My favorite meal is burgers and fries, so naturally, I had to find a way to turn that combination into a casserole! This Cheeseburger French Fry Casserole is perfect for those busy days when you want something hearty and comforting without spending too much time in the kitchen.
What I love about this recipe is that you don't need a long grocery list or a bunch of fancy ingredients. Most of what you'll need are simple pantry and freezer staples like ground beef, canned soups, frozen fries, and cheese. Pick them up during your regular grocery run, keep them on hand, and you've got the makings of an easy dinner whenever you need one.
Looking for more easy Casserole recipes? Try Sausage Hashbrown Egg Casserole, Cheesy Hamburger Casserole, and Taco Casserole with Beans.
One little tip before you get started: I used frozen fries and pre-shredded cheese when testing and making this recipe, but I recommend grating your own cheese if you can. I use a good old-fashioned box grater, although a rotary grater or hand-crank cheese shredder works just as well.
Freshly grated cheese melts much better because pre-shredded cheese contains an anti-caking agent that keeps the shreds from sticking together. And if you don't feel like grating the cheese yourself, put the kids, grandkids, or even your mother-in-law to work. That's what they're there for, right?
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Ingredient Notes
Frozen Crinkle-Cut French Fries: Crinkle-cut fries work especially well here because the ridges hold onto the cheese and create extra crispy edges. They also hold up better during baking than thinner fries. Substitutions: Straight-cut fries, steak fries, seasoned fries, tater tots, and waffle fries.
Lean Ground Beef: An 85/15 or 90/10 blend works especially well but 80/20 works just fine. Substitutions: Ground turkey, ground chicken, ground sausage, or plant-based ground meat. If you happen to be using turkey or chicken, I recommend that you add a little extra seasoning for flavor.
Onion: Substitutions include yellow onion, white onion, sweet onion, shallots, or onion powder.
Kosher Salt: Substitutions include sea salt or table salt.
Cracked Black Pepper: Substitutions include white pepper, Cajun seasoning, or burger seasoning.
Garlic Powder: Substitutions include fresh minced garlic, roasted garlic, or granulated garlic.
Paprika: Substitutions include smoked paprika, chili powder, or Cajun seasoning. Smoked paprika adds even more depth of flavor.
Cheddar Cheese Soup: Substitutions include nacho cheese soup, homemade cheese sauce, or Velveeta melted with milk.
Cream of Mushroom Soup: You can use cream of chicken soup, cream of celery soup, or cream of onion soup instead. You can also make your own homemade cream of mushroom soup if you prefer, especially if you find canned soup too salty.
Taco Blend Cheese: Substitutions include mild cheddar cheese, sharp cheddar, Colby Jack, Monterey Jack, American cheese, or Pepper Jack.
How To make a French Fry Casserole
Check out these step-by-step instructions with images. Just so you know, you'll find all the details and exact ingredients of this recipe on the printable recipe card below!
Step 1. Preheat your oven to 425°F: Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, then spread the frozen fries into an even layer. Bake them for 25 to 30 minutes, flipping them halfway through, until they turn deeply golden and crispy.
You can also air fry the fries at 350°F for 15 to 18 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through cooking.
Step 2. Cook the Beef: While the fries cook, add the ground beef and onion to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the beef until it is browned and the onion is softened, about 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika, then drain any excess grease.
Step 3. Make the Cheese Filling: Lower the heat to medium-low and then stir in the cheddar cheese soup and cream of mushroom soup. Cook the mixture for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until the mixture is creamy and fully combined.
Step 4. Assemble the Casserole: Spread the beef mixture into a greased 9x13-inch baking dish. Top it with the crispy French fries in an even layer. Sprinkle the cheddar cheese evenly over the fries.
Step 5: Final Bake: Bake the casserole covered for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted. Broil the top for about 1 minute at the end for extra crispy fries. Keep an eye on the casserole as you do this.
Step 6. Serve: Serve hot with pickle spears on the side.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
Use freshly grated cheese: It melts smoother and gives the casserole a better texture.
Let the filling simmer: Cooking the soup mixture for a few minutes helps everything thicken before baking.
Storage and Reheating
Refrigerator: Cool the casserole completely before storing. Keep it in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Freezer: Freeze the beef mixture separately and add freshly crisped fries before baking. Freeze it for up to 3 months.
Oven: Reheat it at 350°F uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes.
Air Fryer: Air fry individual portions at 350°F for 4 to 6 minutes to crisp the fries back up.
Microwave: Reheat portions in 30-second intervals until they become hot. The fries soften slightly but the casserole still tastes delicious.
Your Questions Answered
Yes. Prepare the beef mixture ahead and refrigerate it. Add freshly crisped fries before baking.
The fries were likely not crisped enough before baking.
The beef likely was not drained enough before adding the soups.
Pickle spears, a simple salad, roasted vegetables, or coleslaw pair really well with it.
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Recipe
French Fry Casserole
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat your oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, then spread the frozen fries into an even layer. Bake them for 25 to 30 minutes, flipping them halfway through, until they turn deeply golden and crispy.
- While the fries cook, add the ground beef and onion to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the beef until it is browned and the onion is softened, about 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika, then drain any excess grease.
- Lower the heat to medium-low and then stir in the cheddar cheese soup and cream of mushroom soup. Cook the mixture for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until the mixture is creamy and fully combined.
- Spread the beef mixture into a greased 9x13-inch baking dish. Top it with the crispy French fries in an even layer. Sprinkle the cheddar cheese evenly over the fries.
- Bake the casserole covered for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted. Broil the top for about 1 minute at the end for extra crispy fries. Keep an eye on the casserole as you do this.
- Bake the casserole covered for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted. Broil the top for about 1 minute at the end for extra crispy fries. Keep an eye on the casserole as you do this.
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