Need a quick, simple dinner recipe to feed your hungry family? This Hamburger Casserole recipe 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 dinner on the table fast!
A dinner recipe that is easy and good. I know, how about easy Hamburger Casserole! Melted cheese on top of noodles, ground beef and tomato soup come together for a delicious casserole recipe.
This casserole recipe is so kid friendly, I have had readers tell me their pickiest eaters loved it! Talk about a winner of a dinner! Simple suppers are the key to a busy family life and we have several here. For starters, try: Beef Enchilada Casserole and Mexican Rice Casserole.
Jump to:
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 makes quite a bit in a 9x13 pan so it feeds my family of six with enough for lunches the next day. Leftovers are always a welcome addition to the lunch menu.
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.
Substitutions
Instead of ground beef, you can use:
- ground pork
- ground turkey
- ground venison
Just substitute the ground beef for one of the other meat options listed above.
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 tips
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.
Annie says
Delicious, turned out very well, although I used tomato sauce instead of tomato soup, that is my only substitution. It is now my go to recipe when I need something really fast. I serve with garlic bread and a tossed salad.
PatriciaKelm says
Can I use rice instead of box shells?
Kim says
Yes you can. I would cook the rice first, then add it to the casserole with the other ingredients.
Edyie Sweet says
This was so good!!!! Everyone loved it!!!
Thank you!!
Kim says
I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
Sharon Seiber says
Loved this casserole. I had no tomato soup so used a can of celery and mushroom soup. It was delicious! Thanks for this. I was desperate to make supper and it was great!
Kalin says
This is good! I tweaked it a little bit.
To my hamburger meat I added worcestershire, garlic powder, Dijon mustard, onion powder, diced bell pepper, diced onion, salt and blackened seasoning.
To the tomato soup I added basil and salt.
Rather then the entire box of noodles used two cups of large macaroni noodles.
Topped it off with shredded mozzarella and shredded cheddar, along with Panko bread crumbs and garlic powder on top of that. Baked it all in my cast iron skillet and then broiled it to brown the top.
Really good!!!
Geri says
Very easy to make. Kid friendly.
Patty says
Was a great hit with my family!
Question, can I freeze this casserole?
Kim says
The leftovers you can freeze, but take note the noodles probably won't have the same texture as when it was first made.
As far as making it ahead of time and freezing it, I haven't done that so I can't speak to it. It is always worth a try though!
Peggy says
I made this. I used tomato basil soup..
Was a big hit at my dinner table.
Kim says
Tomato Basil Soup would be delicious! Great idea!
Chanda says
I made this casserole and it was a hit with my family. I diced up an onion and mushrooms and added them to to the beef mixture. I also added garlic to the mixture.
Caroline says
Can this be made ahead of time?
Kim says
Yes! I made 6 large pans of Hamburger Casserole ahead of a cross country dinner I was hosting for a lot of hungry teenagers. :-) I didn't bake it, covered them with foil and placed in fridge. When I baked them, it did take a little longer to heat through as the ingredients were cold. So allow for a little extra cooking time.
Carmen says
Just made this my family loved it
Emily says
I highly recommend this recipe. I did tweet it a little with 2 beef boulion cubs and some parsley. My picky eater (who eats nothing) loved it!!! Winner in my book when I can get him to eat it.
Kim says
I'm so glad your family enjoyed it!
Robbyn Bray says
I didn’t care for it at all. I can see how children might. I ended up throwing the whole casserole out after 1 meal. I think tomato sauce would be much better then soup.
Kim says
I'm sorry you didn't enjoy it. Thank you for the honest review.
Connie says
I tried it because it’s hard to find something new to do with hamburger, and you can only eat just so much chicken! I cook for myself and my elderly dad. We both enjoyed it quite a lot. I cut the recipe in half, added onion, garlic and some bell pepper. I did use medium egg noodles without issues. It turned out flavorful and filling, and we’re looking forward to the leftovers,