When you have a house full of picky palates, sometimes reimagining an old, familiar dish is the perfect change of pace. These easy cheeseburger cups put a fresh spin on the classic burger in a fun, different format. And, since the cheeseburger-inspired recipe is made with familiar flavors and ingredients, kids won’t be intimidated by its “newness.”
Thankfully for the adults, this simple, 30-minute meal isn’t just for kids. Whether you have a table of choosy children to feed or are looking for a quick appetizer for your next workplace potluck, these versatile cheeseburger cups will be a hit with any group.
Ingredients for Cheeseburger Cups
- Ground beef: We love that recipes with ground beef tend to be hearty and quick to cook. Since burgers are typically made with ground beef, it’s the obvious choice for making cheeseburger cups.
- Ketchup: Ketchup adds flavor the meaty filling while helping it bind together so it’s easy to scoop into the muffin cups. If you don’t already have a bottle at home, try one of our favorite ketchup brands.
- Brown sugar: Brown sugar adds a touch of sweetness to these cheeseburger biscuit cups for a subtle sloppy joe flavor. If you prefer a less sweet filling, you can reduce or omit the brown sugar.
- Mustard: Mustard lends a little tang and bite to the filling that helps cut through the richness of the beef and cheese. Yellow mustard is classic, but you can opt for any type of mustard you enjoy (hello, homemade Dijon mustard!).
- Buttermilk biscuits: Store-bought biscuits are one of our favorite semi-homemade recipe ingredients. You can make your own homemade buttermilk biscuits if you prefer! Either way, biscuit dough serves as the perfect base for these easy cheeseburger cups.
- Velveeta: A little Velveeta is the ideal cheese for this recipe. It melts like a dream and captures all the classic flavors of an American cheeseburger. You can, of course, opt for any cheese you enjoy, like cheddar, Swiss or pepper jack, if you don’t enjoy processed American cheese.
Directions
Step 1: Brown the ground beef
Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a large skillet, cook the ground beef over medium heat until no longer pink, breaking it into crumbles. Drain and return to the stovetop.
Editor’s Tip: Nobody wants to get sick from bad beef. Make sure you know how to tell if ground beef is bad before you get cooking.
Step 2: Add some flavor
Stir in the ketchup, brown sugar, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce with the cooked ground beef. Remove from the heat, and set aside.
Step 3: Assemble the cheeseburger cups
Press each piece of canned biscuit into the bottom and up the sides of a greased muffin cup. Spoon the beef mixture evenly into the cups, and then top evenly with the cubed cheese.
Editor’s Tip: Depending on the size of your packaged biscuits and the size of your muffin tray, you may need to cut down on or combine the pre-portioned biscuits. If you’ve got more biscuit dough leftover after prepping the cups, put it to use in these canned biscuit recipes.
Step 4: Bake and enjoy
Bake until the beefy biscuit cups are golden brown, 14 to 16 minutes.
Cheeseburger Cup Variations
- Mushroom and Swiss cheeseburger cups: Add 1 cup chopped mushrooms to the beef as it browns, and cook until softened. Then, swap the Velveeta out for cubes of Swiss cheese. Put it to use instead in one of our other Velveeta recipes.
- Bacon cheeseburger cups: Add 1/2 cup cooked and crumbled bacon to the beef filling. You can bake the bacon in the oven while you prep the filling.
- Taco burger cups: Omit the mustard, Worcestershire sauce and brown sugar from the filling, and swap in a packet of your favorite taco seasoning brand. For a little extra zip, a small can of diced green chiles will do the trick. Top the cheeseburger cups with your favorite taco fixings like sour cream and pico de gallo.
- Turkey cheeseburger cups: Turn these cheeseburger cups into a ground turkey recipe by swapping the ground beef for 1 pound ground turkey.
- Vegetarian cheeseburger cups: For vegetarian cheeseburger cups, swap out the ground beef for your favorite crumbly plant-based meat substitute. Keep in mind that most Worcestershire sauce is made with anchovies or sardines, so you may wish to omit it from the recipe to make it 100% vegan.
How to Store Cheeseburger Cups
Leftover cheeseburger muffin cups may be kept in an airtight food storage container in the refrigerator for three to four days. Reheat on a baking sheet in a preheated 375° oven until heated through.
Can you freeze biscuit cheeseburger cups?
Yes, you can freeze these cheeseburger cups. After baking, let them cool, then freeze the biscuits in a freezer-safe container, separating them with layers with waxed paper if necessary. To use, thaw the cheeseburger cups in the refrigerator overnight or for eight hours. Reheat on a baking sheet in a preheated 375° oven until heated through.
Cheeseburger Cups Tips
What toppings can you serve with cheeseburger cups?
You can doctor up these easy cheeseburger cups with your favorite burger toppings, such as additional ketchup, mustard, pickles, diced onion or tomato, shredded lettuce or avocado slices. You could also get creative and try some unique burger toppings, such as pickled red onions and whiskey bacon jam.
What can you serve with cheeseburger cups?
Serve burger cups with a pile of air-fryer french fries, a batch of homemade tater tots, steamed vegetables, a garden salad or Ree Drummond’s ranch chips.
