Cheeseburger French Fry Casserole (Printable Version)
All your cheeseburger favorites baked together with crispy fries and melted cheddar for an easy, satisfying meal the whole family will love.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Meats
01 - 1.5 lbs ground beef (80/20 blend recommended)
→ Vegetables
02 - 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 1 cup chopped dill pickles (optional)
→ Condiments & Sauces
05 - 1/3 cup ketchup
06 - 2 tbsp yellow mustard
07 - 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
→ Dairy
08 - 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
→ Starches
09 - 1 bag (26-28 oz) frozen French fries
→ Seasonings
10 - 1 tsp salt
11 - 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
12 - 1 tsp smoked paprika (optional)
→ Other
13 - 2 tbsp olive oil
# Directions:
01 - Preheat oven to 400°F.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook for 3 minutes until softened. Add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds.
03 - Add ground beef, breaking up with spatula, and cook until browned and no longer pink, about 7 minutes. Drain excess fat if necessary.
04 - Stir in ketchup, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, and smoked paprika. Cook for 2 minutes, then remove from heat.
05 - Stir in chopped pickles (if using) and 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese.
06 - Transfer beef mixture to a 9x13-inch baking dish, spreading evenly.
07 - Arrange frozen French fries in a single layer over the beef mixture.
08 - Bake uncovered for 25 minutes. Remove from oven, sprinkle remaining 1 cup cheddar cheese evenly over fries, and return to oven for another 10-12 minutes until fries are golden and cheese is melted.
09 - Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
# Top Tips:
01 -
- Everything you adore about a cheeseburger transforms into something you can eat with a spoon while wearing sweatpants
- The fries get impossibly crispy on top while staying tender underneath, creating this perfect texture contrast nobody saw coming
02 -
- Draining the beef fat after browning is crucial unless you want an oily layer pooling on top of your casserole
- The fries will not get perfectly crisp like they would from a fryer, but they should have a nice crunch on top while staying tender underneath
03 -
- Spray your baking dish with cooking spray even though this seems like it should not stick, because the cheese can be stubborn around the edges
- If your fries are still too pale after the initial 25 minutes, leave them in for an extra 5 minutes before adding the final cheese layer