when I’m striving to clean up my diet, I focus on nutrient-dense ingredients made with Whole Foods. it’s even better if the ingredients taste like a delicious cheeseburger! My jalapeño bacon cheeseburger casserole is dairy-free, gluten-free and paleo. it has all the comforting and rich flavors of a tasty & greasy cheeseburger with your favorite toppings.
cheeseburger casserole ingredients:
here is the ingredient line up…
- ground beef: lean ground beef forms the base of our hamburger filling.
- bacon: uncured sugar-free bacon keeps this recipe paleo and full of bacon cheeseburger flavors.
- spices: garlic powder, onion powder and sweet smoked paprika flavor our hamburger filling.
- hamburger condiments: sugar-free ketchup and yellow mustard create a sauce-like consistency along with beef broth.
- “cheese” sauce components: raw soaked cashews, nutritional yeast, spices and lemon all blend up to create a “cheese” sauce.
- fun toppings: I like to top my casserole with diced Roma tomatoes, chopped pickles and shredded iceberg lettuce.
how to make:
this jalapeño bacon cheeseburger casserole has two main components: the hamburger filling that simmers similarly to a chili and the “creamy” cheese sauce topping. the cheese sauce is formed by simply adding ingredients to a blender and blitzing until smooth. the “cheese” sauce is then poured atop the hamburger filling and finished with crumbled bacon and sliced jalapeños. you can certainly omit the jalapeños to make this kiddo friendly. the fun part is topping your casserole with your favorite bacon cheeseburger toppings at the end.
menu ideas:
this jalapeño bbq cheeseburger casserole can be versatile for different meal times.
- weeknight family dinner: serve cheeseburger casserole topped with diced roma tomatoes, diced pickles and shredded iceberg lettuce. the cold and crisp garnishes pair perfectly with the rich and hearty filling.
- couples dinners party: serve cheeseburger casserole alongside my greek salad with pistachios.
- sunday supper: serve cheeseburger casserole family-style alongside a grazing board filled with garnish options: thin-sliced red onions, shredded iceberg, diced roma tomatoes, diced pickles, sliced avocados as well as oven-roasted potatoes.
Jalapeño Bacon Cheeseburger Casserole
This Jalapeño Bacon Cheeseburger Casserole has all of the rich flavors of a classic cheeseburger and it's made with nourishing ingredients.
Ingredients
Creamy Cashew "Cheese" Sauce:
- 1.5 cups raw cashews
- 3/4 cup beef broth
- Juice of two lemons
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon smoked sweet paprika
Hamburger Filling:
- 10 oz bacon sliced thinly
- 1 cup red onion minced
- ½ cup red bell pepper minced
- 2 Tablespoons fresh jalapeno ribbed seeded and minced, plus more sliced in rounds for garnish
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 3 cloves fresh garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 20 turns freshly-cracked black pepper
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon sweet smoked paprika
- 1/4 cup unsweetened ketchup I use Primal Kitchen brand
- 1/4 cup yellow mustard
- ¾ cup beef broth
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Add your cashews to a bowl and cover them with hot water to soak while you fry the bacon.
- In a large skillet, add your sliced bacon to the pan and turn the pan to medium-high heat. Fry your bacon bits until crisp then transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Remove all of the bacon grease leaving behind two tablespoons in your skillet.
- Return the skillet to medium-high heat and add the red onion, red bell pepper and jalapeño. Saute 1-2 minutes until veggies begin to soften. Push veggies to outer portion of the pan and add your ground beef in the middle. Break up quickly, then leave undisturbed in the pan for 1-2 minutes to begin browning.
- Stir in minced garlic, spices, salt and pepper and let saute until beef is all broken up and cooked through.
- Stir in ketchup, mustard and beef broth and let mixture come to a simmer. Let hamburger filling simmer on low heat, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 10-15 minutes.
- While hamburger filling is simmering, make your "cheese sauce."
- Drain cashews and add to a high-speed blender with the remaining cheese sauce ingredients. Blend on high speed until completely smooth, scraping down sides midway with a spatula. It should be the consistency of a normal cheese sauce. Pourable, but thick. If mixture is too thick, just add more beef broth.
- Transfer your hamburger filling to an 8x8 casserole dish and spread evenly. Top evenly with cashew cheese sauce, smoothing the top. Finish by adding the reserved crumbled bacon and sliced jalapeños.
- Bake on the upper rack of the oven for 10-15 minutes until bubbling and golden yellow colored.
- Serve casserole topped with your favorite cheeseburger vegetables. I like using diced roma tomatoes, shredded lettuce and pickles.
