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.
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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 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.
Angie says
Anything hamburger always sounds good to me so I decided to try this. I live alone and the next time I'll cut the recipe in half. I actually used a 1# box of medium shells and substituted a 1/4 finely chopped sweet onion cooking it with the burger. I used a 23.2 oz can of Campbell's tomato soup plus 1 10.75 oz. can. I used 1c of combined shredded sharp cheddar/Colby jack to use up partial bags of cheese and 1c of low moisture mozzarella. It turned out so good as what's not to like about melted, gooey cheeseburger pasta and burger!! Great recipe Kim!!
Kim says
Thank you, glad you enjoyed it!
Sue bendfeldt says
I make the same casserole but I add a can of whole kernel corn drained and I fry the hamburger with green pepper. It was my son's favorite casserole when he was young and if he was still alive he'd still be eating it because he just loved it and it really has even better flavor with the green pepper
Debbie says
I tried your recipe and it was easy and delicious! Thank you!
Kim says
Thank you so much!
Robyn says
Is it (2) 21.5 oz cans of tomato sauce or just 21.5 oz of tomato sauce in total? I wanna make this for dinner this week.
Kim says
Hello! It is 21.5 oz total for the tomato soup. It usually is the equivalent to two regular soup cans. It can be a few ounces off either way and it will still work. Hope that helps!
Bonnie Coleman says
Do you mix soup strait out of can or make according to directions on can
Kim says
Yes, straight out of the can.
Melissa Henson says
I made this recipe. WE LOVED IT. I had to use Cellentani noodles, there long and curly but they worked. And I did like added about 1/3 water, but I used water off the noodles. Followed the instructions came out great. Thanks for the sharing recipe.
Kim says
I'm so glad you liked it!!
Melissa Henson says
Yes i made this. The only shells I could find was Cellentani noodles,which are long & curly. But the recipe still turned out FABULOUS. WE LIKED IT.
Donata says
can you make this in a crock pot an if so for how long
djahaw
Kim says
I have never tried to make this in a crock pot before. My main concern would be the noodles would get crunchy and over cooked.
Deborah says
More than 4 ingredients, so misleading recipe
Kim says
I'm sorry you feel that way. Let me explain: in most recipes, the salt and pepper is not included in the amount of ingredients a recipe has. Did you read through the whole post? It will explain things more. I hope you try it... it is a delicious recipe!
Sherry says
It is 4 ingredients unless you use two kinds of cheese, then you could say 5. Still cheese, no matter how much you use, is still one ingredient' It is shells, hamburger, soup and cheese. 4 ingredients. :) (You don't count spices because everyone uses what they want, if any)
Kim says
Yes, I agree!!
Nancy says
I want to try this but I can't find the 21.5 Oz of tomato soup,this looks so good want to make for our family Christmas.
Kim says
Use two cans. If the size is a little off, it will still work! I hope you enjoy this recipe... it is a favorite here!
Dot says
My husband had lost his sense of taste & smell for a long while, but he said this recipe was very tasty!!
Kim says
Now that is a compliment! Thanks for sharing!
Cindy says
I tried this a while back and my family LOVED it!!! I just went looking for it again and panicked because I couldn't find it in my files. Then I remembered it might be on Pinterest. Felt like dancing when I found I had saved it. Thank you!!!
Kim says
I am so glad to hear you found it again and that your family loved it! It is a favorite at our house!
Cindy says
This recipe is so easy to make wirh minimal ingredients! It is super-tasty! I followed the recipe as written but halved the ingredients since l live alone
There are enough leftovers for two more meals which is a bonus! I did add extra cheese and prepared and baked in my 5-quart duch oven. Thank you for sharing...this definitely a keeper!
Kim says
Thank you! I'm glad you liked it!
Rita says
This looks good. I know my grandtoddler does not like pasta sauces so this she would like. Making, but sneaking in a vegetable.
Kathie says
Do you add the 2 cans of water to the 2 cans of soup?
Kim says
No, you just use the soup as is.