013 / 75 · Crisp-Topped and Potato Comfort
Cheeseburger Pickle Tot Bake
One 9×13 in (23×33 cm) baking dish, at least 3.5 qt/3.3 L; 6 main-dish portions · Active 30 min · Total 1 hr 40 min
Print recipe · PDFThe familiar burger flavors are divided between a hot beef-and-tomato layer and a cool scattering of chopped dill pickle. Cheddar melts beneath the tots, while a measured spoonful of pickle brine seasons the filling. Keeping the chopped pickle out of the oven preserves its sharp crunch instead of turning the whole pan sour.
The brine is seasoning, not the sauce
Pickle jars differ in salt and acidity. Measure the small amount of brine rather than pouring from the jar over the skillet. Ketchup and yellow mustard add the rest of the burger note, but neither replaces the crushed tomatoes that give the filling its body. Simmer before assembly until the meat is bound in a thick sauce. A watery ketchup mixture would steam the tots and taste much sweeter than intended. There is no extra salt in the base recipe because cheese, condiments, pickles and potatoes already contribute it.
Make the beef a proper layer
A little more beef than in a vegetable-heavy hotdish keeps the burger identity clear. Brown it with onion, breaking it into small pieces and checking its temperature before the tomato stage. Remove excessive rendered fat safely, leaving enough to cook the flour into the mixture. The finished filling should be moist but not greasy. Spread it across a wide pan so each serving gets meat, cheese and potato rather than a deep mound of beef under a thin sprinkle of tots.
Put the crunch on each plate
Drain the chopped pickles and hold them in the refrigerator while the bake cooks. Divide them among the six served portions instead of scattering them over a pan that may sit for a while. This keeps both pickles and potato at their best and lets the contrast arrive in the same bite. The book illustration shows that finished serving, not an unbaked garnish on the whole pan. If you are taking the dish somewhere, carry the pickles cold and separately; they do not belong in a warm insulated carrier with the bake.
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon neutral oil (5 ml)
- 1 lb 5 oz lean ground beef (600 g)
- 1 large onion, finely chopped (180 g)
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour (8 g)
- 1 can crushed tomatoes with juice (14 oz/400 g)
- 1/3 cup low-sodium beef stock (80 ml)
- 2 tablespoons ketchup (30 g)
- 1 tablespoon prepared yellow mustard (15 g)
- 1 tablespoon dill-pickle brine (15 ml)
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 4 oz cheddar, grated (115 g)
- 1 lb 10 oz frozen potato tots (750 g)
- 1/2 cup dill pickles, finely chopped and drained (80 g), for serving
Set out
Oven, 9×13 in (23×33 cm) baking dish, at least 3.5 qt/3.3 L, 12-in/30-cm deep skillet, Sieve, Small covered bowl, Rimmed baking sheet, Food thermometer, Suitable foil if the topping colors before the center finishes
Allergens
Milk, Wheat, Mustard; check ketchup, pickles and potato-tot labels. Check labels and substitutions.
Make it
- Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Put the dish on a rimmed sheet. Drain chopped pickles and refrigerate in the covered bowl.
- Heat oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. Cook beef and onion for 10–12 minutes, breaking up the meat, until onion is soft and beef reaches 160°F (71°C). Drain excess fat safely, leaving about 1 tablespoon in the pan.
- Stir in flour for 1 minute. Add tomatoes, stock, ketchup, mustard, measured pickle brine and pepper. Simmer uncovered for 8–10 minutes, stirring, until thick enough that no watery ring forms around the meat.
- Spread hot filling in the dish and scatter cheddar. Arrange frozen tots in one layer. Bake uncovered 35–45 minutes until tots are crisp and golden and the filling reaches 165°F (74°C) in the center and several other places. Shield a darkening area loosely with foil if the center needs longer.
- Rest 5 minutes. Divide into six portions and add one-sixth of the cold chopped pickles to each plate immediately before eating.
An easy topping to keep separate
Put the chopped pickles in a clearly labeled chilled container if another person is serving the pan. That small separation is the difference between a hot casserole with a crisp accent and a soft mixed garnish.
A useful detail
The 100-minute total allows chopping, the complete skillet stage, up to 45 minutes baking and a short rest. The cold pickle topping is part of the measured recipe; other burger toppings are not included.
Another way
- Use 600 g ground turkey in place of beef and cook to 165°F (74°C) before adding tomatoes. Retain the final casserole endpoint and measured condiment quantities.
Keep it well
Keep pickles separate. Refrigerate leftover hotdish in shallow portions within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F (32°C), at 40°F (4°C) or below and use within 3 days or an earlier ingredient deadline. Reheat to 165°F (74°C), then add freshly portioned cold pickles. Follow the pickle jar’s refrigerated opening instructions. Freeze promptly cooled bake portions without pickles for up to 2 months for quality; thaw in the refrigerator.