Bacon Cheeseburger Casserole with Rice

5 from 1 vote

An easy, kid-friendly ground beef casserole with rice, bacon, cheese, and potato chips on top!

Course Dinner

Cuisine American

Keyword bacon cheeseburger casserole, bacon cheeseburger casserole recipe, easy bacon cheeseburger casserole, ground beef casserole with rice

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 40

Total Time 1

Servings people

Calories 545kcal

1 lb. ground beef
1 small yellow onion, diced (about 1 cup total)
2 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons total)
2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed tomato soup
1 (14.5 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes, drained
¾ cup milk
¼ cup barbecue sauce (or sub with ketchup)
2 tablespoons chopped dill pickles or dill pickle relish
1 tablespoon prepared yellow mustard
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
½ teaspoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, plus more to taste
4 cups cooked rice
8 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided (I used a shredded “triple cheddar” blend)
2 cups lightly crushed potato chips (or more to taste)
Optional garnish: sliced green onion or chopped fresh herbs

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease or spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
In a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium high heat, brown the ground beef and onion until the meat is no longer pink, about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 more minute. Drain off excess grease.
Stir in the tomato soup, diced tomatoes, milk, barbecue sauce, dill pickles, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt, chili powder, pepper, rice, bacon, and 1 cup of cheese. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper, if desired.
Transfer the beef mixture to the prepared baking dish. Top with the remaining 1 cup of cheese.
Bake uncovered until the filling is hot, about 20-25 minutes. Top with the crushed potato chips and bake for about 5-10 more minutes, until the chips are lightly toasted. Garnish with sliced green onions or chopped fresh herbs and serve.

Use microwaveable rice for a shortcut. If you’re using Uncle Ben’s Ready Rice, microwave the rice according to the package directions before adding it to the dish. Each pouch contains about 2 cups of rice, so you’ll need 2 packets for this recipe.

For even more flavor, sprinkle crispy fried onions over the top of the casserole at the same time that you add the potato chips.

Garnish the casserole with chopped fresh herbs or sliced green onion for a bright, flavorful finishing touch. Good options include fresh parsley or chives. You might also like to add some more of your favorite burger toppings, such as diced red onion, extra pickles, chopped lettuce, or a drizzle of ketchup or mustard.

Cooking for a smaller family? Cut all of the ingredients in half and bake the casserole in an 8-inch square dish. The rest of the cooking instructions remain the same.