I made it today but the recipe is fraught with problems. That being said it is delicious! It really tastes like you’re eating a cheeseburger. I always follow a recipe to the tee the first time I make it but this one I made a few changes. Partly my changes and problems with the recipe. This is the first time I’ve made a recipe from Sunny Anderson and this was on The Kitchen last week. I made the full batch but I divided it between 2 - 8”x8” pans and one goes unbaked into the freezer for later. I only had 1# beef and I mistakenly only bought 1# ravioli. I still would not change either of those amounts. I don’t believe it needs more of either. I DID NOT add the extra 1 tablespoon olive oil nor the 1 tablespoon butter! There is enough fat from the bacon and beef!!! Now the real problem came with the sauce. I used the oil left in the pan and added the 1 tablespoon flour even though I questioned the flour amount. I ended up taking a small amount of the liquid out and mixed in another tablespoon of flour. I cooked that back in and it was still like water so I did another tablespoon (3 in total) and it was fine. So that’s my changes but I think this could be a big hit at a super bowl get together. It’s delicious and filling. I was skeptical about the ravioli’s in this but it works. Honest.
EDITED: I also didn't have the tomatoes so I drained a 14 oz. can of diced tomatoes to use. Works fine.
Bacon Cheeseburger Casserole
Sunny Anderson
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Beef: 8 strips bacon, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 pounds ground chuck (80 percent beef, 20 percent fat)
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons Mexican oregano
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Sauce: 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 cups whole milk, at room temperature
1 pint (2 cups) heavy cream, at room temperature
2 tablespoons yellow mustard
Kosher salt
Casserole: 2 pounds frozen cheese ravioli, thawed
8 slices Swiss cheese
2 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
8 slices American cheese
8 ounces shredded Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese blend
1 head iceberg lettuce, finely shredded (like straw)
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion (like paper thin!)
2 tablespoons pickle juice
For the beef: In a large pan with straight sides on medium-high heat, add the bacon and cook, while stirring, until crisp. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate. Leave the bacon fat in the pan and add the olive oil, beef, onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, salt and pepper. Brown the beef while breaking it up into bits, about 10 minutes. Remove the beef with a slotted spoon to a plate and reserve. Leave the fat in the pan for the sauce.
For the sauce: Add the butter and flour to the already-hot pan from the beef. If the butter begins to brown, lower the heat while working it into the flour. Cook, stirring, for a few minutes, then raise the heat and slowly whisk in the milk. Once it begins to thicken slightly, add the heavy cream and continue to cook until the sauce reduces a bit more and thickens as well. Add the mustard. The sauce will not be thick like gravy, but not as thin as water either. Taste and season with a pinch of salt.
For the casserole: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Using a 13-by-9-inch casserole dish, layer starting at the bottom with: a few spoonfuls of sauce to cover the bottom, half of the ravioli, all the Swiss cheese, half of the beef, half of the tomatoes, half of the sauce.
Repeat 1 more layer ravioli, the American cheese, the beef, the tomatoes, the sauce and the reserved bacon.
Top with all of the shredded cheese blend. Bake until the edges are bubbly and the cheese begins to brown, 30 to 35 minutes.
Toss the lettuce and onion in a large bowl with the pickle juice. Serve each portion of casserole with a mound of this garnish over the top.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/sunny-anderson/sunnys-bacon-cheeseburger-casserole.html
EDITED: I also didn't have the tomatoes so I drained a 14 oz. can of diced tomatoes to use. Works fine.
Bacon Cheeseburger Casserole
Sunny Anderson
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Beef: 8 strips bacon, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 pounds ground chuck (80 percent beef, 20 percent fat)
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons Mexican oregano
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Sauce: 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 cups whole milk, at room temperature
1 pint (2 cups) heavy cream, at room temperature
2 tablespoons yellow mustard
Kosher salt
Casserole: 2 pounds frozen cheese ravioli, thawed
8 slices Swiss cheese
2 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
8 slices American cheese
8 ounces shredded Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese blend
1 head iceberg lettuce, finely shredded (like straw)
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion (like paper thin!)
2 tablespoons pickle juice
For the beef: In a large pan with straight sides on medium-high heat, add the bacon and cook, while stirring, until crisp. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate. Leave the bacon fat in the pan and add the olive oil, beef, onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, salt and pepper. Brown the beef while breaking it up into bits, about 10 minutes. Remove the beef with a slotted spoon to a plate and reserve. Leave the fat in the pan for the sauce.
For the sauce: Add the butter and flour to the already-hot pan from the beef. If the butter begins to brown, lower the heat while working it into the flour. Cook, stirring, for a few minutes, then raise the heat and slowly whisk in the milk. Once it begins to thicken slightly, add the heavy cream and continue to cook until the sauce reduces a bit more and thickens as well. Add the mustard. The sauce will not be thick like gravy, but not as thin as water either. Taste and season with a pinch of salt.
For the casserole: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Using a 13-by-9-inch casserole dish, layer starting at the bottom with: a few spoonfuls of sauce to cover the bottom, half of the ravioli, all the Swiss cheese, half of the beef, half of the tomatoes, half of the sauce.
Repeat 1 more layer ravioli, the American cheese, the beef, the tomatoes, the sauce and the reserved bacon.
Top with all of the shredded cheese blend. Bake until the edges are bubbly and the cheese begins to brown, 30 to 35 minutes.
Toss the lettuce and onion in a large bowl with the pickle juice. Serve each portion of casserole with a mound of this garnish over the top.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/sunny-anderson/sunnys-bacon-cheeseburger-casserole.html