This vintage Bisquick Cheeseburger Pie comes straight from Grandma’s recipe box! It’s an impossibly easy 1970s classic that’s cozy, cheesy, and full of retro charm.
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An “Impossibly Easy” Dinner
This “vintage” Bisquick cheeseburger pie recipe comes straight from my grandmother’s recipe box! If you’re not familiar with Bisquick “impossible pies,” these dishes rose in popularity back in the 1970s, when Betty Crocker first introduced the Impossible Coconut Pie — named because the company described it as “impossibly easy.”
Many different versions of impossible pies now exist — both in the sweet and savory categories. You might remember Impossible Chicken Pot Pie or Impossible Pumpkin Pecan Pie. These dishes all utilize Bisquick, an all-purpose pancake and baking mix, to form the custard or base of a crustless pie (no traditional pastry pie crust necessary). Betty Crocker now calls these “Impossibly Easy” pies, and I would have to agree!
This is great and so simple. I’ve made it with both turkey and beef – enjoyed it both ways…I’m making it again tonight and so looking forward to it with a nice salad to round out the meal!
– Rochelle
Ingredient Notes and Tips for Success
- As the name suggests, this dinner is simple and quick — thanks to help from Bisquick baking mix — an all-purpose pancake and baking mix that’s available in gluten free, Heart-Smart, and buttermilk varieties. Any version will work, but I like the classic Original Bisquick.
- I use 85% lean ground beef, but any variety is fine. You can also substitute with ground turkey or ground chicken.
- Cheddar cheese is a classic option, but you can substitute with Pepper Jack, Monterey Jack, Colby, Swiss, and American, too.
- Think of this dish as a cross between a casserole and a quiche. The Bisquick mix gives the filling a biscuit-like texture, but it tastes nice and moist from the eggs and milk. Such a flavorful, affordable, family-friendly meal!
How to Make Impossible Cheeseburger Pie
With classic cheeseburger ingredients like ground beef, cheddar cheese, and ketchup, it’s a simple and hearty weeknight dinner that the whole family will enjoy — even your pickiest kids! You’ll find detailed directions in the recipe card below, but here’s the overview:
- Cook the beef and onion in a skillet, then drain off the excess grease. Stir in salt, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, and a sprinkle of shredded cheese.
- Transfer beef mixture to a greased pie plate.
- Whisk together the baking mix, milk, and eggs. Don’t overmix the Bisquick batter. Some lumps are fine to avoid activating the gluten in the flour.
- Pour the batter over the ground beef.
- Bake until the filling is set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25-30 minutes.
- Cut into slices and serve! For a cleaner slice, allow the pie to rest in the pie pan for 10-20 minutes before serving. Garnish the top of each slice with your favorite cheeseburger toppings. Good options include sliced green onions, chopped pickles or pickle relish, sour cream, lettuce, and diced tomatoes. You might even like a drizzle of ketchup or mustard.
Serving Suggestions
Cheeseburger pie is one of those great meals that everyone at the table can agree on. It’s loaded with familiar ingredients and flavors that appeal to even the pickiest little eaters. Jazz up individual slices with plenty of toppings to suit every palate! You might also like to pair the Bisquick cheeseburger pie with Southern-style green beans, steamed broccoli, a simple green salad dressed in lemon vinaigrette, cucumber tomato onion salad, vinegar coleslaw, sauteed zucchini, baked potato wedges, or a fresh fruit salad.
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Watch How to Make It
Bisquick Cheeseburger Pie
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1 cup diced onion
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ cup ketchup
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- ¾ cup Bisquick baking mix
- 1 cup milk
- 2 large eggs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease a 9-inch pie plate (or a deep 8-inch square baking dish) with nonstick cooking spray; set aside. In a large skillet, brown ground beef and onion over medium heat until beef is no longer pink (about 8-10 minutes). Drain off fat. Stir in salt, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, and cheese. Transfer beef mixture to the prepared pie dish.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together Bisquick, milk, and eggs, just until combined (it’s fine if you still have some lumps in the batter – do not overmix).
- Pour batter on top of beef.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Notes
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- Don’t overmix the Bisquick batter. Some lumps in the batter are fine! Over-mixing will activate the gluten in the flour, which results in tough, dense baked goods.
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- Garnish the top of each slice with your favorite cheeseburger toppings. Good options include sliced green onions, chopped pickles or pickle relish, sour cream, lettuce, and diced tomatoes. You might even like a drizzle of ketchup or mustard.
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- For a cleaner slice, allow the pie to rest for 10-20 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
Preparation and Storage Tips
- How to Store: Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- How to Reheat: Reheat an entire pie covered in a 325°F oven for about 20-30 minutes, or until warmed through. You can also reheat individual slices in the microwave for 1-2 minutes.
- How to Prep Ahead: Prepare the ground beef mixture up to 48 hours in advance. It can sit in the pie plate, covered with plastic wrap in your fridge — just waiting for the batter and the oven. Right before baking, whisk together the batter, pour it over top, and pop the dish in the oven. If the dish is cold when it goes into the oven, you may need to increase the total baking time by a few minutes.
- For a Freezer Meal: Bake the entire casserole, let it cool to room temperature and then wrap tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then reheat (covered) in a 325°F oven for about 20-30 minutes, or until warmed through. If the pie is in a freezer-to-oven-safe dish, you can reheat it directly from frozen. You’ll just need to leave it in the oven for almost twice as long.
This was pleasantly easy to make! And everyone loved it. Win win! I cooked it in a cast iron pan and poured Bisquick on top and put her in the oven. I added frozen corn and it cooked beautifully. Served it with broccoli and we’re good to go. Love easy meals.
– Sara
Recipe Variations
- Make it a bacon cheeseburger pie by adding some chopped bacon to the skillet when you brown the ground beef.
- Add extra seasoning to the ground beef with a packet of taco seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, or paprika.
- Omit the cheese and make it an old fashioned hamburger pie recipe!
- Some readers have had great luck with adding extra veggies, such as sauteed mushrooms or corn.
- Serving a larger family? Double the ingredients and bake the pie in a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish. You will need to increase the total baking time by about 5-10 minutes.
More Bisquick Recipes
Bisquick Peach Cobbler
1 hour hr 10 minutes mins
Bisquick Waffle Recipe
25 minutes mins
Bisquick Sausage Balls
40 minutes mins
Originally published in February, 2018, this post was updated in July, 2025.
Can I bake this using a pie crust for the bottom crust?
Hi, Judy! I’m not sure how that would work — do you mean to pour the Bisquick into a pie crust as well, or just use the ground beef and cheese in the pie crust? I wouldn’t recommend it, but let me know if you give it a try and figure out a delicious new recipe! 🙂
Can I make this ahead of time and refrigerate until I want to bake it…or should I bake it and reheat when it’s time to eat.
Hi, Joy! Yes, ma’am! I would bake it first and then reheat it when you’re ready to serve. Enjoy!
Can I make this ahead of time and refrigerate until I want to bake it…or should I bake it and reheat when it’s time to eat.
I doubled the recipe to make a casserole and substituted a cup of diced red and yellow peppers for one of the cups of onion. I also used a mixture of different cheddar cheeses and ground chuck instead of ground beef (it’s what I had on hand). The result was absolutely delicious! My husband advised me NOT TO CHANGE A THING! (I often experiment and change recipes as I use them! ;)). This is a definite keeper!! Thank you!!
That’s wonderful, Joanne! Thanks so much for letting me know!
I am the main cook in our household my best friend and housemate my 92 yr Mom ( who is bedridden). Finding make ahead recipes is a true blessing! I made this for our dinner last night along with a simple tossed salad and of course kosher dills. It was a hit out of the ballpark! Will definitely make again, I did add a few mixed color bell peppers . Will top with a few slices of avocado next time.
That’s wonderful, Marianne! I’m so glad that it was an easy recipe that you could both enjoy. Thanks for taking the time to leave me a note!
I’m so excited for this! I have a gluten free baking mix I’m going to try (my oldest son has Celiac Disease) but I think it will work!!
Thank you for the recipe!
I think it should work with the gluten-free mix too, Rebecca (although I’ve never tried that myself). We actually just had this for dinner last night. Such a hit with the whole family! Enjoy! 🙂
can you make this with a pie crust????
Hi, Sue! I think that would probably work, but I worry a little that the meat filling would get dry on its own. Maybe add more ketchup/mustard/bbq sauce? And top with cheese? Let me know if you give it a try and if you have any suggestions that work well. 🙂
We tried it tonight. I wanted to double the recipe but I didn’t quite have 2 pounds so I added some mushrooms and bacon. It was delicious. The only thing I would do differently is to add more Bisquick mix. The casserole had more of an eggy quiche-like taste. Definitely a keeper.
Thanks!
I use crescent roll dough instead of the bisquick. It makes creating this dish even easier. The taste is a little different but just as good.
Great tip! Thanks, Linda!
I used a refrigerator pie dough, 1/2 cup of milk and only one egg. There were two slices left for today’s lunch and they were gone before I had a chance to even ask who wanted to share. I have been making this for years, this house of three “Golden Girls “ love this pie!
That makes me so happy to hear, Marianne! Glad that you all enjoy it, and thanks for sharing your adjustments. 🙂
Can I bake this using a pie crust for the bottom crust?
Hi! Yes, that should work fine. The Bisquick sinks down among the beef, giving the dish a bread-like texture throughout, so you really don’t need a bottom crust. That said, I don’t think it would hurt to add the bottom crust if that’s your preference. Enjoy!
Thank you for this recipe! I added mushrooms to this and it was delicious!
Sounds delicious! Thanks for taking the time to leave a note, Lily!
Can I bake this using a pie crust for the bottom crust?
Hi, Jack! Sure, I would blind-bake the crust first to make sure that it’s cooked through and not soggy. You’ll still want to use the Bisquick to help the filling set. Enjoy!
Easy and so good. Will be making again.
Thanks, Jill!
Great basic recipe for the cheeseburger pie classic. I thought I’d add this comment, as it was a game changer for me on other similar recipes. To spice it up a bit, add your favorite burger fixings! I love adding different combinations of diced pickles, tomatoes, mushrooms, and shredded cabbage or saurkraut (acts like the lettuce but not soggy). I have this one saved in my keepers! Thanks so much!
Thanks, Carly! Yes, the toppings are a great suggestion! 🙂
This was really good! I love the dish you baked yours in. The recipe says to use a pie plate ( your dish doesn’t look like a pie plate, is it a hand made pottery dish?) Needless to say I have a thing for different dishes, was your dish hand made?
Hi, Nancy! My dish is technically called a hand-thrown stoneware cornbread pan. Not something that everyone owns, which is why I say to use a pie plate. 🙂 Here’s the link if you’d like one: https://www.lehmans.com/product/heritage-blue-stripe-stoneware-cornbread-pan?shopping&gclid=CjwKCAiArOqOBhBmEiwAsgeLmfzMemx7cW2SZUcWizFDyGAYGmTMZbs3N8CrJTKoNdwpYQeVhkWtfxoCvx0QAvD_BwE#
This is great and so simple. I’ve made it with both turkey and beef – enjoyed it both ways. Personal additions are I use Diner/Seasoned salt instead of regular salt and add about a teaspoon of mustard. If it helps anyone – because it’s what I normally have on hand I use unsweetened oatmilk for the topping instead of regular milk and it works perfectly. I’m making it again tonight and so looking forward to it with a nice salad to round out the meal!
Great tips, Rochelle. Thank you!
Do you think this would work okay with an almond flour pancake mix instead?
Hi, Brittany! I don’t know, since I’ve never used that type of mix. I would think that it should work okay, but you might need to play around with the amount of milk and eggs that you use. I’m sorry that I’m not familiar with the specific ingredients in the almond flour mix.
I made this the other night using taco seasonings and adding some sliced olives. It was so good that everyone was mad that there were no leftovers lol
Sounds delicious, Stacy. Thank you!
I followed this recipe exactly. The only change was that I minced the onions (hubby can’t stand eating them but will tolerate them if they’ve “melted” into the food). I felt it lacked something in my opinion, not sure what, but that might be just me. I added tomatoes on the side which helped a bit. My husband liked it and ate 2 slices! Next time, I’d experiment with using BBQ sauce instead of ketchup, or I’d use taco seasoning. I will try this recipe again.
Thank you, Tracey! Yes, definitely use this recipe as a baseline and feel free to experiment with different add-ins, flavors, seasoning, and toppings. The options are endless. 🙂
I make a similar version of this. I throw in frozen broccoli with the meat mixture, full meal all in one!
That sounds like a great addition! We love this recipe for an easy weeknight meal.
We loved the cheeseburger pie. It was the best
Thanks, Tina!