Need a quick, simple meal to feed your hungry family? This Hamburger Casserole has four simple ingredients you are likely to have at home. Starts with noodles and after adding tomato soup and hamburger, and of course delicious mozzarella cheese, the perfect easy casserole is born! Great for getting supper on the table fast!
Every meal needs to have some meat in it in this house. (Like this enchilada casserole with hamburger.) Good thing this easy Hamburger Casserole recipe fits the bill. Melted cheese on top of noodles, hamburger and tomato soup come together for a delicious casserole recipe.
This casserole supper is so kid friendly, I have had readers tell me their pickiest eaters loved it! Talk about a winner of a dinner!
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Ingredients
- Noodles - I have used shells or macaroni noodles for this recipe. Egg noodles would work well too.
- Cheddar cheese/Mozzarella cheese - one or the other can be used. I used both.
- Hamburger - cooked ground beef seasoned with salt and pepper.
- Tomato soup - good old fashioned tomato soup without the milk or water added. Just use the soup.
What is hamburger casserole?
It is a casserole with only a few ingredients. It also has a unique ingredient, tomato soup. I know some may be scared away by the thought of tomato soup in this recipe. The subtle but unique taste of the soup compliments the seasoned hamburger and noodles very well.
Another name for this old fashioned hamburger casserole recipe is Hamburger Hotdish. It is a simple recipe with only a few ingredients and it feeds a large family. It makes quite a bit in a 9x13 pan so it feeds my family of six with enough for lunches the next day.
Are the noodles pre-cooked?
Yes, they are. While you are cooking the ground beef, you can cook the 1 pound of noodles as well (in another pot) so the process only takes 10 minutes or so. Don't worry about the type of noodles to use. We use rotini or elbow macaroni the most, but shells work well too.
Then the meal comes together in a casserole pan and bakes for 20 minutes.
To make this, cook up the hamburger, boil the noodles until Al Dente (a bit of a bite to them about 7 minutes), stir in the tomato soup and sprinkle with cheese.
This has four ingredients in it. I personally count the mozzarella cheese and cheddar cheese as one ingredient because you could simply use your favorite kind of cheese. If you would rather, it has 5 ingredients. You can decide.
Bake
You will add all ingredients to a 9x13 casserole dish which has been lightly sprayed with cooking spray. It will be baked, covered with foil, at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.
Then you will want to uncover the casserole and bake for 5-10 minutes longer so the cheese has time to slightly and lightly brown.
I also will broil the cheese in the broiler for 3-5 minutes to get that extra layer of crispness to the cheese. Don't worry, still gooey cheese underneath!
Make ahead preparation
To make this casserole supper recipe even more easy, you can have hamburger already cooked and frozen in the refrigerator. Sometimes, when I know I am going to have a busy week, when I get home from the store I cook the hamburger I bought immediately. As I am putting away the other groceries, the ground beef cooks on the stove and I am tackling two activities at once.
Then, after the ground beef is done cooking, I drain the grease and put it in a freezer container without putting the lid on and let it cool for 5-10 minutes. Then, I cover it and put it in the freezer.
When I am ready to make this hamburger casserole, I pull the hamburger out of the freezer and add it to the recipe. So quick and easy!
FAQ
Sure! But then it would be more of a pasta casserole. Still works, just a different recipe.
Yes, you can. A little onion would be delicious. As would a touch of garlic.
Place any leftovers in an airtight container and place in refrigerator for up to 48 hours. Reheat as desired.
Serve this up with great sides like Bread Machine Dinner Rolls, Poppy Seed Fruit Salad or 3 Ingredient Grape Jello Salad. This hamburger casserole is simple to make and such a family favorite.
📖 Recipe
Hamburger Casserole
Print PinEquipment
- 1 medium saucepan
Ingredients
- 1 lb box medium shells
- 1 lb ground beef
- 21.5 oz tomato soup 2 cans
- 1 cup cheddar cheese
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375℉.
- Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain.
- While cooking the noodles, in a frying pan, cook the ground beef until no longer pink. (If you are using salt and pepper, add it while cooking the hamburger).
- Pour cooked noodles in a greased 9x13 baking dish.
- Stir the cooked hamburger and tomato soup with the noodles. I just stir everything in the pan. I also sometimes add ½ cup of water to the mixture for a little more moisture. Completely optional.
- Sprinkle cheese over casserole and cover with foil.
- Bake in a 375* oven for 20 minutes.
- Remove foil and bake for 10 minutes longer.
- Can bake under broiler for 3-5 minutes to brown cheese, if desired.
- Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Serve.
Notes
- If you want to use 2 cups of one kind of cheese (example: mozzarella) instead of the combination, you can.
- Dried onion and garlic powder is completely optional and can be adjusted to your family's tastes.
- If you need to make this Hamburger Casserole ahead of time, you can! This casserole is perfect for taking to a mom who just had a baby or for a family in need. Just make it the day before and place it in the refrigerator, covered with foil. You can write the instructions on how to bake it on the foil. I would only make it one day before you plan to take it.
- Cooking up several packages of ground beef when you have some free time and dividing them into separate labeled containers or freezer bags is great for those busy nights. Then when it is time to make this recipe, you can just add the already cooked hamburger to the dish. Supper got that much easier. This tip is also great for Enchilada Casserole and Taco Soup.
Felicia says
This was so good! We used ground deer meat. A keeper for sure! Thanks!
Kim says
I'm so glad you liked it! We have some deer meat to use as well! :-)
Donna says
Made this as a last minute meal. My husband and I absolutely loved it. This delicious dish will be a regular staple for us.
Kim says
I'm so glad you enjoyed it! It is a favorite at our house!!
Lindy says
Thank you very much for this recipe it tastes amazing!!!
Kim says
Thank you so much!
Kristi L Hatfield says
Is there a different sauce you can do in this? My kids don't like tomato sauce? Thank you!
Kim says
Well, I have heard of others using spaghetti sauce. I will say, my children do not like tomato soup either (Neither do I!), but in this recipe it just works. :-)
Pam says
I was surprised I didn't see anyone review this using rice. I followed instructions using 2 cups of frozen onion/green & red pepper mix along with 2 cups of (cooked) Ben's rice. It was excellent and reminded me of my Mom's stuffed green peppers. My husband thought it was a little blah but that's because I use a lot of seasoning for his meals. Simple fix, used some taco seasoning and salsa and he loved it. Very good and easy too!
Glynis says
I would suggest using 1/2 the amount of noodles and adding a can of diced tomatoes. It was very dry even with adding 1/2 cup suggested water.