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Cheeseburger Casserole
This Easy Cheeseburger Casserole recipe is the perfect quick weeknight dinner for your family! With easy ingredients like beef, onions, tomatoes, garlic, and spices - you'll never settle for another box of hamburger helper again!
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This easy to make Cheeseburger Casserole recipe is the perfect quick weeknight dinner for your family!
CHEESEBURGER CASSEROLE
If you love beef, pasta, cheese, onions, garlic, and lots of spices then this is the casserole for you! This recipe is loaded with lots of flavor and is also easy to make too. Double bonus!
When I put together this recipe, I decided that I needed to step outside of the recipe box and create something that my family would remember and love! This cheeseburger casserole definitely did the trick.
The pasta cooks right in the pot and soaks up all of the flavor of the spices. It really doesn’t get any easier than this, and that’s what I love about it. A pot and a casserole dish, that was it! That was all I got dirty while cooking this recipe.
WHAT IS CHEESEBURGER CASSEROLE
Cheeseburger Casserole is my take on an old time favorite from when you were a child — hamburger helper! We all had it, and we all loved it!
Now that we are all grown up, I’m sure you are like me and long for something that wakes your inner child, but is also much much better than the box mix.
This recipe is not only easy, but it can be made in one pot or a casserole dish. It just depends on how you want the cheese.
I prefer cheese layered in the middle and on top, that’s why I make it as a casserole. You can’t go wrong with melty cheese if you ask me.
WHAT IS IN CHEESEBURGER CASSEROLE?
In this recipe you have the basics: beef, pasta, and cheese. But I take it a step further and use a combination of ingredients and spices that come together to make something that is truly magical when it hits your mouth.
Here are a few of the extra goodies that I include in my recipe:
- Garlic
- Chili Powder
- Salt & Pepper
- Italian Seasoning
- Finely Chopped Onion
- Worcestershire Sauce
- Tomato Sauce
- Diced Petite Tomatoes
- Beef Bouillon Cubes
- Sour Cream
- Whole Milk
- Cheddar & Mozzarella Cheese
HOW LONG DOES THIS CASSEROLE TAKE TO MAKE?
This recipe really does come together quickly. I love to make it on a busy weeknight when I don’t have a ton of time to cook.
I get my hamburger meat nice and small when cooking. Since I’m not one for big chunks of meat in my recipes, I usually use my secret trick to break up meat: my potato masher!
Once my meat is browned, I add the onion, garlic, and spices. Let that all cook together for about 5-7 minutes.
Next, add the pasta, broth, tomatoes, tomato paste, Worcestershire and stir together. Let cook for 10 minutes, or until the pasta is tender.
Once the pasta is tender, it’s time to add the creamy ingredients: sour cream and milk!
Layer the meat mixture with cheese in a 9×13 and bake for 10 minutes. Seriously, it’s that easy!
If you prefer the one pot method for this recipe just skip layering the cheese in the 9×13 casserole dish. Sprinkle the cheese on the top of the meat and pasta mixture in your skillet. Stir to combine and serve!
No matter how you dish it up, it’s delicious and I’m sure it’s going to become a new family favorite for you too!
Easy Cheeseburger Casserole
This Easy Cheeseburger Casserole recipe is the perfect quick weeknight dinner for your family! With easy ingredients like beef, onions, tomatoes, garlic, and spices – you'll never settle for another box of hamburger helper again!
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Servings 8 People
Ingredients
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 1 medium onion diced finely
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 15 oz can petite diced tomatoes
- 2 cups water
- 3 cubes beef bouillon
- 2 cups large elbow macaroni dried
- 1 cup sour cream
- ¼ cup whole milk
- 1.5 cups mozzarella cheese shredded
- 1.5 cups cheddar cheese shredded
- 1 tbsp parsley dried
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, add water and bouillon cubes. Microwave on high for 4 minutes, or until the beef bouillon cubes are dissolved. Set aside.
- In a large skillet, cook ground beef over medium high heat until no longer pink. Drain grease and return beef to pan.
- Turn heat down to medium and add onion, salt, pepper, minced garlic, Italian seasonings, garlic powder, and chili powder. Stir well and let cook until onions are soft and translucent, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, and diced tomatoes (still in their juices) and stir together.
- Next, add the dried large elbow macaroni and beef bouillon broth to the beef mixture and stir together.
- Cover and let simmer over medium-low for 5 minutes. Uncover and stir. Cover again and let simmer for another 5 minutes, or until pasta is tender and done.
- Uncover mixture and stir in sour cream and milk.
- Pour ½ of the beef and pasta mixture into a 9×13 glass baking dish. Sprinkle ½ of the mozzarella and ½ cheddar cheese over the casserole.
- Pour the remaining beef and pasta mixture over the top of the cheese. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
- Bake uncovered at 400 degrees for 10 minutes, or until the sides of the casserole are bubbling.
Video
Nutrition
Serving: 1cup | Calories: 430kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 90mg | Sodium: 684mg | Potassium: 444mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 686IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 325mg | Iron: 2mg
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Comments
Brittany says
We liked this-made minus the parsley and tomato paste just because it wasn’t on hand at the time. We’ll be making this again.
Shauna says
Hi Brittany, thank you so much for stopping back by and leaving a comment! I’m so glad you liked this recipe 🙂
Jacqueline Phelps says
Now this recipe is to die for.Love it.
John says
This was so awesome we loved it !!!
Shauna says
Hi John! Thank you so much for coming back to the blog and leaving a comment!! I’m so glad everyone liked this recipe 🙂
Donna says
Could you use beef broth instead of the bouillon cubes? If so how much broth?😊
Shauna says
Hi Donna, yes you can definitely use beef broth in place of the bouillon cubes. Just substitute 2 cups beef broth and it should work perfectly.
Candice says
Very good! And my 2 year old loves it too.
Rhonda says
Do you think this would freeze good?
Shauna says
I think it would! I’d probably make sure to eat it up within 3 months of the freeze date.
Tia says
Everyone loved it, even the kids!! Made it three times already since first seeing this recipe. This has been to added to our favorite family dinner recipes list.
Courtney Ann Duerwachter says
Can you make this a day ahead of time and put in the fridge?
Shauna says
Hi Courtney,
You can definitely make this ahead of time and put it in the fridge for later! I love to do that for a lot of recipes so that when life gets hectic, you can just pop it in the oven and not have to worry about prep and cleanup. Just keep in mind, you will need to adjust the cook time a bit. I would recommend adding an additional 10-15 minutes to the original cook time to make sure it gets done all the way through. Just make sure the cheese is bubbly on the sides and somewhat in the middle and you should be good to go!
Janet Bradley says
Could I use crushed tomatoes instead of diced?
Thanks Janet
Shauna says
You can definitely try but it may make the recipe too watery. Let us know how it works out if you do try it!
Jessica may says
Hi! I fed 5 boys with this recipe (I added a bit more beef/pasta and it was a HUGE hit! Thank you so much!I cheated and added a bit of ketchup 🙂
Jason says
Made this last night for a family that can never agree on what they like. It was a huge hit all around. I used what I had so I used 1/2 cup sour cream and 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt. I also substituted Monterrey Jack cheese for the Mozzarella and it still was fantastic. Next time, I might use two cubes vs. three due to the sodium levels, but that is just nitpicking. This will be going into the rotation.
Donna says
Could I make this without the pasta for a low carb meal. Would it still hold together?
Shauna says
I think it might be a little too runny if you dont add the pasta because that’s what soaks up some of the extra liquid. I would try using less liquid or maybe using something else in place of the pasta like zucchini. Try it out and let me know how it goes!
Laramee says
We absolutely love this recipe. I have made it multiple times since finding it. My kids request it at least once a week if not every other week. So good!!
Ruth says
Have you tried adding chopped pickles?
Bailey says
Honestly, I’m not the best person to ask about that because I have a hard time with the crunchy and soft consistencies together. If you do add them though, I would recommend dicing them into fourths and sprinkling them on top of the casserole right before eating. Let me know how it tastes if you do try it!
Teresa says
You say the macaroni should be dried. Does this mean cook and dry the noodles or should they be uncooked.
Yessi Santana says
Please see steps 4 and 5 of the recipe. Uncooked dried macaroni are added after the Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, and diced tomatoes.
KittyJ says
Do you think this could be mixed together and dumped in a Crock-Pot?
Yessi says
Yes, should be able to make in Crock-Pot, let us know how it turns out.
Donna B says
This is a fantastic recipe! I used 2 cups of beef stock instead of bouillon cubes. I prepped the casserole a day before cooking. I did pour some extra beef stock around the edges and a little on top before baking as I was concerned about it being dry. Cooked the casserole covered on 400 degrees for 20 min, then uncovered for 10 more minutes. The cheese was melted perfectly and it was savory and yummy. Definitely recommend this recipe
Ann says
Can this be adjusted to use angel hair pasta or another pasta?
Yessi says
Yes, you can substitute for another pasta.
Sue says
This was very good. My husband was very happy. I am not a great cook so I appreciate delicious recipes like this.
Thank you.
Letica says
Made this tonight and they enjoyed it! Even my picky child enjoyed it! I didn’t have beef stock or bullion so I used chicken broth. I also used ground Turkey instead of beef! Thanks for sharing!!😊
Jason Cohen says
Delicious and I added a layer of pickles.
Lindsey bowles says
I’m making this tonight for supper with garlic bread can’t wait to try it
Brenda says
Loved it! Super easy to make and full of flavor!!