CHEESEBURGER & FRIES CASSEROLE

What is more American than a cheeseburger and fries? Ok, well maybe apple pie. But what if we took the two and smashed them together into one easy-to-serve (and eat!) casserole! That’s exactly what I did here. All the flavor without the bun!

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
Can I use any type of french fries?
Absolutely! I like how the shoestring fries cooked up on this. But if you prefer crinkle fries or seasoned fries, then by all means use those.

Can I skip the garlic?
I know garlic isn’t in a typical cheeseburger. However, I love the flavor it adds here but you can certainly skip it if you want. Don’t like pickles? You can leave them out.

Could I do this with a different type of meat?
Look, you are cooking. You can do whatever you want. You don’t need to ask my permission. If you like a different type of ground meat: sausage, venison, turkey, chicken or whatever – then use it if you enjoy it.

Ingredients

FOR THE CASSEROLE:

1 pound ground beef
salt and pepper
½ onion, diced
1 clove minced garlic
¼ cup chopped dill pickle
3 eggs
½ cup mayonnaise
½ cup half and half
2 cups shredded cheese
½ bag frozen shoestring french fries
garlic powder

TOPPING SUGGESTIONS:

shredded lettuce
diced tomatoes
Thousand Island dressing
ketchup
mustard

Instructions

Spray a 2 quart (11 x 7) baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
In a skillet, brown ground beef with onion, garlic, salt and pepper. Drain excess grease. Put back in the skillet.
Mix the pickles into the ground beef.
Spoon the mixture into prepared baking dish.
Whisk together eggs, mayo and half and half. Pour egg mixture over the beef mixture. Season again with a little salt and pepper.
Sprinkle 1 cup shredded cheese over the beef mixture.
Top with frozen french fries.
Season french fries with salt, pepper and a sprinkling of garlic powder.
Bake uncovered for 35 minutes or until french fries are crispy. Note: If you want your fries to be crispier, just place the dish under the broiler for a few minutes.
Top with remaining cup of shredded cheese. Return to the oven until cheese is melted.
Slice and serve topped with your favorite burger toppings!