Easy Cheesy Ground Beef Casserole is a hearty, freezer-friendly, kid-friendly, one-pan meal, which is perfect for weeknight dinners when you are short on time!
Let’s face it, at the end of most days you are tired. The kids have homework or have to be taken to this and that activity, and the last thing you want to do is stand over a hot stove making dinner. Enter Easy Cheesy Ground Beef Casserole to the rescue. Depending on how many folks you are feeding, this easy and delicious one-dish hamburger casserole makes two to three casseroles. One for dinner tonight, and the other one or two to be stashed in the freezer and baked whenever you need them.
Easy Cheesy Ground Beef Casserole is loaded with ground beef, egg noodles, tomatoes and what else, cheese! There are no green peppers or onions to put off your picky eaters, just pure wholesome deliciousness! One other nice thing about this tasty dish is that leftovers are just as good, if not better, the next day.
If you like Easy Cheesy Ground Beef Casserole, you might also like these tasty casserole recipes: Easy Chicken Mushroom Marsala Pasta, Spaghetti Pie, and Easy Southern Style Chicken Divan.
How to make Easy Cheesy Ground Beef Casserole
To make Easy Cheesy Ground Beef Casserole, you will need ground beef, a can of chopped tomatoes, a can of tomatoes and green chilies, granulated sugar, kosher salt and ground black pepper, a can of tomato paste, egg noodles, green onions or scallions (optional), sour cream (can use low or reduced fat), cheddar cheese, and Parmesan cheese. Don’t let the long list of ingredients throw you off, once you cook the noodles and hamburger meat, all you have to do is mix everything together.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Cook the ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat for 5-6 minutes, or until it is no longer pink. Break up any large pieces. (I use an old-fashioned potato masher and it works great for this task.) Drain any fat from the ground beef.
Add the chopped tomatoes, tomatoes with green chilies, tomato paste, sugar, salt and pepper and mix well. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes.
While the beef mixture is simmering, cook the egg noodles according to the package directions and drain.
Place the noodles in a large bowl and add the scallions if you are using them, 1/2 cup of the shredded cheddar cheese, and sour cream. Mix well.
If you are making one large casserole, place the noodle mixture in a 13 x 9 inch baking dish which has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. If you are dividing the mixture up into several smaller dishes to freeze, simply divide the mixture evenly and add it to the smaller baking dishes.*
Top with the beef mixture and spread out evenly. Top with the remaining cheddar cheese and Parmesan cheese.
Cover the casserole with aluminum foil and bake for 35 minutes. Uncover and bake for 5-10 more minutes or until the cheese has melted and is bubbling.
*Notes: If you are freezing a casserole, wrap securely in aluminum foil and place in the freezer. When ready to bake, for the best results, allow to thaw in the refrigerator overnight and then bake as directed.
Easy Cheesy Ground Beef Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 14.5 oz can petite chopped tomatoes
- 10 oz can diced tomatoes and green chilies
- 6 oz can tomato paste
- 2 tsp granulated sugar
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 8 oz pkg medium egg noodles
- 6 green onions or scallions (optional)
- 1 cup of sour cream can substitute low or reduced fat
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese shredded
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Cook the ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat for 5-6 minutes, or until it is no longer pink. Break up any large pieces. (I use an old-fashioned potato masher and it works great for this task.) Drain any fat from the ground beef.
- Add the chopped tomatoes, tomatoes with green chilies, tomato paste, sugar, salt and pepper and mix well. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes.
- While the beef mixture is simmering, cook the egg noodles according to the package directions and drain.
- Place the noodles in a large bowl and add the scallions if you are using them, 1/2 cup of the shredded cheddar cheese, and sour cream. Mix well.
- If you are making one large casserole, place the noodle mixture in a 13 x 9 inch baking dish which has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. If you are dividing the mixture up into several smaller dishes to freeze, simply divide the mixture evenly and add it to the smaller baking dishes.*
- Top with the beef mixture and spread out evenly. Top with the remaining cheddar cheese and Parmesan cheese.
- Cover the casserole with aluminum foil and bake for 35 minutes. Uncover and bake for 5-10 more minutes or until the cheese has melted and is bubbling.
Made the large casserole tonight, easy comfort food, this recipe is GOOD! Be sure to include Rotel fire roasted tomatoes and green chilies, mild, and the green onions, but reduce the green onions to maybe one or two, depending on how large they are. Sour cream and green onions add very special flavor to this dish. Cook the noodles to short of al dente.
Hi Marianne, I’m so glad to hear that you liked it and I love your idea for using the Rotel Fire Roasted Tomatoes and Green Chilies! Thanks so much for your comments!