps hold everything together.
Serving & Storing Bacon Cheeseburger Casserole
I have a habit of serving this recipe with baked bread, particularly biscuits, but this is already a heavy meal so there is no need to do that.
Like most casseroles, this stores very well in an airtight container for about 2-3 days. That’s another reason to use the fattier beef. If you plan on warming it up again in the microwave as leftovers, the fattier meat will continue to stay juicy. I’ll be honest though, we rarely have leftovers. My entire family scarfs it down. Even my one year old!
There have been times I’ve doubled the recipe just for the purpose of leftovers if we have a busy week.
Bacon Cheeseburger Casserole
Equipment
- Skillet
- Cutting board
- Casserole dish
Ingredients
- 1 Lbs Ground Beef 93/7%
- 3 Strips Bacon Chopped
- ⅔ Cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese divided into 1/3s
- 1 Can Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup
- ½ Cup Milk
- 60 Frozen Tater Tots approx
- ½ Small White Onion Chopped
- 1 Tsp Garlic Minced
- 1 Salt & Pepper To taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°
- Cut bacon into small pieces and place in medium hot skillet with the ground beef.
- Add garlic, salt & pepper, and chopped white onion
- Continue frying until meat is browned and onion is translucent. Remove from heat.
- Pour meat mixture into a casserole dish and spread evenly.
- Take ⅓ cup of cheese (half of the cheese) and sprinkle it on top of meat mixture.
- Place frozen tater tots in single file rows until all meat is covered.
- Bake in oven for 35 minutes.
- In the last five minutes of baking, sprinkle the remaining half of cheese on top tater tots and continue baking for an additional 5-10 minutes.
Don’t forget to try one of my dessert recipes like Banana Vanilla Wafer Pudding or Rich Fudgy Scratch Brownies. Also, be sure to PIN this post for later. Before you leave, please take a moment and subscribe to my blog so you don’t miss any recipes. I also send FREE, subscriber-only printables and recipes. Thanks for your support!