Cheesy and delicious, this baked hamburger casserole recipe is one delicious dinner that my whole family loves. Simple to make, and filled with ground beef, cheese, shell pasta, and more, this hearty pasta bake is truly one of my favorites. It’s my go-to for my picky boys.
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If there’s one thing my kids love, it’s ground beef and cheese. Rich, creamy pasta and flavorful ground beef form the base of this classic Italian-inspired casserole, and it’s absolutely loaded with cheese! This simple hamburger casserole is a perennial favorite at my house.
What’s in this Hamburger Casserole Recipe?
- Ground Beef: I like to use lean ground beef, but you can also use fattier ground beef and drain the fat before adding it back in. Ground turkey or chicken also work well.
- Onion: Any kind of onion will work, though I like to use yellow onions. Follow my onion cutting guide for tips on how to properly dice an onion.
- Bell Pepper: Any color bell pepper will work here, so choose your favorite. I went with red.
- Garlic: Adds earthy flavor.
- Diced Tomatoes: I like to use canned tomatoes for convenience, but you can also use diced fresh tomatoes.
- Tomato Paste: Deepens the tomatoey flavor of this dish and adds umami.
- Seasonings: Salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning bolster the flavor of this casserole.
- Worcestershire Sauce: Adds rich umami flavor. In a pinch, you can use low-sodium soy sauce, coconut aminos, or tamari.
- Pasta: Choose a smaller type of pasta, like shells, macaroni, or ditalini. Longer pasta shapes will not work well.
- Cream Cheese: Adds rich creaminess to this hamburger casserole.
- Sour Cream: Adds creaminess and tanginess.
- Butter: Unsalted butter adds flavor and creaminess to the noodles.
- Cheese: I like a mixture of freshly shredded cheddar and mozzarella cheese. Feel free to swap these out for your favorite cheeses.
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Tips for Success
- You can swap the ground beef for kidney or black beans to replace the protein. You could also use Beyond Meat for a vegetarian alternative.
- To reduce the fat and calories in this recipe, you can use low-fat cheeses.
- This recipe is good for sneaking in veggies. Mushrooms and carrots would be a great addition.
- For a half portion, halve all of the ingredients and bake uncovered in a 9×9-inch pan for 25-30 minutes, or until heated through. Broil the cheese for 1-2 minutes if desired.
- To make ahead, assemble the casserole through step 7, cover, and refrigerate for up to 1 day. When ready, bake as instructed.
How to Store and Reheat
Store leftover hamburger casserole in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in a 350°F oven for 30-35 minutes, until warmed through. I do not recommend freezing this casserole.
Serving Suggestions
This easy hamburger and pasta casserole is a hearty and filling ground beef dinner all by itself. If you like, you can serve it up with a vegetable side, such as Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots, Crispy Baked Green Beans, Creamy Garlic Mushrooms, or Roasted Veggies for extra goodness! However you decide to serve it, this recipe is guaranteed to be a surefire hit, even the kids will love it!
5-Star Review
“Y’all this is an amazing dish !! Perfection in its finest !! Flavour is great !! It’s very rich !! Thank you for this is real COMFORT FOOD” -Teresa Paul
Hamburger Casserole Recipe
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Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef lean preferred
- ½ cup diced onion
- ½ cup diced bell pepper any color
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 14.5 ounces diced tomatoes drained (1 can)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning store-bought or homemade
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 8 ounces dry shell pasta (½ box)
- 8 ounces cream cheese room temperature and cut into cubes (1 brick)
- ½ cup sour cream
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter (⅜ stick)
- ½ cup freshly shredded cheddar cheese
- ½ cup freshly shredded mozzarella cheese
- Fresh parsley optional, for garnish
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray. Set aside.
- In a large skillet set over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef until it is no longer pink. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked beef to a paper towel-lined bowl.1 pound ground beef
- Add the onion and bell pepper to the skillet and sauté in the leftover fat for 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.½ cup diced onion, ½ cup diced bell pepper, 2 cloves garlic
- Return the beef to the skillet. Stir in the drained tomatoes, tomato paste, salt, Italian seasoning, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.14.5 ounces diced tomatoes, 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- Meanwhile, boil the noodles according to package instructions, drain, and transfer to a large bowl.8 ounces dry shell pasta
- Add the softened cream cheese, sour cream, and melted butter to the pasta. Mix well until the pasta is coated.8 ounces cream cheese, ½ cup sour cream, 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Spread half of the creamy pasta in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Top with half of the meat mixture. Repeat the layers with the remaining ingredients and top with the shredded cheeses.½ cup freshly shredded cheddar cheese, ½ cup freshly shredded mozzarella cheese
- Bake, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes, or until heated through. Broil the cheese for 1-2 minutes if desired. Garnish with fresh parsley and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.Fresh parsley
Last step! Don’t forget to show me a pic of what you made! Upload an image or tag me @thecookierookie on Instagram!
Becky’s tips
- To make this hamburger casserole with potatoes instead of pasta, peel and cut 3 pounds of Yukon Gold potatoes into ¼-inch slices. Place the potatoes in a large saucepan set over medium-high heat, and cover them with cold water. Bring the water to a boil and reduce the heat to low. Cook, uncovered, for 8-10 minutes, or until the potatoes are just fork-tender. Drain the potatoes and place them in the prepared baking dish. Mix the butter, cream cheese, and sour cream together and spread it evenly over the potatoes before continuing with the recipe as written.
Nutrition Information
How to Make Hamburger Casserole Step by Step
Cook the Meat: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray. Set aside. In a large skillet set over medium-high heat, brown 1 pound of ground beef until it is no longer pink. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked beef to a paper towel-lined bowl. Add ½ cup diced onion and ½ cup diced bell pepper to the skillet and sauté in the leftover fat for 2-3 minutes. Add 2 minced cloves of garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Return the beef to the skillet. Stir in 14.5 ounces (1 can) of drained diced tomatoes, 2 tablespoons of tomato paste, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning, ½ teaspoon of black pepper, and 1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Boil the Noodles: Meanwhile, boil 8 ounces of shell pasta according to package instructions, drain, and transfer to a large bowl. Add 8 ounces (1 brick) of softened cream cheese, ½ cup of sour cream, and 3 tablespoons of melted unsalted butter to the pasta. Mix well until the pasta is coated.
Layer the Casserole: Spread half of the creamy pasta in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Top with half of the meat mixture. Repeat the layers with the remaining ingredients and top with ½ cup of freshly shredded cheddar cheese and ½ cup of freshly shredded mozzarella cheese.
Bake the Casserole: Bake, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes, or until heated through. Broil the cheese for 1-2 minutes if desired. Garnish with fresh parsley and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Taste good. But it is dry. I don’t think the tomatoes should drained. And maybe add some tomato sauce. I’d like to try it again with those changes.
We’re sorry this recipe wasn’t quite to your tastes, Laura!
Found this recipe dry and bland.
We’re sorry to hear that, Cathy! It should be a creamier consistency due to the cream cheese, but certainly not dry! You could try adding another can of tomatoes and some more Italian seasoning to get it more to your personal tastes!
Made this yesterday, and it turned out good. Keeping it in the rotation. However, the recipe says “return the hamburger to the skillet, add other ingredients, then “bring to boil”. There was no liquid to boil. I triple checked the recipe, but found no liquid to “boil” What did I do wrong.
Sorry for the confusion, Mark. The intent is to bring the mixture up to temp over high heat, then turn the temp down and let it cook for those 5 minutes. There should be a little bit of liquid given up by the tomatoes, but not a ton!
Thank you 😊
I added a cup of heavy cream to the beef mixture and a few tablespoons of the pasta water worked great
Y’all this is an amazing dish !!
Perfection in its finest !!
Flavour is great !!
It’s very rich !!
Thank you for this is real COMFORT FOOD “”
So happy you loved it, Teresa. It’s definitely comfort food :)
Thank you for this! I’m always looking for new recipes for ground beef and this one is delicious 😋
Thanks so much for stopping by, Jenn!
Delicious! My husband used 2 lbs of ground beef…it was very hearty and had great flavors!
So glad you enjoyed it!
My whole family loved it. Will be making it for company. So easy to make. Next time I am going to use half hamburger and half Italian sausage, hope it’s as good as the original recipe
Let us know how it goes!
I don’t like tomatoes except sauce or bell peppers. How can I adjust the recipe for my taste.
Most substitutions would be just different types of those ingredients!
We thought this was delicious! I did use more onion than called for, a red bell pepper instead of green (although it didn’t specify) and orecchiette instead of shells, but it all turned out well in the end. Definitely will be making this one again!
Thanks for sharing!!
This recipe was heavenly- even for my toddler!! It had the perfect flavor! It reminds me of a hamburger helper and beef stroganoff. I think the only thing I would change is maybe not draining the can of diced tomatoes. Will be adding this recipe to my faves!!!
I love to hear that!!