This recipe was sponsored by Jones Dairy Farm and all opinions are my own as usual.
This bacon cheeseburger casserole tastes so much like the real deal that no one would guess there’s actually no cheese in it at all! A creamy, dairy-free cheese sauce is layered with savory ground beef, veggies, and topped with crispy bacon for the ultimate comfort food casserole!
I’ve spent WAY too much time over the past 36+ years pondering my answer to THE most important question. You know – the “last meal” question. What, if you could have anything at all, would you choose for your last meal?
Well, I’ve known the answer for a while and I’m not even going to hint, I’ll just spell it out – BACON CHEESEBURGER. I mean the real deal, with all the fixin’s (strange word, but it works here.)
I’m talking juicy beef piled high with sautéed onions and mushrooms and about twice as much bacon as you’re currently picturing right now. Plus ketchup (yup, I love it), dill pickles (no sweet ones!), a bun (AH!) and – oh yes – lots of cheddar cheese.
All of this with a side of crispy sweet potato fries covered in even more cheese. Because yes – I actually do like sweet potato fries better than regular fries – who would’ve thought?
But, the dreaming has to stop because hopefully I won’t be having any sort of “last meal” anytime soon. And in reality, if I actually went for that meal at any old time, I’d most likely pay for it for days. So, I have other plans. Specifically, this bacon cheeseburger casserole. And by cheeseburger, I mean “cheese” burger.
A few things you need to know about this casserole. First, I served it to my family without saying anything about what it actually was. This was a test, of course. The response from the kids: “WHY did you make something with cheese?!
My response – “it’s not cheese.” Their response “????!!!” But seriously, they couldn’t imagine that there was actually no cheese at all in this cheesy cheeseburger casserole. The secret – I used a cashew-based cheese sauce that’s SUPER easy to throw together in a blender (no soaking the cashews!)
Adam guessed “correctly” that he was eating a bacon cheeseburger casserole. He had 100% no clue that it was actually a “cheese” burger casserole, and when I broke the news to him it didn’t seem to matter – it tasted like cheese, so it was cheese.
Second, I used my favorite paleo, No Sugar Hickory Smoked Bacon in this casserole from Jones Dairy Farm. They make crispy, delicious uncured, sugar-free bacon that’s perfect for so many Whole30 and paleo recipes, along with sugar-free pork sausage (used in my sausage leek & spinach quiche) plus fully-cooked chicken, pork and turkey sausage to throw into quick meals.
Since Jones Dairy Farm has an awesome line of No Antibiotics Ever, Paleo Certified products containing NO sugar or preservatives, they’re perfect for clean eating recipes and quick meals.
In addition to bacon, they also make several sugar-free sausage varieties, Canadian Bacon, and more – definitely check out their website to browse their amazing products and click on the product locator to find out where you can purchase their products near you!
Third, the toppings. Here’s where you can really go with what you’re craving at the moment. In the spirit of tradition, I went with paleo friendly ketchup and sliced dill pickles, but you can do anything you want. Avocado, ranch, hot sauce, paleo BBQ sauce – whatever you feel like.
You can keep it low carb and skip the fries or go wild and bake up a batch of sweet potato fries, butternut squash fries, or traditional baked French fries. Just search “fries” on my blog and you’ll come up with quite a few ideas 🙂
I hope you’re ready for the healthy answer to those bacon cheeseburger cravings! Grab your bacon and a big skillet because it’s time to make this cheeseburger casserole – let’s go!
Bacon Cheeseburger Casserole {Paleo, No Added Sugar}
Bacon Cheeseburger Casserole {Paleo, No Added Sugar}
This bacon cheeseburger casserole tastes so much like the real deal that no one would guess there’s actually no cheese in it at all! A creamy, dairy-free cheese sauce is layered with savory ground beef, veggies, and topped with crispy bacon for the ultimate comfort food casserole!
Ingredients
Cheese Sauce:
- 1 1/2 cups cashews no need to soak
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice about 2 lemons
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup olive oil or avocado oil
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 3 Tbsp nutritional yeast
Remaining Ingredients:
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped
- 1 medium red bell pepper diced
- 8 oz mushrooms roughly chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 package (8oz) Jones Dairy Farm No Sugar Hickory Smoked Bacon
- 1 1/2 lbs grass fed ground beef
- Sea salt and black pepper
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- Sugar-free ketchup homemade or store bought
- Sliced dill pickles
- Anything else you’d like on your cheeseburger! Jalapeños; avocado sliced red onion, etc.
Instructions
For the Cheese Sauce:
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Place all ingredients in a high-speed blender or food processor. I used my NutriBullet for this and it was fast and easy. Blend on high speed until smooth and creamy, set aside.
For the Casserole:
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Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and cook the bacon, in batches if necessary, until crisp. Drain on paper towels and set aside. Reserve 2 Tbsp of the bacon fat.
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Lower the heat to medium and add the onion, peppers, and mushrooms. Cook for 2-3 minutes until softened, then add the garlic, stir, and cook another and sprinkle the mixture with sea salt and pepper. Continue to cook 2 more minutes.
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Push the veggies to one side of the skillet and add the ground beef to the other. Sprinkle with sea salt, pepper, paprika, and onion powder. Cook, using a spatula to break up lumps as it browns. Mix the beef with the veggies and continue to cook until the beef is fully browned, then remove from heat.
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To assemble, transfer the beef mixture to a 9 x 13 glass casserole dish, then layer with the cheese mixture. Gently stir to combine the two layers, then crumble the cooked bacon over the top. Bake in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes or until heated through and bubbly.
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To serve, top the casserole with sliced pickles, ketchup, and any other desired toppings. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Enjoy!
Nutrition
VISIT THE JONES DAIRY FARMS WEBSITE TO CHECK OUT THEIR ALL NATURAL, SUGAR FREE SAUSAGE, BACON, HAM AND MORE!
More Recipes Using Jones Dairy Farm No Sugar Bacon, Sausage, and More:
Savory Bacon Sweet Potato Waffles
Sausage, Leek, and Spinach Quiche
Italian Spaghetti Squash Boats
Could you premake this, stick it in the fridge and wait’ll the evening to put it in the oven?
Making this tonight. I just am prepping – what should I do with the cashew sauce after until I make the rest. Fridge?
Your hands are very skillful and full of art, and you have a very creative brain to make these wonderful dishes.
So good and my cheese loving husband didn’t even miss the cheese! Served it with an arugula & mandarin salad – added something light to the meal. This will be a regular in our rotation!
This was a big success. Followed it exactly and topped with dill relish and sliced avocados. Definitely a keeper.
Maybe I’m missing it but where does the reserve bacon grease come back in? Thanks!
I finally got some nutritional yeast and this was the first thing I made. Delicious!!
Really yummy. My husband loved it! He said it reminded him of beef stroganoff. May try thinning it out a bit with beef bone broth and serve over spaghetti squash. DELICIOUS
I was so pumped to make this recipe today, as it sounded delicious and thought my hubby would like it. However when I prepped it this afternoon I was quite disappointed. I thought the meat mixture was a little bland and I definitely did not think the cheese sauce tasted “cheesy”. It tasted like cashews and lemon juice. HOWEVER… when I reheated it for dinner and topped it with Paleo ketchup, magic happened! And I mean magic! I don’t know how Michele managed it, but this actually tastes like a bacon cheeseburger! It was delicious. Will definitely make it again! Thx so much Michele!
Btw- followed recipe exactly as written.
I wonder what I did wrong. The cashew sauce was way too overpowering and I couldn’t stand this dish. I had to force myself to eat it to set a good example for my kids. Could it have been the nutritional yeast adding such a bold flavor? On a spoon the sauce tasted great but once mixed it was all unbearable.