My friend Sarah brought this cheeseburger pie to our neighborhood potluck three years ago, and I watched the whole pan disappear in maybe ten minutes. When I asked for the recipe, she laughed and said her mom had been making it since the '70s from some church cookbook. I tried it that Tuesday night, completely botched the first one (forgot to grease the pan it stuck like crazy), but the second batch had Max asking if we could eat it every week.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
From serving this at maybe 30 school potlucks and family dinners, here's what happens every time: kids who say they don't like casseroles go back for seconds. The beef stays juicy instead of getting dry and weird like most baked dishes. The cheese melts into gooey pools on top. That golden layer has a texture kind of like cornbread mixed with a thick pancake Max's friends always poke at it and ask what it is.
Takes less than an hour from start to finish, uses stuff that's probably in your fridge right now, and tastes better the next day than most leftovers. I've thrown this together on nights when I walked in the door at 5:30 and needed everyone fed by 6:15. Sarah wasn't kidding when she said her family made it all the time.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Ingredients for Cheeseburger Pie
- How To Make Cheeseburger Pie Step By Step
- Smart Swaps for Different Needs
- Favorite Variations For Cheeseburger Pie
- Equipment For Cheeseburger Pie
- Storing Your Cheeseburger Pie
- What to Serve with Cheeseburger Pie
- Top Tip
- How My Sister's Kitchen Became Our Family's Heart
- FAQ
- Dinner Winner on the Table!
- Related
- Pairing
- Cheeseburger Pie
Ingredients for Cheeseburger Pie
The Meat Layer:
- Ground beef
- Yellow onion
- Garlic cloves
- Salt and pepper
- Worcestershire sauce
The Cheese:
- Sharp cheddar cheese
- Mozzarella
The Crust Batter:
- Whole milk
- All-purpose flour
- Eggs
- Baking powder
- Salt
For Topping After:
- Dill pickle slices
- Diced tomatoes
- Shredded lettuce
- Ketchup and mustard
Basic Tools:
- 9-inch deep-dish pie pan
- Large skillet
- Mixing bowl
- Whisk
See recipe card for quantities.
How To Make Cheeseburger Pie Step By Step
Brown the Beef:
- Heat your skillet over medium-high
- Break up the beef into small pieces as it cooks
- Takes about 6-7 minutes until no pink shows
- Toss in diced onions when the beef's almost done
- Add garlic for the last minute
- Season with salt, pepper, and a good splash of Worcestershire
- Leave a little fat in the pan-don't drain it all
Set Up the Pie:
- Grease your pie pan really well
- Spread the beef mixture across the bottom
- Sprinkle both cheeses over the beef
- Don't press it down, just spread it around
Mix the Batter:
- Crack eggs into a bowl and whisk until frothy
- Pour in the milk and whisk again
- Add flour, baking powder, and salt
- Stir until just combined-some small lumps are fine
- Pour it over the cheese layer
Bake It:
- 400°F for 25-30 minutes
- Top should be golden brown
- Middle shouldn't jiggle when you shake the pan gently
- Let it sit for 5 minutes before cutting
Smart Swaps for Different Needs
Meat Options:
- Ground beef → Ground turkey (add extra Worcestershire or it tastes bland)
- Regular beef → Lean beef (toss in a tablespoon of butter with the meat)
- Beef → Ground chicken (bump up the seasoning by half)
Low-Carb Version:
- Regular flour → Almond flour (use ¼ cup less)
- Whole milk → Heavy cream
- My low-carb friends swear by this version
Dairy Adjustments:
- Whole milk → 2% or almond milk both work fine
- Cheddar → Any cheese that melts
- Add cream cheese if you want it richer
Gluten-Free:
- All-purpose flour → 1-to-1 gluten-free blend
- Check your Worcestershire sauce label-some have gluten
Favorite Variations For Cheeseburger Pie
Bacon Cheeseburger:
- Cook 6 strips of bacon, crumble them up
- Mix into the beef layer
- Use the bacon grease to cook your beef
- Max's friends go crazy for this one
Pizza Burger Pie:
- Add Italian seasoning to the beef
- Use all mozzarella for the cheese
- Lay pepperoni slices on top after it bakes
- Currently Max's favorite
Southwestern Style:
- Mix taco seasoning into the beef
- Use pepper jack cheese instead of cheddar
- Top with jalapeños, sour cream, and salsa
- This is the version I make for myself
Mushroom Swiss:
- Sauté sliced mushrooms with the onions
- Swap cheddar for Swiss cheese
- Add a pinch of thyme to the batter
Equipment For Cheeseburger Pie
- Deep 9-inch pie pan (glass works great)
- Large skillet
- Mixing bowl
- Whisk
Storing Your Cheeseburger Pie
Fridge Storage (3-4 days):
- Let it cool all the way before covering
- Keep it in something airtight
- Reheat at 350°F for about 15 minutes
- Microwave works but the oven keeps it from getting soggy
Freezer (2 months):
- Wrap it tight in foil, then plastic wrap
- Write the date on it
- Thaw in the fridge overnight
- Reheat covered at 325°F for 25 minutes
Make-Ahead:
- Brown the beef the night before if you want
- Mix the batter right before you bake it
- Don't assemble it ahead-it gets weird
What to Serve with Cheeseburger Pie
This cheeseburger pie pairs best with sides you'd normally eat with a burger. French fries are the obvious choice regular, sweet potato, or seasoned wedges all work great. Tater tots and onion rings fit right in too. For something lighter, a simple green salad with ranch dressing balances out the richness, or make a quick coleslaw (the vinegar-based kind cuts through all that cheese and beef really nicely). Potato salad, macaroni salad, or baked beans round out the meal if you're feeding a crowd.
Set out all the classic burger toppings so people can dress their slice however they want. Shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, pickles, chopped onions, ketchup, and mustard let everyone build their plate like they're making their own burger. Max always loads his up with pickles and ketchup-no surprise there. Some people at our potlucks even add jalapeños or special sauce. The pie itself is pretty hearty, so you don't need much on the side, but those burger fixings make it feel complete.
Top Tip
- We stumbled onto our secret ingredient completely by accident last summer. Max was helping me prep dinner when he knocked over the pickle jar-juice and pickles went everywhere. Instead of throwing them out, I chopped up about ¼ cup of the dill pickles and mixed them right into the ground beef because I hate wasting food.
- I honestly thought we'd ruined it. But when that cheeseburger pie came out of the oven, something crazy had happened. Those tiny pickle pieces added these bright, tangy little bursts throughout the beef layer-tasted exactly like biting into a burger with pickles on it. The vinegar cut through all the richness too.
- Now I add finely diced pickles and a tablespoon of the pickle juice to the beef every single time. Max tells his friends it's his "secret ingredient" and acts like he invented it on purpose. Sometimes the best stuff happens when a seven-year-old knocks things over in your kitchen.
How My Sister's Kitchen Became Our Family's Heart
My sister has this tiny galley kitchen in her house-barely room for two people to stand side by side-but somehow it's where our whole family ends up every time we visit. Three years ago, she brought this cheeseburger pie to our neighborhood potluck, and I watched the entire pan disappear before the main course even came out. When I asked where she got the recipe, she pulled out this beat-up index card covered in our mom's handwriting from the '70s. Turns out Mom had been making it at church fundraisers for years, and my sister just kept the tradition going.
That night in her kitchen, while Max was "helping" wash dishes (mostly splashing water everywhere), she told me the story behind the recipe. Our mom got it from her friend at some church bake sale committee meeting. That friend's version came from her mother-in-law, who'd been making it since the early '70s when these self-forming pie recipes were everywhere. My sister said she'd tried it maybe a hundred times over the years, tweaking little things here and there less salt, more Worcestershire, always leaving some fat in the beef. Now it's what she makes when her kids have bad days at school or when she needs to bring something to a potluck.
FAQ
What is in a cheeseburger pie?
The base has seasoned ground beef and onions topped with melted cheese. The "crust" forms from a batter of eggs, milk, flour, and baking powder that you pour over everything. While it bakes, the batter rises and creates a golden layer on top. Think of it like a Cheeseburger Pie turned inside-out.
What are the ingredients in a Cheeseburger Pie?
You need ground beef, onions, cheddar cheese, eggs, milk, and flour as your main ingredients. Most recipes add Worcestershire sauce, garlic, and basic seasonings. Some versions throw in bacon, pickles, or different cheeses. You don't need a premade crust-the batter makes its own while baking.
What are the ingredients for a Cheeseburger Pie?
Regular Cheeseburger Pie use ground beef, cheese, a bun, and toppings like lettuce, tomato, pickles, onions, ketchup, and mustard. This pie captures those same flavors but in a casserole-the beef and cheese bake together with a crust that forms on its own, then you add the classic burger toppings after it comes out.
What to have with cheeseburger pie?
Serve it with stuff you'd eat with a regular burger: french fries, sweet potato fries, or tater tots work great. A simple salad with ranch dressing balances out the richness. Coleslaw, potato salad, or corn on the cob round out the meal. Set out pickles, ketchup, mustard, and diced onions so people can top their slice.
Dinner Winner on the Table!
You've got everything you need now to make this cheeseburger pie from the self-forming crust trick to Max's pickle accident that turned into our favorite addition. After hundreds of servings and tons of feedback, this recipe proves comfort food doesn't need to be complicated.
Want more satisfying ground beef dinners? Try our hearty Healthy Beef Stroganoff that kids request on repeat, our Delicious Jambalaya Recipe for busy nights, or our The Best Cabbage Recipe that's great alongside this pie for potlucks!
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Pairing
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Cheeseburger Pie
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Cook Beef Brown the ground beef with onions and garlic until fully cooked.
- Prepare Pan Preheat oven and grease your deep-dish pie pan generously.
- Mix Batter Whisk eggs, milk, flour, and seasoning to create a smooth batter.
- Assemble Pie Layer beef, cheese, and pour batter evenly into the pan.
- Bake Pie Bake until golden brown and let rest before serving with toppings.
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