Cheeseburger Biscuit Bake

Thanksgiving next week. My second without Sean. Second-best news: the first was the worst and this one will be smaller and gentler.

Ma is hosting as always. All of us, plus some. Patrick and Colleen, Sean III (age 2.5). Meghan and Brian, Aidan (6), the baby (14 months). Me, Liam (6), Nora (4). Fourteen bodies in the Southie three-decker. Ma will handle the turkey, the mashed, the gravy, the stuffing. I will bring two pies (apple and pumpkin). Meghan brings the green bean casserole. Colleen brings rolls and a cranberry sauce she makes with bourbon that has become a tradition. Dad carves.

Group Tuesday. Bernadette asked, what is our plan for the holiday. The brand-new widow (six months out) said she will skip it — her in-laws are hosting and she cannot. Bernadette said that is legitimate. I said I am going. Another widow, an older lady, said I go to my sister, I am not thrilled, but I go. We are all going through it in our own way.

Clinic — a patient of mine, 63-year-old diabetic, admitted to BMC Tuesday for DKA. I got the notes Wednesday, he was stable, home Friday. I called him home. He said he forgot his insulin on a trip to Maine. We talked about travel packs. He will come in next week.

Saturday pancakes. Burned the first one. Liam asked if we can make a Thanksgiving pancake. I said what is a Thanksgiving pancake. He said a pancake with turkey. I said absolutely not. He said okay fine with cranberries. I said okay next week we try that.

Sunday dinner at Southie. Ma is in full pre-Thanksgiving mode, which means the fridge is stacked and she is making lists. I got the list of what I am bringing, triple-checked. Pies. Two.

Food of the week: not the Sunday dinner — it was sandwiches, Ma did not cook, she was too busy making lists. Instead: I made a pot roast at home Thursday. Chuck, onions, carrots, potatoes, a bottle of beer in the braise, three hours at 325. Dinner for three nights.

Ma wasn’t cooking that Sunday — too busy with her Thanksgiving lists — and the pot roast earlier in the week had done its job, three nights running. But there are weeks when you need something that goes from pantry to table fast, feeds everyone without ceremony, and still feels like dinner. This cheeseburger biscuit bake is exactly that: ground beef, cheese, a biscuit topping that comes out golden, and nothing left in the pan. Liam and Nora cleaned their plates, which, heading into a week like this one, is exactly what I needed to see.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 30 min | Total Time: 45 min | Servings: 6

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs ground beef
1 small yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (10.75 oz) condensed tomato soup
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1 can (16.3 oz) refrigerated flaky biscuits (8 count)
1 tablespoon butter, melted

Instructions

Preheat oven. Heat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
Brown the beef. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook ground beef and onion until beef is no longer pink, about 7–8 minutes. Drain excess fat. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.
Build the filling. Stir in tomato soup, ketchup, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. Simmer over medium-low heat for 3–4 minutes until slightly thickened.
Layer the dish. Pour the beef mixture into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle 1 cup of the shredded cheddar evenly over the top.
Add the biscuits. Cut each biscuit into quarters and scatter them evenly over the cheese layer. Brush the biscuit pieces with melted butter and sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup cheddar on top.
Bake. Bake uncovered for 25–30 minutes, until the biscuits are golden brown and cooked through and the filling is bubbling at the edges.
Rest and serve. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Nutrition (per serving)

Cheeseburger Biscuit Bake — The Weeknight Meal That Held Us Together