Cheeseburger Casserole

If you're a cheeseburger lover, and the thought of ground beef, tomatoes, pickles and cheese tickles your fancy, then this truly American, comforting casserole is for you!

I was recently given the Bobby Deen: From Mama's Table to Mine cookbook as a gift. Bobby, in case you're not familiar is Paula Deen's son, who makes his Mama's Southern dishes a bit healthier and on the lighter side.

Whenever I get a cookbook, I usually attempt a dish that's out of my norm. A cheeseburger casserole... now that's not a dish I grew up eating!

What the heck is a cheeseburger casserole? Think cheeseburger essential ingredients such as lean ground hamburger meat sauteed with diced tomatoes, onions, a touch of mustard, and some not-so common burger ingredients such as pasta, all topped with melted cheddar and finished off with diced pickles.

My toddler gobbled this up, and I thought it was pretty darn good – and I would certainly make this again. I'm sure you can have fun with this and add your favorite cheeseburger toppings. I'm thinking sauteed mushrooms would be really good here too and maybe a few bacon crumbles for a bacon cheeseburger casserole (why not!).

The one thing I changed was the serving size, I thought 9 servings was a little more realistic than 12 for adults, and at about 260 calories (7 points plus if you're on Weight Watchers) it's still well under 300 calories.

Cheeseburger Casserole
www.skinnytaste.com
Servings: 9 • Size: about 1 cup • Old Points: 6 • Weight Watchers Points+: 7
Calories: 261 • Fat: 9 g • Protein: 21.5 g • Carb: 21.5 g • Fiber: 2 g • Sugar: 3 g
Sodium: 468.5 mg

ingredients

• 2 cups (6 oz) uncooked rotini pasta (use brown rice pasta for GF)
• 2 tsp oil
• 1 1/2 cups onions, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1 lb lean ground beef (95% lean)
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 28 oz diced tomatoes
• 2 tbsp Dijon Mustard
• 2 cups reduced fat grated cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped dill pickles

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with cooking spray. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta according to the package directions for al dente and drain well.

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-low heat. Add the onions and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in the beef and cook until browned; season with salt and pepper. Stir in the tomato paste, then add the tomatoes and mustard. Let the mixture bubble gently until it is slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.

Toss the meat mixture with the pasta and spread it into the prepared dish. Top with the cheddar and bake until the cheese is melted, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle the chopped pickles over the top and serve. Makes about 9 cups.

Recipe Source: Bobby Deen: From Mama's Table to Mine