Deconstructed Bacon Cheeseburger Casserole #FantasticalFoodFight

It’s time for Fantastical Food Fight hosted by Sarah from aFantastical Sharing of Recipes.  Just in time for the start of school, we’re sharing 30-minute meals.

Okay, real talk.  All week long, I’ve been in professional development meetings PLUS middle school orientation, PLUS, baseball practice, PLUS back to school night PLUS Hubs is out of town.  The struggle is real you guys and this is a 30 minute meal I was able to whip out with the ingredients I could find in my pantry.

I went with cheeseburger casserole and it is fantastic!  I took some liberties here.  There’s no bun component, diced tomatoes take the place of ketchup, and pan fried potatoes take the place of french fries – and it’s delicious.  Quick, yummy, and a crowd pleaser – that’s what we need on days like today!

Recipe Notes:

As written, this recipe may take closer to 45 minutes.  To speed things up, use precooked bacon instead of frying it in the first step and consider using frozen diced potatoes instead of chopping your own!

Deconstructed Bacon Cheeseburger Casserole

2 pound thick-cut bacon, cut in 1-inch pieces

1 ½ pounds lean ground beef

1 onion

2 tablespoons flour

1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes

2 tablespoons mustard

1 tablespoon worchestershire sauce

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

1 pound potatoes, diced

Seasoning salt

1-2 cup shredded cheddar jack cheese

2 pickles, sliced

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Cook bacon, to crisp in a large skillet.  Place bacon aside to drain.  Pour off most of the drippings, then add the potatoes and season salt to the pan.  Cook until browned and tender.

Add 1 teaspoon of bacon drippings to a second skillet.  Add the onions and beef and cook until the beef in browned (break up the beef as it cooks).

Once the beef in browned, stir in flour and cook for 1 minute.  Then add the tomatoes, mustard, worchestershire sauce, and garlic powder.  Cook until the sauce is thickened.  Stir in bacon.

Pour the beef mixture into a 9x13-inch casserole dish.  Top with cheese and then fried potatoes.  Bake in the preheated oven until cheese is melted, potatoes are crispy, and sauce is thickened, about 5-10 minutes.

Top with additional bacon and pickle slices and serve.

Serves 6-8

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