Cheesy Bacon Mushroom Casserole

This recipe started out with a craving for a Bacon Mushroom Cheeseburger and a lack of desire to go to the grocery store to get the things I needed to make that (namely buns). I actually already had the mushrooms, bacon, cheese and ground beef on hand. So I stood in front of pantry for a little while and wandered over to the fridge for a quick inventory. And that’s how Cheesy Bacon Mushroom Casserole came to be.

I know traditionally, it is a Bacon Mushroom Swiss Burger. I decided to go with provolone for a couple of reasons. First and foremost, the melty factors – swiss does not melt in the oven the same way it does on a griddle or grill (it needs a much higher heat to actually start to melt). Provolone is such a great melty cheese for casseroles – you get all the ooey gooey stretchy stringy cheese with it. And second with the cream cheese and cheddar cheese inside the actual casserole, I thought provolone was a better addition.

When making bacon bits, I like to cut the bacon before I fry it up. I know some prefer to cut is after cooking it. This is totally a preference thing, and won’t change the outcome much if you do it this way. I, personally, just like to have each piece crispy all the way around and not just the end pieces. I also like to leave the bacon grease in when I add the ground beef. It helps that smoky bacon flavor get all over the dish – not to mention one less pot to clean!

Now Let’s Get Cookin’!

Print

Cheesy Bacon Mushroom Casserole

All the great flavors of a Bacon Mushroom Cheeseburger in a pasta casserole – you're welcome!

Course Casserole, Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword bacon, baked pasta, casseroles, cream cheese, ground beef, ground beef recipes, mushrooms, Pasta, provolone

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Equipment

• 2 8×8 or 9×9 Baking dishes

Ingredients

• 6 slices Bacon cut into ¼-inch pieces
• 2 lb Ground Beef
• ½ Medium White Onion minced
• 4 Garlic Cloves minced
• 1 tsp Paprika
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Pepper
• 4 tbsp Butter
• 1 lb White Mushrooms quartered
• 2 tsp Parsley divided
• 8 oz Cream Cheese
• 2 cups Cheddar Cheese shredded
• 1½ lb Short Pasta shells, macaroni, rotini
• 10 slices Provolone Cheese

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350degF. Start water boiling for pasta.
• In a large sauce pan over medium-high heat, add bacon. Cook until crispy and remove to a paper towel covered plate. Remove all but 2 tbsp of bacon grease.
• In same pan, add ground beef, onions, garlic, salt, pepper and paprika. Cook and crumb until no longer pink. Add butter and let melt.
• Add pasta to boiling water. Cook for 5 minutes less than directed on the package. drain in colander and return to pot (away from heat).
• Once butter is melted, add mushrooms and 1 teaspoon of parsley. Saute mushrooms for 3 minutes. Add cream cheese, cheddar cheese and two-thirds of the bacon bites. Stir to combine.
• Add meat mixture to pasta and stir to combine. Divide mixture evenly between the two baking dishes. Place 5 slices of provolone on each dish, in a single layer. Sprinkle with remaining bacon bits and parsley.
• Place in oven and back for 30 minutes. Let rest for at least 5 minutes before serving.