In the world of cooking and recipes, hamburgers and cheeseburgers exist in many more contexts aside from a beef patty between two buns with a variety of cheese, toppings, and condiments. The cheeseburger is such a versatile and dynamic food that it has crept into becoming a flavor for many different dishes, including pizza and macaroni.
However, since the cheeseburger can be broken down into discernible ingredients, there also exists the capacity for the dish to be deconstructed. Such is the impetus for the layered hamburger bake, which takes an unconventional look at the meal.
Hamburger Patties in Oven
In the age of casseroles, many different combinations of ingredients seek to have them mixed beyond recognition. The thicker the casserole, the better is the mastery objective of many chefs. But this particular dish, the layered hamburger bake, takes the opposite approach to creating a tasty collision of cheeseburger-based ingredients. And it all begins with the hamburger patty.
It may be an obvious notion, but you cannot have a hamburger with the meat itself. Whether in a beef patty or a crumbled hamburger style, the meat is a crucial component of all dishes that use the concept of a cheeseburger as the basis for its inception. With this recipe, you will want two pounds of lean ground beef that will be split in half and spread both under and over the other ingredients in the layered hamburger bake. Think that it would be like a sandwich, except instead of bread being used as the two ends of the ingredients, ground beef patties are being used instead.
Of course, you cannot have a layered hamburger bake that relies solely on the quality of the meat. You have to festoon it with the flavors that also have a dalliance in the realm of cheeseburgers, including peppers, onions, and more. As long as the hamburger patties are spread evenly and smoothly, then you can experiment as much as you would like with the bake itself. And the experimentation can be varied.
Layered Burger Casserole
This particular layered hamburger bake features onions, peppers, mustard, and tomatoes, but this is only a small sliver of the myriad of potential ingredients that a cheeseburger-flavored dish can have. Pickles, ketchup, and many different kinds of cheeses can also be included in the layered hamburger bake, depending on what your preferences are for a cheeseburger itself.
Additionally, the bake is quite different from a traditional casserole or something similar because of the deconstructed element of it. It is its own sort of special casserole. The ingredients are not mixed like a casserole, but they are just as scrumptious. It almost comes across as a more artistic way of depicting a hamburger, but it is no less delicious.
In fact, the amount of preparation that is needed to create the layered hamburger bake makes this a meal that would not necessarily come about speedily after a long day when a quick meal is needed. Instead, it is the sort of meal that can come when you have a bit more time and you feel like doing a bit more experimenting with flavor and style than you might otherwise be accustomed to.
The actual cooking procedure, however, is just as simple as the rest of our hamburger-themed meals and it takes roughly the same amount of time to create. With a strong knowledge of hamburgers and cheeseburgers, there is no limit to the variety of meals that you can cook. But this one might be one you return to frequently.
Make This Recipe With Your Kids
This recipe is a great one to make with your kids. Not every recipe is meant to be shared with children, since some of them are just too complicated for them to handle. Or, they involve particularly dangerous ingredients like hot oil.
This recipe has steps that children can easily complete. For example, they can help you pat the meat down or cover it with onion, tomato, and pepper. Even though these steps are simple, they'll feel huge to a younger child. This is especially the case if they've never cooked with you before!
Of course, always ensure proper safety precautions are being taken. Keep sharp knives well out of reach, and teach your children about how to act around hot surfaces. It's a good idea to keep a first aid kit of some kind handy, especially with younger children, in case any accidents occur.
In addition, remember to be patient when cooking with your child. Although this recipe is easy, it may prove to be confusing for very young children or for those with no cooking experience. Mistakes may happen; if they do, use them as a teaching moment rather than a scolding moment.
PrintLayered Hamburger Bake
- Total Time: 45 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 pounds lean ground beef
- Prepared mustard
- Salt and pepper
- Thin onion slices
- Sliced tomatoes
- Sliced green pepper rings
Instructions
1. Pat half of the ground beef into a deep 8 or 9-inch round cake pan.
2. Spread with a little mustard; sprinkle with salt and pepper.
3. Cover with onion slices, then tomato slices and green pepper rings.
4. Pat remaining ground beef evenly over top.
5. Arrange additional tomato slices over ground beef.
6. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes or until internal temperature of ground beef reaches 160°F.
- Prep Time: 15 Minutes
- Cook Time: 30 Minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
The image featured at the top of this post is ©Elena Shashkina/Shutterstock.com.