Bacon Cheeseburger Casserole (Whole30 & AIP)

Nothing says comfort food like a Bacon Cheeseburger Casserole. Add this simple meal to your list of standby recipes for busy weeknights that even your kids will love – pickles and non-dairy cheese included. Whether or not you’re on a healing diet like the Whole30 or AIP diet, this gluten-free version of a childhood classic certainly belongs in your arsenal of easy dinners.

Is this Bacon Cheeseburger Casserole healthy?

Believe it or not, it is! Unlike its traditional counterpart, my version has a simple list of ingredients that avoids anything inflammatory, it fits easily into any diet. If you are following a low carb or keto diet, just leave out the sweet potato and substitute a non-starchy vegetable of your choice.

The ingredients in this Bacon Cheeseburger Casserole:

Not only are the ingredients in this recipe healthy, they are wallet-friendly too. 

Ground beef

Opt for a grass-fed version of this affordable protein. You’ll get some healthy omega-3 fats to combat inflammation, and high-quality protein to keep you full and strong. Other ground meats will work too if beef isn’t your thing.

Sweet potatoes

To make this recipe AIP-compliant, I used sweet potatoes instead of traditional burger buns. Sweet potatoes add fiber, essential vitamins and nutrients, and taste great! Depending on your personal dietary needs, you can also substitute white potatoes (Whole 30 but not AIP), tater tots (not Whole 30 or AIP), plantains, and even yucca. 

Bacon

Thank goodness the low-fat craze is over and we can finally recognize the nutrition (and taste) benefits of bacon. As long as it’s nitrate-free, bacon will add great flavor and satiating fat to this dish.

Nutritional yeast

Luckily, nutritional yeast is autoimmune paleo and Whole 30 compliant. Combined with coconut cream it brings not only a non-dairy cheesy flavor to your meals, but also adds B vitamins.

This recipe is perfect for busy families of any size. Leftovers taste great, and it’s easy to double the recipe and freeze a few portions. 

How to Assemble Your Bacon Cheeseburger Casserole:

The prep time is short. Cook your bacon first either in a pan or in the oven, which gets it extra crispy. While your bacon is cooking, start steaming your sweet potatoes. Since both of those will take about 15-20 minutes to cook, brown the ground beef in a pan with coconut oil.

When the bacon and sweet potatoes are ready, add them to the ground beef. Next, combine the coconut cream, nutritional yeast, and ½ cup of sweet potato in a blender for the non-dairy cheese sauce. 

For the big finale, transfer the ground beef to an oven-safe dish and pour the cheese sauce over it. Throw it in the oven, and your cook time will be completely hands-free!

Other recipes you'll love:

• Bang Bang Shrimp Tacos (Whole30 & AIP)
• Instant Pot Sweet and Sour Chicken (Whole30 & AIP)
• Bacon Chicken Ranch Casserole (Whole30 & AIP)

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4.38 from 16 votes

Bacon Cheeseburger Casserole (Whole30 & AIP)

This recipe for bacon cheeseburger casserole transforms a childhood comfort food into an anti-inflammatory meal for the whole family. Make it the night of, save leftovers for later, or even freeze half of the batch for your newest gluten free weeknight favorite.

Prep Time5 mins

Cook Time20 mins

Total Time25 mins

Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: bacon cheeseburger casserole

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 718kcal

Author: Anne Marie

Ingredients

• 2 lb ground beef
• 2.5 cups sweet potato, chopped (about 1.5 medium sized sweet potatoes)
• 8 slices nitrate free bacon, cooked and crumbled (use sugar free for Whole30)
• 1 cup green onion, chopped
• ½ tsp sea salt
• ¼ tsp black pepper, omit for AIP
• 2 Tbsp coconut oil
• 1 batch Dairy Free Cheese Sauce

Instructions

• Start by steaming your sweet potatoes. They should be fully cooked, but not mushy.
• Melt coconut oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat, and add ground beef, sea salt, and black pepper. After 2-3 minutes cooking, add the green onion, and 2 ½ cups steamed sweet potato. Let cook until all the beef is browned. 
• Add crumbled bacon to the beef mixture. Stir to combine.
• Pour the dairy free cheese sauce on top of the beef mixture in the skillet, and place the entire skillet into the oven. This is optional, to heat the cheese sauce all the way through.
• After about 5 minutes, carefully remove the skillet from the oven. Serve with pickles, red onions, cherry tomatoes, and even Whole30 approved ketchup and mustard for a Whole30 compliant Bacon Cheeseburger fix!

Notes

For the bacon:

Cook the bacon using your method of choice. I personally love to bake it - it gets nice and crispy in the oven. Here’s how you bake it: start by preheating your oven to 375°. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, and lay bacon on top. Bake for 15-17 minutes depending on the thickness of your bacon. Remove from oven and let cool to crisp up more. Keep oven set to 375° for the final step.

For the steamed sweet potatoes:

I steam my potatoes on the stovetop using a steamer basket, but you can also put a bit of water into a large microwave safe bowl, add the chopped potato and microwave in 30 second increments until softened.

To heat the cheese sauce:

You can heat the cheese sauce prior to pouring on the dish if you prefer. If you aren’t using a cast iron skillet, and your skillet isn’t safe to go in the oven, you can heat the cheese sauce on the stovetop or in the microwave (be sure to cover!) before adding to the skillet, then you can skip heating through in the oven.

Nutrition

Serving: 6g | Calories: 718kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 57g | Saturated Fat: 29g | Cholesterol: 127mg | Sodium: 633mg | Potassium: 878mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 11184IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 66mg | Iron: 4mg

Did you try this recipe?Tag me @GrassFedSalsa so I can send you some love!