Ground Beef Casserole, a homemade convenience meal packed with a blend of savory flavors and a good heaping of cheddar cheese.
This ground beef and pasta bake, loaded with cheese, checks off all the boxes for what I deem a quintessential American casserole dish. From its texture and ingredients to its pure comfort appeal, I can almost guarantee there won’t be any leftovers whenever you serve it.
Ground beef casserole is what we’re all looking for on busy weeknights – essentially, you boil up some pasta and put together a quick tomato and meat sauce. Into a casserole dish it goes, sprinkled with cheese and baked. It couldn’t be easier.
Why You’ll Love It
- You get to make use of all the spices you have sitting in your pantry.
- Pure comfort food and very kid-friendly. It’s easily adaptable to your own tastes.
- If you do have leftovers, they reheat well, tasting even better the next day.
Reader Tieran says …“The Creole seasoning in this casserole really made it pop with flavor! The kids gobbled it up and came back for seconds. I love the bell peppers in here for added crunch. It was delish!”
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Olive oil: For sautéing onions and veggies. Use any oil you prefer.
- Ground Beef: Make sure it’s extra lean. I like to use 97/3, but as long as you’re above 90% you’ll be okay.
- Onion and Bell Pepper: Adds bulk and flavor to the ground beef mixture. Any color bell peppers or any type of onion will work.
- Garlic and Red Pepper Flakes: Adds aromatics and kick of heat.
- Tomato sauce: Flavor the meat mixture. Your favorite marinara sauce will also work here.
- Rotel: This is my favorite brand for tomatoes and diced chiles together.
- Seasonings and Spices: There is a handful in this recipe and they can be modified and swapped out to suit your own tastes.
- Frozen Corn: Adds bulk and texture.
- Cheese: I prefer extra sharp cheddar, but you can use any cheese you love.
- Pasta: Use any shape noodle you prefer, just make sure to cook al dente. Feel free to use whole wheat or any protein pasta you prefer.
- Plain Greek Yogurt and Cream Cheese: Use full-fat here for the best result. Sour cream can be substituted for the Greek yogurt.
- Cornstarch: For thickening.
- Green Onion: For extra flavor and crunch.
Reader Wilma commented …“This ground beef casserole recipe was delicious and received rave reviews from the fam! Made it for Sunday dinner.”
How to Make This Ground Beef Casserole
- Position a rack in the oven’s center and preheat. Apply cooking spray to a two-quart casserole dish.
- In a skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. When hot, add ground beef, onion, and bell peppers, cooking until the meat is thoroughly cooked, and the vegetables are softened. Add garlic and red pepper flakes (stir continuously), cooking for 30 seconds.
- Add tomato sauce, Rotel, and spices. Bring it to a boil, lower heat and let simmer uncovered. Add frozen corn, simmering for a few additional minutes.
- Prepare pasta by bringing salted water to a boil. Add the dry pasta and cook it until almost al dente, slightly firm to the bite. Save 1 1/2 cups of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta and set aside.
- Pour 1/2 cup of reserved pasta water into the empty pasta pot. Add Greek yogurt, cream cheese, and cornstarch. Whisk until well combined. Stir in 1/2 cup of cheese, continuing to whisk until smooth.
- Combine half of the sliced green onions, pasta, and the remaining 1 cup of pasta water with the yogurt mixture. Mix, then transfer the noodles and any liquid from the pot to an even layer in the prepared baking dish.
- Spoon the beef mixture over the pasta mixture and sprinkle with the remaining cheddar cheese.
- Bake the casserole until the edges bubble, and the cheese browns on top. After baking, sprinkle with the remaining green onions. Allow to rest for 15 minutes before serving.
Recipe Tips
- Regularly taste the dish as you cook and adjust seasoning or flavors. It’s easy to make real-time adjustments.
- Prepare ingredients ahead of time, such as chopping vegetables. This will save time when you’re ready to assemble and cook.
- Remember to undercook the pasta in the water.
- Ingredient measurements for this casserole don’t need to be exact, it’s very forgiving.
- This casserole can be premade and assembled the day before. Place in the refrigerator, covered tightly. Bring to room temperature before baking the next day.
FAQs
- Can I use ground turkey instead of ground beef? Yes, feel feel to use ground turkey, sausage or chicken. You can even use a mixture if you like.
- How do I store leftovers? Store leftovers in airtight containers in the refrigerator. Be sure to consume them within a safe timeframe, typically within 3-4 days.
- Can I freeze this dish? Yes, this casserole freezes well. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating or baking for the first time.
More Recipes Using Ground Beef
- Tamale Pie Casserole
- Bacon Cheeseburger Soup
- Taco Noodle Casserole
- Taco Soup
- Skillet Beef Burrito
- Cheesy Taco Skillet
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Ground Beef Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 lbs. lean ground beef (97/3)
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 large red or orange bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 1 large green bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
- 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
- 1 can (15 oz.) tomato sauce
- 2 cans (10 oz. each) Rotel
- 1 tsp. table salt
- 1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- 1/2 tsp dry mustard
- 1 tsp Creole seasoning or smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp ground oregano
- 1 tsp chile powder
- 2 cups frozen corn
- 2 cups shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese, divided
- 1-1/2 cups dry penne pasta cooked al dente
- 1-1/2 cups pasta water (reserved)
- 1 cup full fat plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
- 4 oz. cream cheese
- 1 tbsp. cornstarch
- 4 stalks green onion, sliced, divided
Instructions
- Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Coat a two-quart (11x7) casserole dish with cooking spray. ( You could use a 9x13, the casserole will just be more spread out.)
- In large nonstick skillet heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Once hot add the ground beef, onion and bell peppers, cooking until meat is fully cooked and vegetables are softened.; about 8-10 minutes. (You may need to turn up the heat to evaporate any liquid that may be present.) Add garlic and red pepper flakes (stir constantly), cooking until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add tomato sauce, Rotel and remaining spices. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Add frozen corn, simmering a few minutes more.
- Simultaneously, cook the pasta by heating 6 cups of salted water in a medium size pot. Add the dry pasta and cook until almost al dente—it should still be too firm to eat. Reserve 1 1/2 cups of the pasta cooking water, then drain and set aside.
- Pour 1/2 cup of the pasta water you set aside back into the empty pot where you cooked the pasta. Add Greek yogurt, cream cheese, and cornstarch. Whisk the ingredients together until well combined. Stir in 1/2 cup of cheese while continuing to whisk until the mixture is mostly smooth.
- Add half of the sliced green onions, the pasta, and the remaining 1 cup of pasta water to the yogurt mixture. Mix them together, then transfer the noodles and any liquid from the pot into an even layer at the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
- Spoon the beef mixture over the pasta mixture and sprinkle with the remaining cheddar cheese.
- Bake the casserole until edges are bubbling and cheese is browning on top, about 18-25 minutes. When done baking, sprinkle with remaining green onions. Let rest for 15 minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
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