bowl of hamburger casserole
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4.59 from 17 votes

Southwest Ground Beef Casserole

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
Keyword: breakfast casserole, cheese, ground beef, ground beef casserole, hamburger casserole
Servings: 8 people
Calories: 424kcal
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 Magic Dust seasoning or Montreal Steak seasoning
  • 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

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.

Nutrition

Serving: 1portion | Calories: 424kcal | Carbohydrates: 57g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 57mg | Sodium: 4070mg | Potassium: 964mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 4859IU | Vitamin C: 25mg | Calcium: 230mg | Iron: 5mg