Hamburger Casserole
Easy Hamburger Casserole is made with pasta, ground beef, a rich sauce, and gooey, melty cheese for a simple, hearty weeknight dinner everyone loves!
A 35-MINUTE CASSEROLE RECIPE
This hamburger casserole is one of those meals that even the picky eaters enjoy! Pasta is mixed with seasoned ground beef and your favorite pasta sauce, then topped with plenty of melted cheese for a family friendly meal. It’s simple to customize with different pastas, cheeses, or added veggies, and you can even prep it ahead or freeze it for later. It checks all the boxes!
Decided to make this on a whim, as I had all the ingredients handy.Because it’s so easy I wasn’t expecting too much, but boy was I wrong! The flavor is great and the hubs ate several helpings. Will keep in my rotation!
– Becca
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
If you like a saucier casserole, use a larger (32 ounce) jar of spaghetti sauce.
While I suppose you could, I don’t think it’s worth it in this instance. You pretty much have to cook everything before adding it to the Crock Pot, so I don’t know what it is really saving you. I feel like it’s definitely easier to do in the oven in this case. Plus, the pasta can get mushy in the Slow Cooker if you aren’t careful and layer it just right.
Certainly. That should work. Use whatever gluten free pasta you prefer and have on hand. Always check your seasonings and sauces to be sure they’re gluten free too. Some sauces are not gluten free.
This is a filling casserole on its own, but it does go nicely with some crusty bread, Dinner Rolls, Breadsticks, Garlic Bread, etc. You can’t go wrong with a good ole green salad, Caesar salad, or steamed broccoli either.
Definitely! Once the casserole is prepared, you can freeze it in an airtight container for up to 2 months. When ready to enjoy, thaw it overnight in the refrigerator and bake the next day.
Yes! This casserole can be frozen once you’ve made it if you have leftovers. Keep them in a freezer safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge before reheating those leftovers in the oven until warmed through.
Yes! You can prepare this casserole up to 24 hours in advance. Just cover the dish tightly with foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate. When you’re ready to bake, add about 10 extra minutes to the cooking time since it will be starting out cold.
This is a versatile recipe because you can add anything you’d like such as spinach, mushrooms, zucchini, broccoli, or peas. If you like a little spicy food, there’s options for that too. You can definitely spice up this dish by adding a little heat with cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes.
You can keep this in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can freeze this dish in an airtight container after baking for up to 1 month.
The best way to heat this up (without it drying out) is to bake at 350° with foil wrapped on top. You can also heat this up in the microwave for 30-second increments. If you feel the pasta is a little dry, you could add additional spaghetti sauce (or sprinkle a little water on it) when reheating.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)
- penne pasta– You can use any of your favorite pasta for this dish. Rotini, spaghetti, elbow, or rigatoni would all work perfectly.
- ground beef– You can swap out the ground beef for ground turkey or chicken. You can also replace the beef with shredded chicken or even use Italian sausage in this dish. Even black beans would be a great vegetarian option.
- yellow onion– If you don’t have a fresh onion, you can use about 1 Tablespoon of dried onion flakes in a pinch.
- garlic powder– If you love garlic, you can also add 3 cloves of minced fresh garlic for extra flavor.
- green bell pepper– If you’re not a fan of bell peppers, you can simply omit them from the recipe.
- spaghetti sauce– You can use any jar of spaghetti sauce you love, and Homemade Marinara Sauce works great as well!
- cheddar cheese– In place of cheddar, you can use mozzarella or Colby Jack. For a little extra kick, try using pepper jack cheese.
HOW TO MAKE HAMBURGER CASSEROLE:
Preheat the oven to 350° F. Cook the pasta while you proceed with the recipe. Cook the pasta for 2 minutes less than what is on the packaging. Drain and transfer the pasta to a 9×13-inch baking dish. To a skillet, over medium heat, add the ground beef, bell pepper and onion. Cook and crumble until the meat is fully cooked and no longer pink. Drain any excess grease. Season the cooked meat with garlic powder and onion powder. Stir until combined.
Transfer the meat mixture to the baking dish. Add the pasta sauce and 1 cup of shredded cheese to the baking dish. Mix until combined.
Top the casserole with the remainder of the cheese. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
Sprinkle parsley on top.
CRAVING MORE RECIPES?
- Amish Country Casserole
- Beef Noodle Casserole
- Italian Rice Casserole
- Ravioli Casserole
- Chicken Parmesan Casserole
- Bacon Cheeseburger Casserole
- Cattle Drive Casserole
- Frito Pie Casserole
- Chicken Fajita Casserole
Hamburger Casserole
Ingredients
- 12 ounces penne pasta (about 4 cups, measured dry)
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- ½ cup diced yellow onion
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 24 ounce jar pasta sauce
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (divided use)
- 1 Tablespoon chopped parsley (or dried parsley, optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F.
- Cook 12 ounces penne pasta while you proceed with the recipe. Cook the pasta for 2 minutes less than what is on the packaging.
- Drain and transfer the pasta to a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- To a skillet, over medium heat, add 1 pound lean ground beef, 1 green bell pepper, diced and ½ cup diced yellow onion. Season with ½ teaspoon garlic powder and ½ teaspoon onion powder. Cook and crumble until the meat is fully cooked and no longer pink. Drain any excess grease.
- Transfer the meat mixture to the baking dish with the cooked pasta.
- Add contents of the 24 ounce jar pasta sauce and 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese to the baking dish.
- Mix until combined.
- Top the casserole with the remaining 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese.
- Bake uncovered for about 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
- Optional: sprinkle 1 Tablespoon chopped parsley on top.
Video
Notes
- Please refer to my FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Decided to make this on a whim, as I had all the ingredients handy.Because it’s so easy I wasn’t expecting too much, but boy was I wrong. The flavor is great and the hubs ate several helpings! Will keep in my rotation!
Simple, quick and delicious.