Cheeseburger Casserole is an easy, crowd-pleasing dinner that layers classic burger flavors, all baked together in under 45 minutes!
This recipe tastes just like a McDonald’s Cheeseburger! And if you want McDonald’s at home, you need to try my Big Mac Sloppy Joes I just posted last week. They have the perfect secret sauce mixture in them.
Sabrina’s Cheeseburger Casserole Recipe
Cheeseburger Casserole isn’t like any other casserole recipe you’ll find in magazines. This dish brings together rich, cheeseburger-style flavors—reminiscent of a homemade McDonald’s cheeseburger—then tops them with pickles, lettuce, ketchup, and a layer of French bread dough for a bold, satisfying finish. As it bakes, the dough turns beautifully browned, soft, and lightly toasted with a sesame seed topping, creating the perfect finish for a cheeseburger-inspired dish.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds ground beef , (85/15)
- 1/2 yellow onion , chopped
- 1/4 cup chopped dill pickles
- 14.5 ounces diced tomatoes , drained
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- 12 slices American cheese
- 1 can French Bread dough , (Pillsbury or store brand)
- 1 large egg , beaten
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 tablespoon sesame seed
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees.
- To a large Dutch oven, add the ground beef and onion on medium high heat, stirring until cooked, about 5-6 minutes.
- Add in the chopped pickles, diced tomatoes, ketchup, mustard, salt and black pepper.
- Add the ground beef mixture into a 9×13 baking dish.
- Top with sliced American cheese evenly over the beef mixture.
- Unroll the French bread dough over the cheese slices
- Mix the egg well with water then brush the top of the dough with the egg mixture and top with sesame seeds.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes.
Nutrition
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Table of contents
Chef’s Note: Using French Bread Dough
I used French Bread Dough (from a can, just as easy!) for this recipe to best mimic a freshly baked hamburger bun. You can, of course, top your casserole with crescent dough (buy the sheets, they’re easier to work with) or puff pastry as well.
I did test the recipe if you were to top it with chopped up hamburger buns and found it was just too soggy, so I suggest avoiding using hamburger buns as a topping. You can also use canned biscuits but the texture of a hamburger would not really be achieved.
How to Store
- Serve: You can keep the casserole at room temperature for up to 2 hours if you’re serving this recipe for an event.
- Store: Store the casserole leftovers in a refrigerator for up to three days in a sealed airtight container.
- Freeze: Allow to cool completely and freeze in air-tight container for up to 3 months.
Variations
As long as you keep the base recipe the same you can add in any additional ingredients you’d like to this recipe.
- Bacon – this would be the most obvious addition, crumbled cooked bacon makes a delicious addition to your cheeseburger casserole.
- Mushrooms – If adding mushrooms you can even change up the cheese to slices of Swiss cheese for a fun different flavor.
- BBQ Sauce – Add bbq sauce instead of ketchup to make it a most western flavored burger casserole (add the bacon still) and serve it topped with crispy fried onions.
- Vegetables – Any additional chopped vegetables you’d like! A few good options here would be bell peppers or olives or jalapeños for a spicy kick!
- Pie: To serve a smaller group, you can try my Cheeseburger Pie Recipe.
Related Recipes
More Burger Recipes to Enjoy
Photos used in a previous version of this post:
Can’t wait to try this recipe!!
Great! Let us know what you think!
Great! I just had a hard time with getting the french loaf spread out on top of the cheese, any hints?
I’m glad you enjoyed it! You can either do it in strips (easier to work with) or I use a rolling pin to roll the dough around and then unroll across the top. It makes it easier to handle. Hope this helps for next time.
This is so good. I’ve made it many times. Just made a double batch to freeze and share. I make it as sloppy joes though. It has been a good comfort food through all these crazy times. I made a batch for the people in my parents elderly community to give them a taste of “ going out” during this time while they are staying home. They loved them. Thanks for all the recipes. I have made several from your site and they are always good.
I’m happy to hear that you’re loving all of the recipes, Gail. Thanks for the 5 stars.
Tried this last night. Delicious. I did have trouble rolling out the Pillsbury French bread so I used Pillsbury crescent rolls instead. I’m not proficient at using a rolling pin. The change worked. Thank you.
So glad you were able to adapt.
Hi! Am wondering if you drain the ground beef and onion before adding the other ingredients?
I usually cook with 85/15 ground beef which doesn’t leave a lot of oil behind, so I don’t drain it. If cooking with ground beef that has a higher fat content I would only leave behind a couple tablespoons of fat.
Oh man, I just had my dinner and still, I’m drooling just looking at the photos. And it’s great that the recipe is super easy. This is going to my to-cook list for this weekend. 🙂
Thanks, Anita.
This recipe looks insanely good and comforting! Cannot wait to make this this weekend!
Enjoy!!
This Casserole looks like it’s so full of flavor and hearty! YUM!
You’ve got to try it!
This would be something new for me to try! I love the concept!
I hope you enjoy it, Jessica.
I had a similar dish today and it was amazing. I thought to myself that I had to recreate it at home. Your recipe looks just perfect for that!
Thanks, Mirlene.
Jumped on internet to get Taco Casserole recipe. Found Cheeseburger casserole in email, printed it will be making tonight!
Trying out my new knives also, Thanks
Yay!!