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.
Melinda. G says
Yum! We loved this recipe. Easy and quick to make.
Kim says
Glad to hear! :-)
Ruth Ferreri says
If you can get tomato bisque soup it is even tastier and I use 2 cans to make it nice and wet. I usually use just mozzarella cheese. Been making it this way for over 40 years and a big favorite.
Ruth Wharton says
Wanting to make this tonight. Could I use marinara sauce instead of tomato soup.
Kim says
I apologize for not being able to answer until today. I hope you were able to try it and enjoy it as well! Marinara sauce would work, however, it would be more like a regular baked pasta dish. Still good though! :-)
Celena says
Really delicious and versatile! I was so skeptical about using tomato soup because I usually make homemade spaghetti sauce. I've made this several times now and usually add a little more meat, any pasta (shells, rigatoni, penne, or trio), the dried onion (little more), garlic powder (little more), pepper (little less), and seasoned salt. I but mixed shredded cheeses and usually end up with 6 different kinds- 4 types of cheddar, mozzarella, and provolone. Honestly whatever pasta or cheese you have on hand. The whole family plus in laws all like it!
Anita Warren says
I made this tonight, but I tweaked it a little. After the hamburger was finished cooking (still waiting on the noodles), I added the tomato soup to the hamburger and instead of adding water I added half and half. It made it so much creamier! After noodles were done I strained them and added the meat/tomato soup, as well as a bag of corn. Then I put it in a 9x13 pan. On top I put a layer of Colby and Monterey Jack cheese, followed by a layer of mozzarella. I put the foil on cooked it for 20 minutes. Then I turned on the broiler and kept it in there for roughly 5 minutes. As I served I put shredded Parmesan cheese on top. My family loved it!!! There are 5 of us. When I am stressed for any reason while cooking I usually don’t eat. So between my best friend/roommate (ex boyfriend), and my 16, 12, and 8 year old boys I got one scoop only because my best friend told the boys no. Lol so this was a huge win in my house! Thank you so much for sharing!!!
Leigh wessel says
Omg EASY and so delicious!!!!!
Starr says
I made this except I did it with tomato basil pasta sauce because I don’t think my wife would have cared for it with tomato soup. It’s in the oven. Can’t wait to try it ?
Bobbie says
Made this tonight. I just added hamburger seasoning. Still came out great. :)
Barbara says
This can also be cooked as a one-pot meal. Cook the hamburger, add the tomato soup and water, bring to a boil and stir in the uncooked noodles. You might need a little more water. Stir occasionally to keep the noodles in the sauce. Cook until the noodles are aldente, Serve!! The noodles absorb the flavor of the soup and meat while cooking and you only dirty one pot! Make lots of casseroles that way.
ColleenB.-Tx. says
I did use 1/2 hamburger & 1/2 Italian Sausage meat and once I got all the meat browned up; I added 1 can of Rotel (mild for us) to the mix, left it simmer for a bit and then poured on top of my cooked pasta. The Rotel just gave it nice extra flavor to the dish.
Thank U.
Kim says
I'm glad you enjoyed it and could adapt it to your family's tastes!