I was reminiscing about favorite childhood casserole recipes with a friend, laughing about some of the wacky names. I told her about Spinach Fandango and she countered with Impossible Cheeseburger Pie. So good that it's “impossible” it's that easy.
Always a sucker for easy ground beef recipes, I had to try it. It became an instant classic in our house. My two boys race to the table when I make it.
I tweaked the recipe a bit, making my version without Bisquick. All you need is flour, baking powder, butter, eggs, and milk for a quick biscuit mix and bake that in a pie plate with seasoned ground beef, onions, and melty cheddar cheese. Serve it up with ketchup and pickles for cheeseburger taste in an easy-to-make pie format.
The Back Story on Impossible Pie
The "Impossible Pies" were a trend popularized by Bisquick in the 1970s. They were pies that were "impossibly easy" because they don't require a crust to be made. You mix together all the ingredients and bake them in a pie plate and a crust forms during the cooking process.
General Mills, who now owns Bisquick and Betty Crocker, has since changed the name to "Impossibly Easy Pies" to eliminate confusion, but lots of folks still refer to these as Impossible Pies.
What's in this Cheeseburger Pie Recipe?
This recipe contains ground beef, all purpose flour, shredded cheddar cheese, eggs, fresh diced onion, garlic salt, Worcestershire sauce, baking powder, butter and milk. Easy so far!
I like to select a 90% or leaner ground beef for this recipe. I don't drain off the fat because that means I'd be draining off the extra flavors. Selecting 90% lean or more (this was a 93% lean beef when I shot these photos) is my go-to for casseroles like this.
How to make Impossible Cheeseburger Pie without Bisquick
The original version of this recipe obviously called for Bisquick. But, you know me, I prefer to put in a little bit of effort in the name of better flavor and less processed ingredients.
Bisquick is essentially a simple biscuit mix made into a shelf-stable product. To make my own Bisquick, I combine flour, baking powder and salt. Then I add butter to the dry ingredients and cut it in with a pastry cutter.
When I say "cutting it in" I mean, taking the pastry cutter and busting up the butter until it's in a ton of little gravely pearl-sized pieces. Making the butter small like that helps create a tender but slightly crisped crust.
If you want to skip the pastry cutter and make things even easier, just toss the dry ingredients and butter into your food processor and let it whirl a few times until the butter comes to that same gravely pearl-sized consistency.
Next, I add in the wet ingredients and stir until it's all fully combined. It's okay if it's a little lumpy.
If you're not into the DIY biscuit mix method, just skip the ½ cup of flour and 1 teaspoon baking powder and salt and substitute in ½ cup of Bisquick and follow the rest of the recipe as written.
Add the prepared biscuit mixture to the ground beef in the pie plate and then top it with cheese.
One important note about cheese. I highly recommend grating your own for this situation. You'll get the best melty factor when you grate the cheese at home. The pre-grated / pre-shredded stuff is convenient, but it's treated with potato starch to prevent clumping in the package. That starch messes with the melting and turns what could be a beautiful cheese topping into a less appetizing stringy topping.
Joanie's Balanced Bites: What to Pair with Cheeseburger Pie
From a nutrition and macronutrient standpoint, each slice delivers over 20 grams of protein from the ground beef and eggs (win!) plus satisfying fat from the cheese and butter in the biscuit layer. With only about 9 grams of carbs per serving, the ratio here is naturally tilted toward protein and fat. Steadier energy and fewer blood sugar swings compared to a traditional burger on a bun!
And because you're making the biscuit mix yourself, you're skipping the processed ingredients and seed oils that come in store-bought mixes.
How to Enjoy It
- Keep it classic — Serve slices with pickles, a little ketchup, and maybe some sliced tomato or avocado on the side. The toppings add freshness without throwing off the balance.
- Add a simple salad — A green salad with a tangy vinaigrette rounds out the meal and adds fiber. Try it with my Japanese Ginger Dressing for something different.
- Make it a burger bar — Set out all the toppings and let everyone customize their slice. Kids especially love this.
- Meal prep friendly — This pie reheats well, making it a solid option for lunches throughout the week. The protein-forward profile keeps you full longer, so you're not reaching for snacks an hour later.
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Description
Cheeseburger Pie is impossibly easy because it forms its own crust as it bakes! This savory, crustless dinner pie is filled with ground beef, savory onions and an easy homemade version of Bisquick biscuit mix and topped with melty cheddar cheese.
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef (90% lean or leaner)
- ½ yellow or white onion, diced
- 1 tsp garlic salt or Lawry's Seasoned Salt
- 1 tsp Worcestershire
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 Tbs unsalted butter
- ¾ cup whole or 2% milk
- 2 eggs
- 6 oz shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375F
- Combine 1 lb ground beef, ½ diced onion, 1 teaspoon garlic salt, and 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce in a large skillet or saucepan over medium-high heat and saute, breaking up the beef into smaller pieces as it cooks. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally for approximately 8 minutes until the beef is cooked and browned and the onion is softened. Once cooked, set to the side.
- To make the biscuit mixture, in a mixing bowl, combine the ½ cup flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder and ½ teaspoon salt and mix to combine. To the dry ingredients, add 2 Tbs of butter and using a pastry cutter, cut the butter into the flour until the butter is broken up into small gravely pearl-sized pieces.
- Add the 2 eggs and ¾ cup of milk to the mixing bowl with the dry ingredients and butter mixture and stir using a fork or a whisk until fully incorporated. This mixture will be a little lumpy.
- Put the cooked ground beef mixture into a 9'' pie plate and then pour the biscuit mixture over the top of the beef to fill the pie plate.
- Sprinkle 6oz of shredded cheddar cheese over the top of the pie.
- Place the pie in the oven uncovered at 375F and bake for 25 minutes. The pie should be cooked through and bubbling around the edges. The cheese will be melted on top and slightly browned.
- Allow the pie to rest about 5 minutes before slicing.
- Enjoy hot with your favorite hamburger condiments.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 240
- Sugar: 1.8 g
- Sodium: 357.9 mg
- Fat: 13 g
- Carbohydrates: 9.5 g
- Fiber: 0.4 g
- Protein: 20.6 g
- Cholesterol: 109.5 mg
BONNIE M Miller says
I fix cheeseburger pie for dinner. My Husband try a pice when I took it out of the oven. He said can I have more. I told him don't eat all of it. Save s[me for me. Wee both loved it so much that I will make it again and again. Thank You .
Joanie Simon says
So glad to hear!!
Katrina Harris says
Excellent recipe easy and quick when your running late
Jan says
Delicious! Made as a vegetarian breakfast pie with 5 links of Morningstar Sausages cooked and cut up. Also cooked a little chopped red pepper with the onion. Recipe is a keeper. Thank you!
Keith johnston says
Do you drain the hamburger
Keith johnston says
Do you drain the hamburger
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