I’m always looking for great dinner ideas with ground beef. While we love hamburgers, tacos, and shepherd’s pie, this ground beef casserole is easy to make and always a family pleaser.
Ground Beef Casserole Recipe
When my kids were younger, getting them to try new things was often like pulling teeth. I knew I was in for the “what’s that” type questions. I always tried to be very generic in my answers, the less details the better.
So I called this “southwest casserole” which is quite generic and doesn’t reveal anything in the ingredient agenda. It was different than hamburger casserole I had grown up with for sure!
Which Pasta to Use for This Casserole
- The first time I made this years ago I used a quick cooking pasta, which I don’t recommend. Use regular pasta as indicated in the recipe. 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.
A great casserole for leftovers
This ground beef casserole is great as leftovers so it doesn’t hurt to make it for a smaller family or just two people! I’ve made it several times and enjoyed the leftovers for lunch or another dinner. You can scoop out the finished recipe into individual serving containers, great for taking to work.
Can I freeze this casserole and bake it later?
As with any casserole containing pasta it will do fine in the freezer for up to three months. Just be sure you follow these steps:
- Prepare the casserole according to the instructions in the printable version below – do not add the onions to the top as they are for garnish when you serve it.
- Cool the dish completely after cooking.
- Wrap tightly in plastic wrap to avoid freezer burn.
- Wrap in foil then label and date it.
- When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375 F and remove foil so you can take off the plastic wrap from frozen dish. Put the foil back on and bake (casserole will still be frozen) for about an hour. Check for doneness, continue for another 15 minutes if needed. If you defrosted the casserole, reheat for 35-45 minutes.
Tip: If you don’t want your baking pan in the freezer for three months, after the dish has cooled completely line another baking dish with 2-3 layers of plastic wrap leaving extra hanging over the sides. Place the cooled casserole into the lined pan and freeze. Once frozen lift the dish out with the plastic wrap. Remove the plastic wrap and transfer the frozen item to a freezer safe bag. When you’re ready to bake it, simply remove from the bag and place it into a baking dish.
The ingredients I prefer to use for this casserole
- You can use ground beef, ground turkey or even ground chicken, depending on your flavor preferences. 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 too!
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 a jack cheese in the mix.
Kitchen tools you’ll find helpful
- You can use a 9×9 square baking pan or a 2-quart casserole.
- Make sure you use a large skillet. You’ll be browning the ground meat, but then you will add several ingredients and need room to stir.
- You’ll also need a cutting board, a chef’s knife for chopping your vegetables, your favorite spoon for stirring everything and of course some measuring cups and spoons.
How to Make Hamburger Casserole
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray a two-quart casserole dish with cooking spray.
- In large skillet brown 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 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.
More Casserole Recipes
Ground Beef Casserole
IMPORTANT – There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
Print It Rate ItIngredients
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 1 cup diced onion
- 1/2 cup diced orange bell pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon Montreal Steak seasoning or Magic Dust seasoning (see recipe below)
- 16 oz. tomato sauce
- 10 oz can of Red Gold Diced Tomatoes & Green Chiles
- 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 2 cups frozen corn
- 2 ounces shredded Mexican 4 Cheese blend
- 1 1/2 cups dried macaroni style pasta cooked al dente
- 1 cup shredded Mexican 4 Cheese blend
- sliced green onions for garnish
OPTIONAL – Magic Dust ingredients (you can use steak seasoning instead):
- 1/2 cup paprika
- 1/4 cup Kosher salt finely ground
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons mustard powder
- 1/4 cup chili powder
- 1/4 cup ground cumin
- 2 tablespoons ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup granulated dried garlic
- 2 tablespoons cayenne pepper
Before You Begin
- Use regular pasta as indicated in the recipe. 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.
Can I freeze this casserole and bake it later?
As with any casserole containing pasta it will do fine in the freezer for up to three months. Just be sure you follow these steps:- Prepare the casserole according to the instructions in the printable version below – do not add the onions to the top as they are for garnish when you serve it.
- Cool the dish completely after cooking.
- Wrap tightly in plastic wrap to avoid freezer burn.
- Wrap in foil then label and date it.
- When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375 F and remove foil so you can take off the plastic wrap from frozen dish. Put the foil back on and bake (casserole will still be frozen) for about an hour. Check for doneness, continue for another 15 minutes if needed. If you defrosted the casserole, reheat for 35-45 minutes.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray a two-quart casserole dish with cooking spray.
- In large skillet brown 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 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.
To make Magic Dust:
- Mix everything together and store in an airtight container. Keep some on a shaker bottle for the grill!
Nutrition
More ground beef dinner ideas
I’ve amassed a pretty good collection of ground beef dinner ideas. Here are a few of our family’s and our readers’ favorites:
- John Wayne Casserole – This delicious casserole uses canned biscuits for the crust which is topped with taco seasoned ground beef, a creamy cheese mixture, and peppers and tomatoes.
- Taco Empanadas – Making these simple meat-filled pockets is a fun thing for the kids to help with, and they are great for taking along to football and soccer games!
- The Best Meatloaf Recipe Ever – I have the say, this is the best meatloaf I’ve ever had and don’t make any other kind now!
- Spaghetti Pie – Cooked spaghetti noodles, ground beef, sauce, and cheese all baked in a pie plate.
- Shepherd’s Pie – Another one of my favorite recipes, this Shepherd’s Pie is a far cry from the hamburger pie I grew up with.
- Salisbury Steaks – If you ate OnCor Salisbury steaks when you were young, this homemade version is going to be your new favorite!
- Cheesy Ground Beef and Rice Casserole and Ground Beef Stroganoff are on other blogs, but look delicious!
- Beef stroganoff casserole is a hearty weeknight dinner the whole family will love thanks to its rich flavors and creamy sauce.
- A hearty and filling weeknight dinner, this 7 Layer Casserole uses ground beef, cheese, bacon, veggies, and rice.
- Cheesy, beefy, Dorito casserole is an easy weeknight bake packed with taco-inspired flavors in each layer!
- This creamy Chicken Noodle Casserole is a satisfying comfort meal.
- Cabbage rolls are a true comfort dish stuffed with a variety of different flavors and texture.
- Ground beef stroganoff aka hamburger stroganoff features all the same delicious flavors as classic beef stroganoff, but with ground beef in place of steak.
- The flavors in this Beef Barbacoa have everything to do with the seasoning blend and chipotle peppers in adobo.
- Lasagna roll ups are perfect for prepping ahead of time and freezing, making weeknights a breeze!
This post was originally published on this blog on April 25, 2011
Amanda Davis
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Angelia Smith-Johnson says
This was absolutely amazing. My husband just loved it. I will definitely be making this again and again. LOVE
Debbie J Larson says
Made it tonight. We Really liked it. Put 3 containers in the freezer because there is only 2 of us. My husband said twice, “I really like this”. Very seldom does he compliment my cooking. I’m not a good cook & I know it. He is….:) Thanks for the recipe.
Shirley says
Have you or anyone tried this recipe in an instant pot?
Paula says
I’ve never left about a recipe online before, but this was so amazing that I have to!!! I used ground moose (from Alaska here) and it was so good we ate the entire dish in one night. Take the time to make the Magic Dust – it has the most amazing flavor. And I used a lot more than the 1 teaspoon recommended – I used at least 1 Tablespoon. Everything else I followed exactly as stated by the recipe. It was a huge crowd pleaser – so much so I’m making it again only a week later. :) Thank you Amanda for making me look like a rockstar chef!
Amanda Formaro says
Love it! And totally agree that the Magic Dust seasoning is worth making!!
Lisa Bruce says
Just a question…how much is 1 portion? 1 cup? A certain amount by weight?
Amanda Formaro says
I’m sorry I don’t have that info for you! Simply divide the finished dish by the number of servings.
Kim says
Great dinner and so well received by 3 different palates. Lots of flavour and next time I’ll try the dust! Thank you!
Tim says
That magic dust recipe calls for 1/2 cup of paprika. Is that for real? And 2 tbsp cayenne?
Amanda Formaro says
yes, it’s a bulk mix! :)
Rita rougeau says
This recipe was easy and awesome and will be a family favorite for sure! We loved it!!
Tracy says
Made it tonight – all four of us went back for seconds. My daughter went back for thirds. Delicious! They asked for this to be added to the to rotation. Thank you!!
Amanda Formaro says
That’s awesome, thank you so much!
Janice Dickinson says
This recipe has a great blend of vegetables and spices with the hamburger! Even corn & pasta. Really enjoyed this meal for supper. ❤️
Amanda Formaro says
Thank you Janice, I appreciate that so much!
Erin Femea says
Can you sub rice for pasta?
Amanda Formaro says
I don’t see why not :)
Lindsey says
This just became one of my favourite dishes to make! It is simple but the flavours are amazing!!! Thank you so much! It was a hit with my family too!!
Amanda Formaro says
Awesome, so glad to hear that, thank you!
Wendy Rogers says
Can you use gluten free pasta?
Amanda Formaro says
I have not tested that, but if you are accustomed to using GF pasta and know how to adjust for it, then you should be able to! :)
Julie says
Hey! This is awesome! We’re all at home with the Covid19 lockdown. This is simply divine! Stay Safe
Amanda Formaro says
Thanks Julie, glad you enjoyed it!
Cel says
Very tasty and easy to make with stuff you usually have around the house.
Amanda Formaro says
Thank you Cel!
Tamara says
What type of Paprika, the Magic Dust recipe calls for, are you supposed to use? Is it referring to sweet Paprika or smoked Paprika?
Amanda Formaro says
You could use either actually, depending on your taste preference. When paprika is mentioned in a recipe, it’s the regular version. If it calls for smoked paprike it will be named that way. :)
Christina DeSomma says
Phenomenal!!!!!! The only thing I did different was I didn’t make the magic dust I just sprinkled a little out of all the ingredients that are in magic dust on top of the beef as it was cooking and came out great!!! My husband new favorite dish he calls it taco pasta !!
Amanda Formaro says
Hooray, so glad you loved it!!
Kelly Kirby says
This is fantastic…I use the base for chili sometimes too.
Amanda Formaro says
Oh good idea!
Robert says
You should work on your writing formation. Felt like this whole web page was a teaser. Ingrediants never mentioned until end. 10 mins wasted thinking this recipe is simple to find a huge list of ingrediants i dont have at very end. Stay blessed
Robert says
Lol nevermind. It says jump to recipe at top…Oops. Im gonna find something else to make from your website then haha.
Amanda Formaro says
Oh good, glad you found it! I didn’t see your second comment until I replied to the first. Have a great day and hope you find something you like!
Amanda Formaro says
Hey Robert :) The list of ingredients isn’t as long if you use steak seasoning instead of the homemade magic dust. Also, for future reference, there is a “jump to recipe” button at the top. :)
Jess says
This was not good. No flavor.
Amanda Formaro says
Sorry it didn’t meet your tastes!
Sara says
Do you drain the meat first?
Amanda Formaro says
The recipe specifies lean ground beef so there’s no need to drain it. However, if you use a ground beef with higher fat content you may want to.