Cheesy, deliciously seasoned beef mixed with noodles, Hamburger Casserole is a kid-friendly dinner that is low on time and high in flavor!
These days it seems like I can’t find the time to do anything. It’s just so busy around our house! It’s practically a miracle if I’m able to get a warm dinner on the table. On those busy nights, I always reach for one of my easy casserole recipes.
Casseroles are the best because you get the meat, the veggies, and the grains all mixed together in one simple dish. Hamburger Casserole is one of my all-time favorite casserole recipes. It’s flavorful, easy, and my kids devour it. Serve it up with some green beans with bacon on the side and you’ve got a meal your whole family will love!
HAMBURGER CASSEROLE
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Picture this: you’re in the grocery store. You see that box of a handy, super easy-to-make, brown-and-serve casserole mix. It’s SO enticing because it’s SO easy.
I’m here to tell you to STOP.
Put the box down.
Those boxes are full of ingredients that you can’t even pronounce. I’ve got a hamburger noodle casserole recipe that is about a million times better than the store-bought stuff!
And bonus – it takes JUST as much time to put together as it would for you to make a boxed casserole!
Not only is this hamburger casserole recipe so yummy, but it is so quick and so easy to make. It’s in my constant rotation of easy weeknight meals.
Cheesy hamburger casserole is a crowd-pleaser too. I haven’t met a single person (adult OR kid) who hasn’t asked for seconds. So, if you’ve got a busy week, make sure you plan to make this easy hamburger casserole. You won’t regret it!
Ingredients
Ground Beef – obviously, for a hamburger casserole, you’re going to need some ground beef! I use about a pound and a half of lean ground beef for this hamburger meat casserole. I’ve found that using lean beef cuts back on the grease, but doesn’t take away from any delicious flavor!
Cheese – any good casserole (and any good hamburger for that matter…) has some form of melty, delicious cheese in it, right? Well for a cheesy hamburger casserole, you’ll need some shredded cheddar cheese. I love using an extra sharp variety, but really any cheddar will do!
Pasta – my personal favorite pasta to use when making a hamburger noodle casserole is elbow macaroni. It’s a kid favorite, it holds the sauce perfectly, and it’s small enough to scoop into the perfect mouthful.
How to make Hamburger Casserole
To make this perfect dinner casserole, you’ll need about 20 minutes of prep time and 20 minutes of cooking time. It’s so easy, even your kids could do it (in fact, why don’t you grab them and make them your sous chefs!).
- Start out by preheating your oven to 350 degrees F.
- While the oven is heating up, grab a large skillet and heat the oil. Saute the onions until they’re translucent.
- Once the onions are cooked, add in the meat and brown completely. Next, add the garlic and seasonings to the cooked meat. Stir until fragrant.
- Add in the tomato sauce and cook for about 5 minutes. This allows the meat to really soak in the flavors of the sauce and seasonings.
- I am ALL about multi-tasking, so while your meat is cooking, prep your pasta! Cook the elbow macaroni according to the directions on the box, drain and then add to the skillet. Give the whole mix a good stir to really combine it well.
- Now add 1 cup of cheese and mix completely. It’s going to be an ooey-gooey, delicious mess.
- Pour contents of the skillet into a 9×13 baking dish and top with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese.
- Place your cheesy hamburger casserole in the oven for 20 minutes.
- Once it’s all bubbly and cooked to perfection, take it out of the oven and serve it hot with parsley as a garnish!
What can I make with lots of ground beef?
Are you one of those people who buy the jumbo pack of ground beef whenever it’s on sale? I sure am. There are just so many delicious recipes that you can make with ground beef (aside from hamburger casserole recipes of course…)! Here are just a few of my favorite ways to use up any ground beef you have lying around:
One of my go-to meals for ground beef is always tacos. You can’t go wrong with a Mexican-themed dinner (especially if it’s on a Taco Tuesday!).
If you’ve got an air fryer you HAVE to try out these air fryer cheeseburger egg rolls. They’re definitely a family favorite around our house.
Another family favorite way to use up ground beef is my classic meatloaf recipe. This dinner is the ultimate comfort food!
If you’re looking for another easy casserole recipe, try out this Philly cheesesteak casserole. It’s such a fun and easy twist on a yummy Philly cheesesteak sandwich!
What are the three main parts of a casserole?
Every good casserole has three main parts: protein, veggies, and starch.
Proteins can be anything from meat or fish to beans or tofu.
The vegetables in a casserole can be in the form of a tomato sauce or chopped vegetables.
For the starch, there are so many delicious options. My personal favorite starch to use in a casserole is of course pasta (like in this hamburger noodle casserole), but you can definitely use rice or potatoes as your starch too!
Need more easy weeknight meals?
- Spaghetti Casserole
- Crock Pot Cheesy Broccoli and Rice
- Turkey Meatloaf
- Big Mac Salad
- Chicken Pot Pie Casserole
- more DINNER recipes…
Tools used to make Hamburger Casserole
Casserole Dish: I love this 9×13 casserole dish because it comes with a cover… leftovers can go straight into the fridge!
Large Skillet: every kitchen needs a good non-stick skillet. This one gets daily use in our house!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion peeled and diced
- 1.5 pounds lean ground beef
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 32 ounces canned tomato sauce
- 1 pound elbow macaroni
- 1 ½ cups cheddar cheese shredded and divided
- Fresh parsley finely chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
- While the pasta cooks, place a large skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil. Once the oil is hot, saute the onion until translucent.
- Add the ground beef and brown completely. Add in the garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Stir until fragrant.
- Add the tomato sauce and cook for 5 minutes.
- Pour in the drained pasta and stir to combine completely. Add 1 cup of cheese and mix until the cheese has melted into the sauce.
- Pour into a 9-inch x 13-inch baking dish and top with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese.
- Place in the oven for 20 minutes. Serve hot with parsley as garnish.
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