Ground Beef Casserole

A tried and true recipe for the best ever ground beef casserole that’s loaded with easy ingredients and plenty of cheese! Hamburger casserole has never tasted so good.

Why this recipe works

As far as simple ground beef casserole recipes go, this one is by far our favorite. With over 800+ positive reviews, I can almost guarantee it will be a winner with your family as it has been in my home for the past 13 years!

You can consider this ground beef casserole a “southwest casserole”, or you might even call it hamburger casserole. Either way, it’s a staple meal that comes together easily with simple ingredients. If you’re looking for a set-it-and-forget-it version, hop over to our crockpot ground beef casserole recipe.

casserole dish with a scoop of southwest ground beef casserole removed

Ingredients you will need

Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.

Ingredient Info and Substitution Suggestions

BEEF – You can use ground beef, ground turkey, or even ground chicken in this casserole. Other ground meats can be substituted as well such as venison or bison, making this a very versatile recipe. Ground Italian sausage mixed with ground beef or turkey would be a great flavor combination as too!

TOMATOES – While I have listed Red Gold diced tomatoes, you don’t have to use that brand. The key was that they have green chiles already added. If you can’t find them, you can use a regular can of tomatoes and add a 4-ounce can of green chiles.

CHEESE – You can find a Mexican cheese blend already shredded at the grocery store. However, if you have a preference on cheese feel free to use whatever you like. I do recommend that you have a cheddar cheese and jack cheese in the mix.

PASTA – I do not recommend using a quick cooking pasta in this recipe. Regular pasta is the way to go here. The quick cooking type cooks too long in this dish and tends to get a bit mushy. You could certainly use a no-boil pasta in this casserole, I would suggest soaking them in hot water while you are prepping the recipe on the stove.

SEASONING – I mention something called Magic Dust in the recipe below. This is a mixture I keep in my kitchen that I found in the book Peace, Love & Barbecue. I prefer it and I’ve provided it in the recipe below, but you can use a steak seasoning instead.

How to Make Ground Beef Casserole

These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. You can Jump to Recipe to get the printable version of this recipe, complete with measurements and instructions at the bottom.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray a two-quart casserole dish with cooking spray.
In a large skillet, brown the ground beef with onions, bell pepper, and red pepper flakes. Season with Magic Dust or steak seasoning.
Add the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, oregano, and chili powder and bring to a gentle boil.
Reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes.
Add the frozen corn and simmer for a few more minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the 2 ounces of cheese until melted.
Gently stir in the cooked pasta.
Pour everything into the prepared casserole dish and top with shredded cheese.
Bake uncovered for 20-30 minutes, or until browned and bubbly.
Garnish with green onions if desired.

Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Tips

How do you store leftover ground beef casserole?

Store cooled leftover hamburger casserole in an air-tight container kept in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat in a skillet over medium-low heat, adding a splash of water to remoisten if needed.

Can you freeze ground beef casserole?

As with any casserole containing pasta, it will do fine in the freezer for up to three months. To freeze, allow the cooked casserole to cool completely before wrapping tightly in plastic wrap followed by a layer of aluminum foil. Or, transfer the casserole to an air-tight container. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375 F and remove foil so you can take off the plastic wrap from the frozen dish. Put the foil back on and bake (casserole will still be frozen) for about an hour. Check for doneness and continue for another 15 minutes if needed. If you defrosted the casserole, reheat for 35-45 minutes.

Serving Suggestions

Serve your hamburger casserole with sliced green onions and a dollop of sour cream as garnish. This dish is pretty filling on its own but you can pair it with a dinner salad or roasted vegetables on the side. Enjoy!

More Ground Beef Recipes

Southwest ground beef casserole overhead — This is the original picture from years ago – so you know you didn’t land on the wrong blog post!

This post was originally published on this blog on April 25, 2011.

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Amanda Davis

President at Amanda's Creative Studio, Inc.

Amanda Davis is the entrepreneurial mom of four grown children and four step children. She and her husband, Chef Antoine, love to cook together creating recipes for this blog. Amanda also make kid's crafts and creates decorative items for her home. She is a crafting expert and guru in the kitchen and has appeared online and in print publications many times over the years. She is also a craft book author five times over and product developer as well as the owner of FunFamilyCrafts.com. You can find her on social media by using the buttons to the left!