Hamburger Casserole is a tasty alternative to making individual hamburgers and macaroni for the entire family and friends.
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Ingredients
The full recipe and ingredients can be found in the recipe card below this post.
- Pasta - you can use any pasta for this casserole, but smaller tubular varieties like macaroni are great for catching ground beef and sauce. For gluten free I like to use red lentil pasta, elbow macaroni and rotini.
- Ground beef - lean ground beef is best if you want to reduce fat content, but regular beef or a mix with pork can work. Choose ground chicken or turkey for leaner alternatives.
- Canned Soup - I prefer canned tomato soup and mushroom soup for this casserole.
- Onion and garlic - can't skip this, these aromatics add so much flavor to the ground beef.
- Half and half - this adds creaminess. Use a mix of cream and milk if you lack half and half.
- Cheese - Colby Jack, cheddar, gouda, or mozzarella cheese are great for this casserole.
- Seasoning - I've added salt, pepper, paprika, and dried parsley to the casserole, with extra on top before baking. For more heat, add chili powder. Italian herbs or seasoning would also be tasty additions.
How To Make Hamburger Casserole
STEP 1: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 C) and spray a baking dish with cooking spray.
STEP 2: Cook pasta until al dente, then drain and rinse under cold water.
Once cooled, return to pot or mixing bowl. Don't overcook.
STEP 3: Meanwhile, sauté onion until soft, then add garlic and sauté until fragrant.
STEP 4: In a large skillet, cook ground beef until done.
In the pasta pot, stir in browned beef, tomato and mushroom soups, and half and half.
Season with salt and black ground pepper, smoked paprika, parsley.
STEP 5: Transfer pasta mixture to casserole dish and bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes.
STEP 6: During the last 5 minutes, add cheese on top and bake until melted.
Sprinkle extra paprika and parsley before serving. Enjoy while cheese is still melty.
- Related: Cabbage Roll Casserole
Since the pasta will continue to cook in the oven, be sure to cook it al dente beforehand.
Tips For Making The Best Hamburger Casserole
- Grate the cheese yourself. Freshly shredded cheese melts better and tastes best.
- Cook pasta separately to avoid undercooked casserole.
- Adjust boiling time if using different pasta, like egg noodles.
- Bulk up this casserole recipe with veggies like bell peppers, carrots, green beans, mushrooms, or green peppers.
- Don't leave this casserole out at room temperature for too long because of the creamy ingredients and meat.
- If you end up buying too much ground beef, make my beef Lettuce Wraps for your next recipe.
How To Serve Hamburger Casserole
Storing Leftovers
- Store. Any leftovers can be stored in the fridge for u to 3-4 days. Let the casserole cool before refrigerating.
- Freeze. Transfer the casserole to an airtight container or keep it in the same dish, tightly covered, and freeze for 1-2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating. Bake covered in foil at 350°F for 10-15 minutes. Add more cheese in the last 5 minutes and garnish with fresh herbs before serving.
- Make ahead. Assemble the casserole dish, refrigerate for 1-2 days, then let it come to room temperature before baking according to the recipe instructions.
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Recipe
Old Fashioned Hamburger Casserole
INGREDIENTS
- 12 ounce pasta, of your choice, I used fusilli (340 g)
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped (about ½ cup chopped)
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed (about 2 heaping teaspoon)
- 1 pound lean ground beef , or a mix of beef and pork (450 grams)
- 2 cups canned tomato soup, condensed, (500 grams)
- 2 cups canned mushroom soup, see notes, (500 grams)
- ¾ cup half and half, (177 ml)
- ¾ cup Colby jack cheese or cheddar shredded
- salt, black pepper, to taste
- ½ teaspoon paprika + more on top, we love smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley + more on top
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 C) and spray a baking dish with cooking spray.
- Cook pasta until al dente, then drain and rinse under cold water.
- Once cooled, return to pot or mixing bowl. Don't overcook.
- Meanwhile, sauté onion until soft, then add garlic and sauté until fragrant.
- In a large skillet, cook ground beef until done.
- In the pasta pot, stir in browned beef, tomato and mushroom soups, and half and half.
- Season with salt and black ground pepper, smoked paprika, parsley.
- Transfer pasta mixture to casserole dish and bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes.
- During the last 5 minutes, add cheese on top and bake until melted.
- Sprinkle extra paprika and parsley before serving. Enjoy while cheese is still melty.
VIDEO
NOTES
- When you cook the pasta, it needs to be al dente, and it is fine if it is even a little crunchy inside. A little. Then it will absorb all the sauce PERFECTLY. Whatever you do, do not overcook the pasta.
- My recipe for Condensed Mushroom Soup (Gluten Free)
- Leftovers can be refrigerated for 3-4 days. Freeze for up to 1-2 months; thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating at 350°F for 10-15 minutes. For make-ahead, assemble and refrigerate for 1-2 days, then bake as directed.
ADD YOUR OWN PRIVATE NOTES
NUTRITION
FAQs
A standard serving of a hamburger casserole can average around 450 calories, although this will differ from recipe to recipe depending on the ingredients used and the size of portions served.
Hamburger helper is a commercially packaged mix of pasta and powdered seasonings added to cooked ground beef. Old-fashioned hamburger casserole is essentially a homemade version, using similar ingredients but all prepared from scratch in your kitchen.
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
The ultimate hearty ground beef pasta casserole that anyone can easily make. Pasta cooked in layers of tomato and mushroom sauce, onion, garlic, spices and ground beef.
Christine
You should never oil pasta. It will come apart when mixed in with other ingredients. If you oil it, it won't obsurb the flavors or sauce as much. Thanks
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
hi Christine! Yes definetly, thanks for pointing this out. I edited the instructions and also added that pasta should be rinsed with cold water to stop the cooking process.
Meg Kelly
Could you explain please, half and half what? The recipe looks good, thanks Meg Kelly
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
Hi Meg! Half and half is simply a mixture of equal parts whole milk and cream.
TC
Made this tonight. I thought it was just okay. The sauce is a little thick for me. My family ate it and said they liked it. I think the recipe should list the size of the casserole dish to use and should say whether to cover or not when cooking. If I made again, I would reduce the amount of soup and add cheese to mixture as well as to top.
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
hi TC! I used 8 x 11 casserole but in the blog post, I did recommend larger one. I did not cover mine. You say the sauce was thick, there can be a couple of reasons. I think it will depend on the canned soups used, if the amount of pasta was correct and the pasta not overcooked. Pasta dishes are actually simple but they do absorb a looot of sauce, especially when overcooked. Hope this helps 🙂
Kitt
Made this tonight and it was very soupy. Not sure what I did wrong. Tasted great though!
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
hi Kitt! What condensed sous did you use?
Kitt
I only used condensed tomato soup as that's all i had.
Have to say though.. the next day it had soaked into the pasta quite a bit so it was much less liquidy.
Katrina
Hi. What do you mean by half and half 150mls? Thanks
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
it's 3/4 cups. But I remeasured in ML and it is actually 170-177ml, thank you!
Sue
I am going to make this tonight, so just wanting some clarification....do you add 4 cups of just the condensed soup, no water added? Thank you. Look forward to making it:)
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
no this is not needed. BUT you have to be careful when cooking the pasta, it needs to be al dente and not overcooked. You have already plenty liquid ingredients here but every store bought condensed soup is different and thickness may vary. If you want to add water, use a larger casserole dish. Pasta will keep absorbing the sauce as it cools so it is better to eat it right away.