Impossible Cheeseburger Pie gets a wholesome, from-scratch twist with seasoned ground beef, grated cheddar cheese, and a topping made with whole wheat flour instead of Bisquick!
I know I’ve been posting a lot of seasonal spring and Easter-friendly recipes lately, so today I decided to hit y’all with a classic, quick and easy dinner recipe. Impossible Cheeseburger Pie was a meal that I remember my mom making when I was a kid, and it was actually one of the first recipes I ever learned to cook. Of course, the traditional recipe relies on Bisquick for its yummy, bread-y topping, so I decided to do away with the store-bought baking mix and control the ingredients myself, thereby updating the recipe with a real food spin.
My version of Cheeseburger Pie starts with browned ground beef, seasoned with salt and pepper and further flavored with minced garlic, Worcestershire sauce, and — in keeping with the cheeseburger theme — a touch of ketchup and mustard. The cooked beef is transferred to a pie plate where it’s topped with grated cheddar cheese. And then the whole shebang is topped with a batter including whole wheat pastry flour, milk, and a couple of eggs.
If you’ve never made this type of recipe, it might seem a little strange to pour a runny batter all over a foundation of beef and cheese. But trust me…it all turns out quite tasty in the end. 😉
Once assembled, the dish goes into the oven, where it bakes until the topping is golden and puffy. But don’t be surprised when the impressive dome deflates once the Cheeseburger Pie comes out of the oven, because that just means it’s time to slice it up and dig in! I like to garnish this recipe with sliced pickles and diced tomatoes, alongside ketchup and/or mustard for dipping, but feel free to jazz it up with your favorite cheeseburger toppings. Or enjoy it perfectly plain, if that suits your fancy.
Cheeseburger Pie is a hit with picky kids, and adults happen to love it, too. It’s simple, with flavors that are familiar in a slightly different form. It’s a quick and easy-to-assemble dinner for those busy weeknights. And it’s easy to dress up or dress down! A few ideas…
- sautee diced onions and/or bell peppers before adding the ground beef;
- mix cooked, diced bacon into the ground beef (for a bacon cheeseburger twist!);
- add your favorite frozen veggies or chopped fresh tomatoes to the ground beef;
- season the ground beef with taco seasoning and stir in drained canned black beans and frozen corn;
- season the ground beef with Italian seasoning and stir in sliced mushrooms and diced pepperoni; or
- change up the grated cheddar to your favorite type of cheese!
Aside from its versatility, another great thing about this recipe is that it reheats nicely. I’ve actually been known to bake it early in the day and pop it in the fridge. Then when we get home late from, saaaaay, baseball (FOR THE FIFTH NIGHT THIS WEEK), it’s easy to heat up individual slices.
So the next time you have a pound of ground beef hanging out in the fridge with nary a purpose in life, transform it into this real food version of Cheeseburger Pie. Your family will gobble it up, you’ll feel good about what you’re feeding them, and nobody will even miss the Bisquick. 😉
Impossible Cheeseburger Pie gets a wholesome, from-scratch twist with seasoned ground beef, grated cheddar cheese, and a topping made with whole wheat flour instead of Bisquick!
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 2 large cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon prepared dijon mustard
- 1 cup (4 ounces) grated sharp cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons honey
- For serving (optional): ketchup, mustard, sliced pickles, diced tomatoes, diced onions, other cheeseburger toppings
Instructions
- Arrange oven rack in center position and preheat oven to 400°F. Grease (or spray with nonstick cooking spray) a 9-inch glass or ceramic pie plate.
- Set a skillet, pot, or saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook until no longer pink, breaking apart and stirring as the meat cooks. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for another minute or two until fragrant. Drain the grease from the pot and stir in the garlic salt, pepper, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and dijon. Transfer the beef mixture to the prepared pie plate.
- Sprinkle the beef with the grated cheddar. In a medium bowl, whisk together the pastry flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Blend in the milk, eggs, and honey until the mixture is smooth and well incorporated. Evenly pour the batter over the cheese in the pie plate.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the center tests done with a toothpick or knife. Serve warm with optional garnishes.
Notes
All-purpose white flour may be used instead of whole wheat pastry flour, if you wish.
♥More ground beef dinner ideas…
One-Pan Asian Beef & Rice Skillet
Julie Bussis says
April 11, 2017 at 8:52 amSo excited to try this!! I loved Impossible Cheeseburger pie growing up! I’m on a health challenge and can only have whole wheat flour so I’m excited to be able to make Cheesburger pie that I can have!! Thanks so much for the recipe!
Debbie Caraballo says
April 14, 2017 at 7:13 amWow, I like this! I make the old school cheeseburger pie quite often, but will definitely try this one. It sounds great!
julie says
March 14, 2019 at 11:58 pmI’ve made this twice this week already! so good, thanks for the recipe!
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
March 15, 2019 at 8:37 amYou’re very welcome, Julie…so happy to hear that! 🙂