Ground Beef Noodle Casserole
Want a beef and noodle casserole that skips the canned soup? Ground beef noodle casserole is just lean ground beef, wide egg noodles, and a quick tomato sauce, layered with cheddar and baked until the top melts.
Diced tomatoes and Italian seasoning give it a baked spaghetti flavor, so you won’t miss the cream. One 9×13 pan, about 45 minutes, and it serves 8!
The beef sauce cooks in a single skillet while the noodles boil. Then it all gets layered in the baking dish. I love that the middle layer of cheese melts right into the noodles instead of just sitting on top. It also reheats well for whoever eats late.
For more cheesy baked pasta recipes, be sure to also try my meatball pasta casserole, baked ziti, or chicken stuffed pasta shells.
What You’ll Love About This Beef and Noodle Casserole
Hamburger Noodle Casserole Ingredients
You’ll need the following ingredients to make this Cheesy Beef Noodle Casserole:
Ingredient Notes
Lean Ground Beef: I’d grab 90/10 or 93/7. Leaner beef leaves less grease to pour off. The sauce stays rich without turning oily.
Wide Egg Noodles: I buy store brand, and it works just fine here. Any 12-ounce bag of wide egg noodles will do.
Onion and Garlic: Half a medium onion, diced. Short on time? A bag of frozen chopped onion goes straight into the skillet, and jarred minced garlic saves you the peeling. If you cut a fresh onion, wrap the other half tightly. It keeps in the fridge for a few days for tacos or eggs.
Tomato Sauce and Diced Tomatoes: The tomato sauce is the base of the whole dish, so pick one you like the taste of. I like Muir Glen Organic because it’s made with organic tomatoes and has no added sugar. Petite diced tomatoes give you small bites of tomato throughout. Drain them well so the casserole doesn’t get watery.
Cheddar: A block you shred yourself melts smoother, since bagged shreds are coated to keep them from clumping. Sharp cheddar has more flavor. Mild is the one kids expect.
Italian Seasoning: The dried blend covers basil, oregano, and thyme in one jar. Out of the blend, use 1 teaspoon each of dried oregano and dried basil.
Beef Noodle Casserole Variations
Make It Spicy: Swap the diced tomatoes for a 10-ounce can of Rotel, drained. Stir in ¼ teaspoon of crushed red pepper with the garlic. It’s a mild kick.
Add Veggies: Cook 1 diced bell pepper or 8 ounces of sliced mushrooms with the onion for an extra 3 to 4 minutes. Bonus: it stretches the pan a little further.
Make It Creamy: Stir 4 ounces of softened cream cheese or ½ cup of sour cream into the sauce before the noodles go in. That gets you closer to the classic creamy version.
Swap the Cheese: Colby Jack melts nicely. A mozzarella and Parmesan mix makes it taste more like lasagna. For that flavor in one skillet with no baking, try my high protein lasagna.
Make It Lighter: Use 96/4 ground beef and cut the cheddar to 1 cup total, ½ cup in the middle and ½ cup on top. Stir 2 cups of chopped fresh spinach into the sauce and let it wilt for a minute before adding the noodles. You’ll still get a full, cheesy pan.
How To Bake Beef Noodle Casserole
Here are quick visual instructions. Be sure to check out the full instructions with exact ingredients in the printable recipe card below.
Step 1: Brown the ground beef in a large skillet, breaking it into crumbles, then drain the grease.
Step 2: Add the diced onion, then the garlic, and cook until the onion softens.
Step 3: Stir in the tomato sauce, drained diced tomatoes, and Italian seasoning.
Step 4: Add the cooked, drained egg noodles and stir until they’re coated in sauce.
Step 5: Spread half the noodle mixture in the baking dish and sprinkle with 1 cup of cheddar.
Step 6: Layer on the rest of the noodles and top with the remaining cheddar.
Step 7: Bake at 400°F until the cheese melts.
How to Keep the Noodles From Getting Mushy
Pull the noodles 1 to 2 minutes before the package says they’re done. They keep soaking up sauce in the skillet and again in the oven. Slightly firm going in means tender coming out.
Wide egg noodles hold their shape better than thin ones in a baked dish. Drain them well. Then get the casserole into the oven soon after mixing, since noodles sitting in hot sauce keep softening.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
Cook the beef all the way through. Ground beef is done at 160°F, with no pink left (USDA safe temperature chart). Drain it right away. Grease left in the pan makes the sauce slick.
Salt the noodle water. The noodles are most of the dish. A tablespoon of salt in the pot seasons them from the inside.
Taste before you layer. Tomato sauce and cheddar both bring salt. Add salt and pepper to the sauce at the end, after a taste.
Bake it uncovered. It’s only in the oven long enough to melt the cheese. Foil would trap steam and soften the top.
Let it rest 5 minutes. The layers set up as it cools a bit. You’ll get neat squares instead of a sliding pile of noodles.
What to Serve With Hamburger Egg Noodle Casserole
A big green salad is my usual go-to next to a pasta casserole. Something crunchy with a tangy dressing balances all that cheese. Garlic bread is the other classic. It’s great for wiping up the sauce.
Want a hot vegetable? Green beans are an easy match. My italian seasoned green beans cook in one skillet from frozen, so they’re ready by the time the casserole comes out.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Layer it in the dish, let it cool, then cover and refrigerate for up to a day. Bake it cold, covered with foil, at 375°F for about 20 minutes. Then uncover it and bake 10 to 15 minutes more, until the center is hot and the cheese melts.
Lean ground turkey works the same way. It's milder, so I'd add an extra ½ teaspoon of Italian seasoning. Cook it to 165°F (USDA safe temperature chart).
Yes, baked or unbaked. Wrap the dish tightly in plastic wrap and foil and freeze it for up to 3 months (FoodSafety.gov cold storage chart). Thaw it in the fridge overnight, then bake it covered at 350°F until it's hot all the way through.
Made this one? Tell me in the comments and give it a few stars. Did you go spicy, creamy or classic?
More Ground Beef Recipes
Cheesy Beef Noodle Casserole
Ingredients
For the noodles
- 12 ounces wide egg noodles
For the beef sauce
- 1 pound lean ground beef (90% lean or higher)
- 1/2 medium onion diced
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 15 ounces tomato sauce one can
- 15 ounces petite diced tomatoes well drained
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- Salt and black pepper to taste
For the cheese layers
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese divided
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 400°F and lightly spray a 9×13-inch casserole dish.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the egg noodles 1 to 2 minutes short of the package time, then drain them well.
- While the water heats, set a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the ground beef, breaking it into crumbles, until no pink remains. Pour off the grease.
- Add the onion to the beef and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until it softens. Stir in the garlic and give it 1 more minute.
- Pour in the tomato sauce, the drained diced tomatoes, and the Italian seasoning. Taste, then season with salt and pepper.
- Tip the drained noodles into the skillet and stir until every noodle is coated.
- Spread half of the noodle mixture in the prepared dish and scatter 1 cup of the cheddar over it. Spoon the rest of the noodle mixture on top and finish with the remaining 1 cup of cheddar.
- Bake uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted. Let it sit for 5 minutes before scooping.
Notes
The nutritional details for recipes are estimated using MyFitnessPal and can vary with different products, measurement accuracy, and source reliability. We aim to provide accurate information but cannot guarantee the precise accuracy of the nutritional data