Cheddar Cheeseburger Pie Recipe

There are all sorts of savory pies that you could find across the globe, ranging from French quiche Lorraine to Moroccan pastilla. One savory pie that feels distinctly more American is this cheddar cheeseburger pie, an over-the-top pastry-casserole hybrid that really does capture the essence of a good burger. This recipe is great for those who keep burger night in their regular dinner rotation but want to switch things up or get a little creative in the kitchen.

Now, you may be wondering exactly what we mean by "pastry-casserole hybrid." The pastry part comes into play by way of a classic pie crust, one that you might find as a base for more traditional sweet pies like apple or cherry. But we're not stuffing the crust with a sweet filling; instead, this pie is full of a savory, cheesy beef filling that really brings the burger aspect to life, and one that reads like a cozy casserole once it's served on a plate. Of course, no cheeseburger (in pie form or otherwise) is complete without a bun, so sesame slider buns serve as the topping of choice here. When it comes time to slice and serve the pie, I like to take the choose-your-own-adventure approach and offer a mix of crowd-pleasing toppings like shredded lettuce, pickles, and tomatoes to make it even more of a fun experience that the whole family will love.

This recipe begins with a classic pie crust, for which you'll need all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, kosher salt, and cold butter. Next, to make the filling, reach for ground beef, diced yellow onion, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, cornstarch, and plenty of cheddar cheese to sprinkle on top. Slider buns help instill that cheeseburger vibe as a topping, and you'll need a little bit of melted butter and some sesame seeds to garnish the buns.

To prepare the crust, in a medium bowl, stir to combine flour, sugar, and salt.

Add the butter and work in with your fingertips or a pastry cutter until only pea-sized bits remain visible.

Add 3 tablespoons cold water, and work it in just until the dough holds together when squeezed. If needed, add an additional tablespoon of water.

Lightly knead the dough on a clean surface and form it into a disk.

Wrap the dough and refrigerate it for 30 minutes.

Lightly dust a clean surface with flour.

Roll the dough out to a ⅛-inch thick round.

Transfer the crust to a pie plate, trim the edges if needed, and fold the edges of the dough under.

Crimp or use a fork to press the edges. Chill the crust while oven preheats.

Preheat the oven to 375 F.

Line the chilled crust with foil and fill it with dried beans or other pie weights.

Bake for 20 minutes, then remove weights and foil and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes or until lightly golden all over.

While the pie crust bakes, prepare the filling. Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat.

Add the beef, onions, salt, and pepper to the pan, and cook, stirring to break up the meat, until almost cooked through.

Add the garlic powder, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and mustard, and stir to combine.

Stir to combine the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons water or beef stock in a small cup, then stir into the beef mixture.

Cook an additional 30 seconds until the mixture is slightly thickened.

Pour into the prepared pie crust.

Top with shredded cheese.

Place the buns over the top.

Brush the tops of the buns with butter and sprinkle them with sesame seeds.

Bake the pie for 8-10 minutes until the cheese is melted.

Serve hot with lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, or other favorite cheeseburger toppings as desired.

Much like there are nearly endless ways to customize and upgrade classic cheeseburgers, there are plenty of ways to switch up this cheeseburger pie. Start with the crust, which is somewhat labor-intensive as written since you're making it from scratch. You can easily swap in a store-bought pie crust here, or you can double up on the crust (be it store-bought or homemade) and top the pie with another layer of crust instead of the slider buns. If you go this route, brush the top crust with egg wash and sprinkle it with sesame seeds before baking to get that familiar cheeseburger feel.

The beefy filling and cheddar cheese topping also have room for customization. Add in a layer of sauteed mushrooms, caramelized onions, or crispy bacon for an extra decadent touch. Swap out the beef for ground turkey or even a plant-based meat to make a vegetarian pie. For the cheese layer, you don't need to stick with cheddar — American, Swiss, pepper Jack, or just about any melty blend will work here. Finally, when it comes time to serve, add guacamole, pickled red onions, special burger sauce, and even fries to the toppings/sides mix for more variety. 

As with any good pie, sweet or savory, it all starts with the crust. A well-formed, properly baked crust is absolutely key to ensuring that the whole thing doesn't fall apart down the line. When initially making the pie crust dough, make sure that your butter is cold, move quickly to avoid heating the dough with your hands, and avoid adding too much water (which will make the crust rubbery instead of flaky). 

It's also crucial to blind bake the pie crust before filling it; otherwise, you'll end up with a soggy mess. The process is pretty straightforward, and you don't need to invest in pie weights to get the job done — dried beans, uncooked rice, and even sugar will work. By blind baking the crust, you're ensuring that it ends up nice and flaky underneath all of that beefy filling and also that it remains intact when you slice and serve.

While the crust is key to a pie staying together, in this recipe, adding the cornstarch to the beef mixture also plays an important structural role. Without the cornstarch slurry, the beef mixture would end up super runny and seep out of your pie when you slice it. If you don't have cornstarch, swap for potato or tapioca starch or even all-purpose flour in a pinch.

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