Cheeseburger Pie
Cheeseburger Pie takes everything you love about a burger — seasoned beef, sweet browned onion, melty cheddar — and bakes it under a thin Bisquick batter that settles around the filling and turns into its own tender, custardy crust. There's no dough to roll and no crust to blind-bake: the batter sinks, the top browns golden, and the middle sets just firm enough to slice into wedges. It's a true one-pie-plate dinner that goes from skillet to table in about an hour.
Brown 450 g (1 lb) ground beef with a chopped onion over medium-high heat, drain the fat, and season with garlic, Worcestershire, salt, and pepper; spread the mixture in a greased 9-inch pie plate and scatter 150 g (1 1/2 cups) shredded cheddar over it. Whisk 60 g (1/2 cup) Bisquick with 240 ml (1 cup) milk and 2 eggs until just combined, pour it evenly over the cheese, and bake at 200°C (400°F) for 23-28 minutes, until the top is golden and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Rest the pie 10 minutes on a rack so the custard sets, then slice into 6 wedges and serve with pickles, ketchup, and mustard.
- Drain the beef fat thoroughly after browning — pooled grease is the number one cause of a greasy, soggy bottom.
- Whisk the batter only until pourable; a few small lumps are fine, and overmixing makes the crust tough instead of tender.
- Bake until a knife in the very center comes out clean, then rest a full 10 minutes — the eggy layer keeps setting as it cools, which is what gives you clean slices.
Equipment
- 9-inch (23 cm) pie plate
- Large skillet
- Medium mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Wooden spoon or silicone spatula
- Box grater
Ingredients
Beef filling
- 450 g ground beef (85% lean), 85/15 gives flavor without leaving the pie greasy
- yellow onion, finely chopped, about 150 g / 1 cup chopped
- garlic cloves, minced
- 15 ml Worcestershire sauce, contains anchovies; omit if avoiding fish
- 4 g fine salt
- 1 g black pepper, freshly ground
- 150 g sharp cheddar, shredded, shred from a block — it melts smoother than pre-shredded
Bisquick batter
- 60 g Bisquick or similar baking mix
- 240 ml whole milk
- large eggs
- butter or nonstick spray, for the pie plate
Method
- STEP01
Set a rack in the center of the oven and heat it to 200°C (400°F). Grease a 9-inch (23 cm) pie plate generously with butter or nonstick spray, making sure to coat the corners where the plate's bottom meets the sides — that's where the batter likes to stick.
- STEP02
Set a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and chopped onion and cook, breaking the meat into small crumbles with a wooden spoon, until no pink remains and the onion is soft and translucent, 8 to 10 minutes. Tilt the pan and spoon off or drain as much fat as you can — this keeps the bottom crust from turning greasy.
- STEP03
With the pan off the heat, stir in the garlic, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. The residual heat will bloom the garlic without scorching it. Taste a crumble and adjust the salt now — the batter itself is only lightly seasoned.
- STEP04
Spread the beef mixture evenly across the bottom of the prepared pie plate and press it gently into a level layer. Scatter the shredded cheddar over the top so it reaches all the way to the edges.
- STEP05
In a medium bowl, whisk the Bisquick, milk, and eggs for 30 to 60 seconds, until the mixture is smooth enough to pour. A few small lumps are fine; whisking until perfectly smooth develops the gluten in the mix and makes the crust tough.
- STEP06
Pour the batter slowly and evenly over the cheese layer, letting it find its own level — do not stir. Bake for 23 to 28 minutes, until the top is deeply golden, the edges pull slightly from the plate, and a thin knife inserted in the center comes out clean with no wet batter clinging to it.
- STEP07
Cool the pie on a wire rack for 10 minutes; the custardy layer finishes setting as it rests, so slices hold together instead of slumping. Cut into 6 wedges and serve with classic burger fixings — dill pickles, ketchup, mustard, or a spoonful of burger sauce.
Make ahead
The beef filling can be browned, seasoned, and refrigerated up to 2 days ahead — scatter it into the pie plate straight from the fridge, top with cheese, and whisk the batter fresh, adding 3 to 5 extra minutes of bake time. A fully baked pie also holds well: bake it the day before, refrigerate, and reheat covered with foil at 150°C (300°F) for about 20 minutes.
Storage
Cool leftovers completely, then refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat slices uncovered in a 150°C (300°F) oven for 12 to 15 minutes so the bottom firms back up, or microwave for 60 to 90 seconds if you don't mind a softer crust. For longer keeping, wrap individual slices tightly and freeze up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Variations
Bacon Cheeseburger Pie
Cook 4 slices of bacon until crisp, crumble them, and stir into the beef along with the seasonings. Swap half the cheddar for smoked gouda and finish each slice with a drizzle of burger sauce for a diner-style upgrade.
Gluten-Free
Use a gluten-free baking mix (gluten-free Bisquick or a cup-for-cup blend that includes leavening) in the same 60 g (1/2 cup) amount. The batter sets nearly identically; check for doneness at the 23-minute mark. Confirm your Worcestershire brand is gluten-free too.
Tex-Mex
Replace the Worcestershire with 1 tablespoon of taco seasoning and swap the cheddar for pepper jack. Serve wedges topped with salsa, pickled jalapeños, and a dollop of sour cream.
Serve with
Nutrition per serving
Nutrition values are estimates based on the metric measurements. Adjust as needed.
Frequently asked
What can I use if I don't have Bisquick?
Make an equivalent mix by whisking 65 g (1/2 cup) all-purpose flour with 3/4 teaspoon baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon fine salt, then whisk 1 tablespoon melted butter into the milk and eggs before combining. It behaves the same way in the oven — the whole point of a bisquick cheeseburger pie is simply a pourable, self-leavening batter that forms its own crust.
Why did my bisquick cheeseburger pie come out soggy in the middle?
The usual culprits are unrendered beef fat left in the filling, underbaking, or cutting in too soon. Drain the skillet well after browning, bake until a knife in the dead center comes out clean (not just the edges), and give it the full 10-minute rest — the egg-and-milk layer needs that time to finish setting into a sliceable custard.
Can I make it with ground turkey or chicken instead of beef?
Yes. Use 450 g (1 lb) of ground turkey or chicken and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet, since lean poultry won't render enough fat to brown the onion. A pinch of smoked paprika helps replace the savory depth beef brings. Bake time stays the same.
Do I need to make or pre-bake a crust?
No — that's the trick behind this style of recipe, often called an 'impossible pie.' The thin baking-mix batter is poured straight over the filling; during baking some of it sinks and browns against the plate while the rest rises and sets on top, so the pie builds its own tender crust with zero rolling or blind-baking.
Can I double the recipe for a crowd?
Double every ingredient and bake it in a greased 23 x 33 cm (9 x 13 inch) baking dish instead of a pie plate. Keep the oven at 200°C (400°F) and start checking at 30 minutes; a knife in the center should come out clean, usually by 35 minutes. Rest it 10 to 15 minutes before cutting into squares.
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