Cheesy and delicious, this baked hamburger casserole is one delicious dinner that the whole family will love. Simple to make, this pasta bake is full of rich and delicious flavors and it’s a great go to for picky eaters!
Easy Hamburger Casserole
If you are stuck in a dinner time rut and have picky eaters, then this hamburger casserole is sure to please all!
Simple to make, this oven baked dish is perfect for an easy dinner. Made with ground beef, pasta, cheese and some fresh veggies, this is one hearty and filling dish.
This is one recipe I promise you won’t get bored of!
Be sure to try my Crockpot Spaghetti Casserole and Beef Stroganoff Casserole too!
Why You’ll Love this Ground Beef Casserole Recipe:
- EASY: This is a nice simple recipe, and a lot of the cooking time is hands off.
- MAKE AHEAD: This is a great make once enjoy twice dish. Perfect for a quick and easy dinner later in the week.
- SIMPLE INGREDIENTS: This easy to make casserole is made with basic everyday ingredients, and you’ll likely have a lot of things in your pantry already.
This casserole is such a great go to recipe, and it’s a great one to add to your weekly meal rota. Simple to make and so wonderfully rich and flavorful.
How to Make Hamburger Casserole
You can jump to the recipe card for full ingredients & instructions!
- Brown the beef and set to one side.
- Saute the onions, garlic and bell pepper.
- Add the beef back to the skillet and add the tomatoes and seasonings. Simmer.
- Cook the noodles and mix them with the cream cheese, sour cream and butter.
- Add half of the pasta to a baking dish and top with half the meat. Repeat the layers.
- Bake until heated through.
Absolutely! Instead of ground beef, use ground turkey or chicken, or a combination of your favorite ground meat.
Use any smaller, bite-size noodle like shells, macaroni, or ditalini.
Yes. Assemble the casserole through step 7, cover, and refrigerate for up to 1 day. When ready, bake as instructed.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. I don’t recommend freezing this cream-based casserole.
Serving Suggestions
This hamburger casserole is a hearty and filling dinner all by itself. If you like, you can serve it up with a vegetable side for extra goodness. Try it with:
However you decide to serve it, this easy beef and pasta casserole is guaranteed to be a sure fire hit.
Tips!
- I prefer to use a lean ground beef for this recipe. If you use one with a higher fat content, you may want to remove some of the fat from the skillet before cooking the vegetables.
- Try adding in different veggies to this casserole. Mushrooms and carrots would be a great addition.
- To reduce the fat and calories in this recipe, you can use low fat cheeses.
I love how hearty and filling this casserole is. It’s seriously good comfort food!
How can I add spice?
In step 4, add a couple teaspoons of crushed red pepper flakes to the ground beef mixture if you prefer your dinners a little spicier.
Can I halve this recipe?
Absolutely! Halve all of the ingredients and bake uncovered in a 9×9-inch pan for 25-30 minutes, or until heated through. Broil the cheese for 1-2 minutes if desired.
Can you make it meat-free?
Yes! You can swap the ground beef for kidney or black beans to replace the protein. You could also use Beyond Meat for a vegetarian alternative.
More Delicious Dinner Recipes We Love
- Italian Sausage Sheet Pan Dinner
- Honey Mustard Salmon and Potatoes
- Chicken Alfredo Stuffed Shells
- Skillet Cottage Pie
This delicious hamburger casserole recipe is so easy to make from scratch. It’s one tasty family meal that even the pickiest of eaters will wolf down!
More Easy Casserole Recipes to Try:
- Creamy Turkey Rice Casserole
- Green Rice Casserole
- Sloppy Joe Casserole
- Reuben Casserole
- Ham and Potato Casserole
- Mexican Tater Tot Casserole
If you make this recipe be sure to upload a photo in the comment section below or leave a rating. Enjoy! You can also jump to recipe.
Hamburger Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- ½ cup diced onion
- ½ cup diced bell pepper
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 14.5 ounces diced tomatoes 1 can, drained
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning store-bought or homemade
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 8 ounces dry shell pasta
- 8 ounces cream cheese 1 brick, room temperature and cut into cubes
- ½ cup sour cream
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter ⅜ stick
- ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- Fresh parsley optional, for garnish
Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray. Set aside.
- In a large skillet set over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef until it is no longer pink. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked beef to a paper towel-lined bowl.1 pound ground beef
- Add the onion and bell pepper to the skillet and sauté in the leftover fat for 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.½ cup diced onion, ½ cup diced bell pepper, 2 cloves garlic
- Return the beef to the skillet. Stir in the drained tomatoes, tomato paste, salt, Italian seasoning, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.14.5 ounces diced tomatoes, 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- Meanwhile, boil the noodles according to package instructions, drain, and transfer to a large bowl.8 ounces dry shell pasta
- Add the softened cream cheese, sour cream, and melted butter to the pasta. Mix well until the pasta is coated.8 ounces cream cheese, ½ cup sour cream, 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Spread half of the creamy pasta in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Top with half of the meat mixture. Repeat the layers with the remaining ingredients and top with the shredded cheeses.½ cup shredded cheddar cheese, ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- Bake, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes, or until heated through. Broil the cheese for 1-2 minutes if desired. Garnish with fresh parsley and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.Fresh parsley
Last step! Don’t forget to show me a pic of what you made! Upload an image or tag me @thecookierookie on Instagram!
Becky’s tips
Nutrition Information
Y’all this is an amazing dish !!
Perfection in its finest !!
Flavour is great !!
It’s very rich !!
Thank you for this is real COMFORT FOOD “”
So happy you loved it, Teresa. It’s definitely comfort food :)
Thank you for this! I’m always looking for new recipes for ground beef and this one is delicious 😋
Thanks so much for stopping by, Jenn!
Delicious! My husband used 2 lbs of ground beef…it was very hearty and had great flavors!
So glad you enjoyed it!
My whole family loved it. Will be making it for company. So easy to make. Next time I am going to use half hamburger and half Italian sausage, hope it’s as good as the original recipe
Let us know how it goes!
I don’t like tomatoes except sauce or bell peppers. How can I adjust the recipe for my taste.
Most substitutions would be just different types of those ingredients!
We thought this was delicious! I did use more onion than called for, a red bell pepper instead of green (although it didn’t specify) and orecchiette instead of shells, but it all turned out well in the end. Definitely will be making this one again!
Thanks for sharing!!
This recipe was heavenly- even for my toddler!! It had the perfect flavor! It reminds me of a hamburger helper and beef stroganoff. I think the only thing I would change is maybe not draining the can of diced tomatoes. Will be adding this recipe to my faves!!!
I love to hear that!!