This is a recipe remodel post!
I posted this recipe about a year ago, but at that time I was still honing my photography skills (ahem…translation: I had no idea what I was doing LOL)
I love the recipe, but I was a little embarrassed about the photo, and I found myself not willing to share it as a result. So this yummy, nutrition-boosted, easy crock pot recipe was sorely neglected for almost a year, but not anymore! I am sharing it here again with completely updated pictures! Woohoo!
If you are curious, you can check out my original Crockpot Cheeseburger post HERE. Let me know if you think the pictures have improved!
This time of year, as the weather gets warmer, people start to put away their crock pots and focus on the grill, but I say keep that crock pot handy! I use my crock pot year-round, because it gives me another option for avoiding oven cooking in the heat of summer.
And now you can have the great taste of cheeseburgers without turning on the oven or the grill!
Thing 2 still loves this dish! His rating: 
(4 out of 5 biscuits).
Adapted from a Hungry Girl recipe.
Crockpot Cheeseburger Casserole
Ingredients
- 6 ounces whole grain or fiber-enriched elbow macaroni (I used SmartTaste by Ronzoni)
- 1 pound lean ground turkey
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 1/2 cup onion
- 24 ounces frozen cauliflower with reduced-fat cheese sauce
- 3/4 cup reduced-fat shredded cheddar
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 medium tomato (chopped)
- 2-3 pickles (chopped)
- fresh parsley for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Cook the pasta until just becoming tender (about 5 minutes). Drain and set aside.
- Mix the turkey, ketchup, and onion in a large bowl. Add the frozen cauliflower and cheese sauce, shredded cheddar, and pasta, and mix until distributed.
- Place entire mixture into the crockpot and cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 8-9 hours.
- When plating, sprinkle each serving with the chopped tomatoes and pickles, or set out in bowls for self-service.
- Garnish with parsley if desired.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition information is approximate. Your results may be different due to different brands/products and measuring differences.
Adapted from HungryGirl.com
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Tanya Francq says
So you don’t brown the turkey meat before putting it in the Crock-Pot?
Kristin says
Hi Tanya, that’s correct, you don’t need to brown the turkey before putting it in the crock pot! Let me know if you have any other questions! 🙂
Sherry says
Such a perfect weeknight staple! Thanks for sharing at Home Sweet Home!
Judy says
This recipe looks great. I will be featuring this tonight at my Swing into Spring party that opens at 8pm EST. Please stop by and pick up an I’ve Been Featured button. Thanks. http://diybydesign.blogspot.com
Helen at the Lazy Gastronome says
What a delicious and easy idea! I love it! Pinned – Thanks for sharing your great recipes at the What’s for Dinner party.
Sheri says
My kids would love this! Thank you for sharing at the To Grandma’s House We Go DIY, Crafts, Recipes and More link party! Pinned!
Kim~madeinaday says
Sounds yummy! Thaks for the recipe! Thank you for sharing on Merry Monday! Hope to see ya next week!
Kim
Stacey says
I, too, was disappointed. The recipe doesn’t call for any liquid. I had to add 3 cups of water half way through in fear of it burning. It came out mushy and tasteless. I added a bunch of salt and pepper but doesn’t taste real good. I wanted to love this recipe so much. I am curious how you cooked it without burning as there’s no liquid. Also, is it supposed to be so bland?
Kristin King says
Hi Stacey, I am sorry to hear you did not have success with this recipe. I have made it many times and it turned out fine for me. I imagine the water you added contributed to it becoming mushy and tasteless, but I understand why you added it. My suggestion would be to brown the ground turkey first, and then follow the directions but reduce the cooking time to low for 3-4 hours or so (which will be OK because the turkey will be cooked already). I haven’t ever actually done it that way, but that is what I would try (I am thinking that I might do that the next time I make this, just to test it and see if that works out for me, too). My kids love the flavor from the ground turkey, the cheese sauce, and the shredded cheddar (make sure you get good cheddar!), although my husband typically squirts some hot sauce on top of his to better suit his adult taste buds. Also, the pickles are very important in adding flavor to this as well. Again, I am sorry to hear you were disappointed, but I thank you for stopping by and I appreciate your honest feedback!
Ed Daugherty says
It was great! I didn’t use the pickles and threw in a lot more cheese to make up for not having cheese sauce.
I only cooked it for roughly 4 hrs because the pasta, onion, cheese combo started baking to the side of the crockpot and in some places burned a wee bit. Mixed it all up and scraped off the caked stuff off the bottom…it was delicious!!
Kristin says
Yay! So glad you liked it. Thanks for stopping by to let me know! 🙂
Rachel Johnson says
I wonder what the carb and calorie counts would be if I didn’t add the noodles?
Nichole says
This recipe looks yummy!! I’m going to try this tonight but I’m going to try using the oven. I’ve tried the recipe from Hungry Girl. I’ll let you know how it turns out 😀
Kris says
This recipe was a MAJOR DISAPPOINTMENT! I work all day and need a recipe that takes 8-9 hours to cook. When I got home and looked at the crock pot, dinner looked like dog food. I mixed it up hoping for better results and the macaroni was absolute mush. Never making this again. Sorry for the bad review but I don’t want others to get home to the same situation I had yesterday.
Kristin King says
I am sorry to hear that! I appreciate the feedback. I am not sure why it didn’t work out for you, but sometimes it can be a difference in the brand of pasta or the cook temperature of the crock pot. I definitely agree that it isn’t the prettiest dish (you can see why in the picture I dressed it up with tomato chunks and fresh parsley!) In any event, thanks for stopping by and I am sorry you did not have luck with this dish.
Jennifer says
We unfortunately don’t have “24 ounces frozen cauliflower with reduced-fat cheese sauce” where I live. Is there something with which I could substitute? Should I make my own cheese sauce and add frozen/fresh cauliflower, or do you have another idea? How much cheese sauce does it have? Looks delicious, and I would love to make it!
Kristin King says
I had the same problem recently, I could not find that product and so I had to substitute! I just used 24 ounces plain cauliflower and added another cup of the shredded cheddar. It turned out pretty good, but I think next time I may try using a little Velveeta to see if that makes it creamier. And making your own cheese sauce is definitely an option as well, I would try using about 1/2 cup to start with and then adjust based on how that turns out. Let me know what you try and how it turns out! Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
jackie says
i was wondering if i could make this ahead of time and put it in the frezzer. as mixing it together and put in the frezzer then trow it in the crock pot the day of cooking?? thank u
Kristin King says
That is an awesome idea, Jackie! I would definitely give it a shot and see how it turns out. I think it will be fine. And it is a great way to prepare ahead of time if you know you have a really busy day coming up! 🙂
Beth Schuette says
I know you tried to make this a healthy meal but I was wondering would I be able to substitute ground beef for the Ground turkey? sorry my husband would go crazy if he knew it was ground turkey he is a beef guy since we raise our own beef cows.
Thanks
Kristin King says
LOL, I totally understand, Beth! I think you can definitely use ground beef with this if you want. If it is not really lean ground beef, you might want to brown it first so you can drain off the fat. But if it is really lean, like 93% or more, then you should be able to just follow the recipe as it is, I would think. Thanks for stopping by, I hope you like how it turns out! 🙂
Sandra - The Foodie Affair says
I know the feeling when it comes to old blog photos! I cringe at some of mine. One day I’ll go back and redo a few! I love all the flavors in this meal and so easy when you get the help from a slow cooker!
Frances says
Looks yummy !
Anyonita says
This is a lovely idea! 🙂 The fresh tomatoes really help to enliven it, I bet! 🙂 I’ll have to make this for my boys; I know they’d enjoy it!
Rachel Kathyg @ onlinesisterhood says
Love that this is a crock pot recipe—looks yummy! This photo is definitely a keeper! Looks fresh and tasty! Photography is a work in progress for me for sure as well:) Have a great week!
Robyn @ simply fresh dinners says
Your photography is lovely, Kristin and definite improvements, lol. I cringe when I look at last year’s photos and I still have to find the time to re-shoot them! But it’s all part of the learning process. How else can we measure how far we’ve come if we can’t look back and laugh at our old ones? lol. This recipe looks yummy. Thanks for sharing it!
Sammi @Sammi Sunshine says
I have a few recipes that need updated pictures, too… lol. I like to use my crock pot in the summer because it keeps my house cooler! I wish I could grill every day though. 🙂
Peace & Sunshine,
Sammi at Sammi Sunshine- A Food Blog