Bacon Mushroom Swiss Cheeseburger Casserole

So, here's the deal. I'll keep it short and sweet.

Because it's Friday, and because I love you guys, we are going to take my favorite burger and make it into a casserole.

Stay with me because things are about to get crazy. You want this--nay, you NEED this in your life. I'm not sure what I was thinking when I dreamed up this recipe, but if I were this creative all the time I like to think that I'd be in a pretty good place in life.

This Bacon Mushroom Swiss Cheeseburger Casserole is essentially a really delicious deconstructed burger. We are taking bold flavors and we are being bold.

I took some inspiration from my Mom's Macaroni and Cheese recipe, namely by creating a simple cheese sauce by melting a block of cheese into condensed soup. Only this time, we will melt swiss cheese into mushroom soup. Do you see where I'm going with this?

Bacon is baked until crispy, ground beef is browned and crumbled, and the whole kit and caboodle gets mixed together with orecchiette pasta then topped with crispy french fried onions! Bam! Burger casserole.

By the way what does the phrase kit and caboodle actually mean? Where the heck did it come from and who was the first soul to utter the phrase? I'm not sure how I feel about it...

I digress...
Here's what you need for Bacon Mushroom Swiss Cheeseburger Casserole* (Print Recipe!)

1 pound orrechiette or other short cut pasta
4 strips thick cut bacon
1 onion, diced
1 pound ground beef
2 cans Cambell's condensed cream of mushroom soup
4 ounces swiss cheese, cut into cubes
1 cup french fried onions
salt and pepper to taste

Here's what you do

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions, taking 2 minutes off the cooking time for very al dente pasta. The pasta will keep cooking in the oven and we don't want it to get mushy! Drain the pasta and dump into a 9 x 13 baking dish sprayed with Pam.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and lay the bacon on top. Add to a cold oven then turn the heat up to 400 degrees. Bake for 16 to 17 minutes until perfectly crispy. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain the fat. Crumble on top of the pasta in the baking dish.

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat in a skillet with high sides. Add the onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook until translucent about 5 minutes. Crumble in the ground beef and cook until browned. Strain out any excess fat then add the beef and onion mixture to the baking dish.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Warm the condensed soup in the same skillet used for the beef over medium low heat. Add the swiss cheese and melt the cheese into the soup, stirring occasionally. The sauce may become too thick, in which case I'd recommend filling one of the cans with water and adding it to the pan.

Once the cheese is completely melted, pour the cheese sauce on top of the pasta, bacon, and beef. Carefully stir the mixture to ensure it is thoroughly combined. Sprinkle french fried onions on top and bake for about 15 minutes, until the soup is bubbly and the onions are golden brown and crispy.

Allow to cool 5 minutes before devouring :-)

*Gas Stove Girl Original Recipe