Ground Beef Casserole

4.98 from 71 votes

Our ground beef casserole includes hamburger meat, onions, and peppers, is flavored with tomatoes, spices, combined with pasta and topped with cheese.

Prep Time30 mins

Cook Time30 mins

Total Time1 hr

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Servings: people

Calories: 340cal

Author: Amanda Formaro

Equipment

Ingredients

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

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!

Video

Notes

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.

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.

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