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A couple weeks ago I was stuck in a recipe rut. You know how it goes with dinner…sometimes you feel inspired to make a different meal each night for two weeks, and then other weeks you make the same thing for four nights in a row. (Lol, ok, maybe it’s just me who does that.) In any case, Mike and I were both ready for something new when the idea for this recipe struck me one night when I saw the fixings for a salad along with a little bit of leftover meat in my fridge, and a sheet of puff pastry in my freezer.
I based this recipe on flavors you would find in a classic cheeseburger. Instead of putting ketchup and mustard on top of the burger, it’s part of the seasonings for the meat (along with Worcestershire sauce and steak seasoning, mainly because I can’t remember the last time I made beef and didn’t season it with these two things…really, these seasonings are that good with beef). Cheddar cheese is melted on top of the pie, and then once it’s out of the oven, lettuce, tomato, and a (homemade!) creamy garlic and chive dressing go on top. (And I served it with dill pickles, of course…for me, the pickles make the burger. ;) )
Not only does this make a quick and easy meal, but my favorite part (as far as the cute factor goes) is the crust. I decided to brush on some eggwash and sprinkle on some sesame seeds to make it look like a cheeseburger bun. Adorable, right? (And heads up, kiddos love it too!)
A Note on the Meat: You could substitute any kind of ground meat you like for the beef, such as ground turkey or chicken. Or soy crumbles would probably work great too. Or if you want to go green (pardon the pun), cook up some greens (any kind you like…spinach, kale, chard, collard, etc.) and use them instead.
Cheeseburger Pie
Serves 4
1 sheet (1/2 lb) puff pastry
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 to 3/4 lb 95% lean ground beef*
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (I use Lee & Perrins)
1/2 teaspoon steak seasoning**
4 oz sharp Cheddar, shredded
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water (for eggwash)
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
2 cups chopped Romaine lettuce (or any lettuce you like)
1/2 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
Creamy Garlic & Chive Dressing (recipe below)
If frozen, thaw the puff pastry at room temperature for 40 minutes. Preheat oven to 375F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Add oil to a medium saucepan over medium heat; once hot, add onion and cook until starting to soften (about 5 minutes). Add beef and cook until brown, then add garlic and cook 1 minute. Add ketchup, mustard, Worcestershire, and steak seasoning and cook until the liquid is evaporated (about 3 minutes). Cool completely.
Unfold puff pastry so that it forms a 9- by 10-inch rectangle (or roll it out with a light dusting of four so that it forms a rectangle this size), and place pastry on top of prepared baking sheet. Spread the cooled meat mixture on the pastry (leaving a 1-inch border all the way around), and sprinkle the Cheddar on top.
Lightly brush the border with eggwash (you will have extra eggwash) and sprinkle on sesame seeds. Bake about 20 minutes, or until the pastry is puffed and golden.
Cool slightly before cutting, then top with lettuce, tomato, and a drizzle of Creamy Garlic & Chive Dressing.
*If you use meat with more fat than this, drain off the fat after browning.
**The steak seasoning I use contains sea salt, coarse-ground black pepper, coriander seed, mustard seed, dill seed, and red pepper. It won’t have exactly the same flavor, but in a pinch you could use a scant 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper.
Creamy Garlic & Chive Dressing:
Yields about 1/3 cup
1/4 cup plain yogurt
2 tablespoons mayo
1 tablespoon minced fresh chives
1 small garlic clove, grated (or 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder)
Pinch salt and pepper
Whisk together all ingredients; store refrigerated until serving.
I’m sending this recipe off to Get Grillin’ with Family Fresh Cooking and Cookin’ Canuck, sponsored by Ile de France Cheese, Rösle, Emile Henry, Rouxbe and ManPans!
I’m the writer, recipe developer, photographer, and food stylist behind this blog. I love finding the human connection through something we all do every day: eat! Food is a common ground that we can all relate to, and our tables tell a story. It’s my goal to inspire you to get in the kitchen, try something new, and find a favorite you didn’t know you had.
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How did I miss this??? Love it!
This is pretty much genius!
Thank you! I hope to blog it next week, rain sprinkled plate pictures and all. :)
We just had this for dinner and I had to rush over to tell you we LOVED it! I love how the crust is shatteringly crispy and the flavors are spot on! I didn’t change much, but did add some dill relish to the meat mixture for a pickle flavor and had to sub buttermilk for the yogurt b/c we were out but it was out of this world! Thanks so much for sharing this one. Oh, and I did take pics and hope to share this one, if that’s OK. It was raining on me when I was taking a picture of my plate–I’m a dedicated food blogger. LOL!
Veronica, Yay, I’m so glad you liked it! It’s fine with me if you share…I can’t wait to see it! Lol, you’re definitely a dedicated food blogger! :)
This looks absolutely delicious! I will be making this for my family very soon (after the baby’s birth due sometime this week). Thanks for sharing!!
Faith, I’m going to have to fly you over here to make this for us! This looks out of this world delicious, especially with the yummy dressing. I love those cute bowls in the pictures. :-)
Faith, this is genius! My kiddies would want to “adultnap” you if they saw this! They would love this! Definitely something different than their regular cheese burgers, but not really. I totally agree that the pickles make the burger too. Great recipe! Oh and yes, adorable touch with the sesame seeds :-D
great idea! i love, love, LOVE that you even sprinkled the crust with sesame seeds. too clever and almost too delicious. :)
This looks so scrumptious!
The sesame seed idea is so cute! This is such a great recipe to break out of the dinner rut. :)
You had me at the name. Seriously, how can anything that makes you think of your favorite burger plus buttery pastry be anything but outrageously good. ;)
This looks as if you planned it! It’s like a gourmet cheeseburger AND a salad all rolled into one. I love it! And the dressing – I can think of a million things to use that on! So good.
What a creative idea for a meal…my sons would really enjoy this :)
Hope you are having a great week
I feel sad when I see great recipes and I can’t make them because I have to cook gluten-free although I gladly do it for hubby.
I do keep puff pastry dough and wontons in the house for those times, I yearn for those treats.
You are one creative gal.
Yum. This will be dinner tonight.
Mimi
very cool idea, reminds me of my pizza lasagna I used to make like 15 years back lol. Now I feel like having a slice of yours.
Oh wow…that looks very delicious!!!! I think I will make this everyday :D Love that creamy dressing, too…mmmm. Thanks very much for sharing.
Great idea. Love the flavor profile and the execution. Leftovers done right for sure.
Bravo!
At first glance, I am not a burger or cheeseburger fan; on closer look, I could not resist this wonderful (upscale) cheeseburger pie!
I’ve made a similar dish before and the kids thought it was fantastic! Thanks for the reminder! :)
This is so creative, I love it! Seems like the perfect dish to make for a crowd, too- And especially when you don’t want to hover over the grill for ages in the heat to flip regular burgers. I’ve gotta try this with veggie burger crumbles. :)
Lovely looking pie there-yo just solved my “What’s for supper?” question.
Faith, thanks so much for adding this awesome recipe to Get Grillin’ :)
What a brilliant idea! The pie looks delish.
You totally elevated a family staple we had when my kids were little. It was a Bisquick cheeseburger pie and other than the beef and cheese, it bears no resemblance. The puff pastry and spices…love the yogurt sauce for it as well.
oh my! This is such a great idea!!
Bookmarking for dinner :)
For you feeling uninspired, this is a pretty inspiring dinner! Definitely looks like something I could crave!
You are brilliant, Faith. This dish is a family pleaser. I always have puff pastry in my freezer and use it for so many things. I made an appetizer with a sheet last night. Now, I have a sheet left. Hmmmmm. I may be making this pretty soon!
Just when I think I couldn’t love your recipes any more, you surprise me with something like this! This is actually more up my alley than most of your recipes, because it is more familiar and seems more down-home to me. This is the type of food I love most and I really love how you made the crust look like a bun. Yes, adorable! I so have to try this.
Oh my goodness, how innovation! You could start a restaurant based on that concept. :)
Ooooee! That looks so good, Faith. This would be perfect accompaniment for a movie night. :-)
Ooh I’m so going to make this! I love the idea Faith-thank you! I made a cheeseburger soup once so I can so see this working too! :)
What a great idea! And your photos make this pie even more tempting.
this seriously looks like the best thing ever! i think i would eat the whole thing though!
Looks delicious and my hubby stood behind me and read the post, drooling on my shoulder!
Adorable, creative and delicious! Good one Faith!
Faith, you aren’t alone when finding yourslef in a rut. It does seem that some days are better than most in the kitchen.
Thank goodness for leftovers and your genious creativity…well done ;o)
Ciao for now,
Claudia
What a fun recipe! I could totally get stuck into this :D
*kisses* HH
Faith, I love the idea of a hamburger in a pie…looks beautiful and delicious. Very elegantly presented. Awesome pictures as well.
Hope you have a wonderful week ahead :-)
That looks so tasty! So creative too! Yum!
Faith, this cheeseburger pie deserves an award! It looks amazing (love the sesame seeds on the “buns”) and absolutely delicious! I think I know what I’m doing with the puff pastry in my freezer finally.
I think the “bun” crust is DARLING! Very clever! :) I love this idea, Faith! I think hubby would, too! I’ve been beat after work lately, and slacking on the workouts AND the cooking. Ek. I need to be inspired, and you did just that…gracias :)
Looks so freah and delicious! The creamy garlic and chive dressing will be good with many other dishes.
The last picture with salad on top just made me lick my lips- This pie is mouthwatering Faith.Lovely pictures with great colors from salad & tomatoes! I love your sauce serving dish
I’ve been in a recipe rut too…but this is such a creative expression of one of my childhood favorites! I can’t wait to give this recipe a try. Thank you for sharing it with me today. I wish I was spending the day in the kitchen (and not at work!). I hope you have a wonderful week, my friend!
Faith, everything about this looks amazing, sounds like your rut has passed. Those are awful! OK the salad on the top is the perfect accent to this – really makes it a full meal.
We would love if you submitted this recipe & any two other entrees to this week of the Get Grillin’ event that Cookin’ Canuck and I am hosting. We have a big Ile De France Cheese giveaway going on :) http://su.pr/17fizq
My husband would go NUTS for this! I love that the crust looks like a bread stick-yum, yum! What a creation :)
Bookmarked! This looks completely and utterly delicious! I love how creative and unique the foods you make are… I always know I can find something new to try on your site.
My kiddos would definitely go for this. Looks fantastic!
Scrumptious! That pie is fabulous. A great summer dish.
Cheers.
Rosa
Faith, your cheeseburger pie is adorable! I love how you sprinkled sesame seeds on the crust to make it look like a cheeseburger bun – those little creative touches are just one of the many things I love about your cooking :) It’s 7:30 am and I just had breakfast – and your first picture still has me drooling. Peter and I will definitely have to try this recipe!
Have a great week, Faith!
Yum! Love this so much—I’m making it for my next girls night…my friends will devour it, I’m sure!
This is the most brilliant thing I’ve ever seen.