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Test Kitchen Approved

Cheeseburger Skillet

Time: 40 minutes

Yield: 6 servings

About

The Cheeseburger Skillet — country home-cooking with a classic diner feel! Juicy, savory beef packed with notes of deeply rich tomato and sour pickles, tastes just like the best kind of burger. Of course, it wouldn't be a Cheeseburger Skillet without just so much melty, sharp cheese! That this dish comes prepared with crispy tots and a burger sauce? Well that just ensures you don't miss out on any of the best burger experiences!

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Ingredients

  • 1 (28-ounce) bag frozen tater tots
  • 1 medium red onion, chopped, divided
  • 3 tablespoons jarred pickle juice, divided
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
  • 2 teaspoons steak seasoning
  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons beef bouillon base
  • 1 1/2 cups water, warm
  • 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, coarsely grated
  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 3 tablespoons ketchup
  • 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
  • 4 Campari tomatoes, chopped
  • 6 pickles, chopped

Directions

Step 1 -Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Step 2 -On a rimmed baking sheet, add the tater tots and spread them out into an even, single layer.

Step 3 -Bake the tots until they are browned and crispy, about 25-30 minutes.

Step 4 -In a small bowl, add 1/2 of the red onions and 2 tablespoons of the pickle juice.

Step 5 -Let the onion mixture sit, while tossing the onions occasionally, until ready to use.

Step 6 -In a large, cast-iron skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil.

Step 7 -Add the remaining red onions to the hot oil and cook, while stirring occasionally, until tender and golden, about 6-7 minutes.

Step 8 -Add the beef and the steak seasoning to the hot oil and cook, while crumbling the beef, until it is no longer pink, about 5-7 minutes.

Step 9 -Add the tomato paste to the beef mixture and cook, while stirring continuously, until it is caramelized and darkened, about 2-3 minutes.

Step 10 -Sprinkle the beef mixture with the flour and cook, while stirring, until the raw flour smell disappears, about 1 minute.

Step 11 -In a small bowl, add the beef bouillon base to the warm water and stir to combine until the bouillon is completely dissolved.

Step 12 -Gradually add the bouillon mixture to the beef mixture while stirring gently.

Step 13 -Bring the beef mixture to a simmer and cook, while stirring occasionally, until it is slightly thickened, about 3-5 minutes.

Step 14 -Transfer the skillet from the heat.

Step 15 -Sprinkle the beef mixture with 1 cup of the cheese.

Step 16 -Top the cheese layer with the tots.

Step 17 -Sprinkle the remaining cheese over top of the tots.

Step 18 -Bake until the cheese is melted and the filling is bubbling, about 5-6 minutes.

Step 19 -In a small bowl, add the mayonnaise, the ketchup, the mustard, and the remaining pickle juice and whisk to combine.

Step 20 -Drain the pickled onions, discarding the pickle juice.

Step 21 -Scatter the pickled onions over the cheese layer in the skillet.

Step 22 -Sprinkle the tomatoes and the pickles over the top of the cheese-pickled onion layer.

Step 23 -Serve with the sauce mixture on the side.

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