by Holly
This Cheesy Beef & Macaroni Casserole is easy to put together and it boasts big flavor! We’ve made this recipe countless times and everyone in my family raves about it!
I love macaroni and cheese any which way you serve it… whether it’s super creamy and oven baked or cooked up in the crock pot I just can’t get enough!
This Cheesy Beef & Macaroni Casserole is a very simple to put together yet it boasts big flavor! I’ve added in green pepper but this recipe is easy to modify based on what’s in your fridge (and your own personal preferences). Any type of peppers, chopped zucchini or sliced mushrooms would be amazing in this casserole.
There is nothing fancy in this recipe but it just tastes like .. home. :) Good ol’ comfort food!
Items You’ll Need for This Recipe
* macaroni * 9×13 casserole dish * tomato sauce *
Cheesy Beef & Macaroni Casserole
Prep Time 20 minutes
Servings 8 servings
Ingredients
- 1 pound dry macaroni noodles or similar
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup diced onion
- 1 cup diced green pepper
- 1 can crushed tomatoes 28 oz
- ½ cup tomato sauce
- 3-4 tablespoons tomato paste
- ½ teaspoon dry basil
- salt & pepper to taste
- 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese divided
- ¼ cup freshly shredded parmesan cheese
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley divided
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Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Cook noodles for ¾ of time according to package. (My noodles said 9 minutes so I cooked them for 6). Drain and rinse under cold water.
- Meanwhile, brown beef, garlic & onion in a frying pan. Drain.
- Combine green peppers, beef, noodles, tomatoes, tomato sauce & paste, basil, salt & pepper, 1 cup of cheddar cheese, 2 tablespoons fresh parsley. Pour into a 9×13 casserole dish.
- Combine remaining cheeses & 1 tablespoon of parsley. Sprinkle on top of casserole. Bake uncovered for 35-40 minutes or until bubbly and cheese is browned!
Nutrition Information
(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.)
Slightly adapted from Wayne’s Beef Macaroni
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AGREE with other reviewer that a 1lb box of elbow macaroni is about 2x more than you need. Yes, I can read the box, as 1lb is a standard size for macaroni. My suggestion: after you drain & rinse macaroni, pour beef mixture into pot you cooked macaroni in and add the pasta a little at a time until you have enough to fill 13×9 casserole dish. I had almost 1/2 of pasta left over and I made a cold pasta salad. Also I seasoned every step of the way not just salt, but blk pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, dried basil, and a healthy dash of Montreal hamburger seasoning. Plain hamburger & pasta can take a lot of seasoning! It was still bland enough for a 6 & 8 yr old.
This recipe is AMAZING!!! I turned it into a vegetarian friendly dish. The meat eaters loved it as well!!! I tweaked it just a little by using Beyond meat mixed with morning star veggie griller crumbles. (had to use what I had on hand lol) Instead of all the different sauces, I just used the large jar of Prego traditional spaghetti sauce. That was the only sauce I used. The dish was not too dry or wet. The cheeses I used was Chunky shaved Italian blend cheese, cheddar jack cheese, and sharp cheddar cheese! This meal was so deliciously fulfilling to everyone who ate it. My mother in law gave me the beyond meat and wanted to know how I was going to use it. I googled what I had in mind, and this brilliant recipe popped up. The picture grabbed my attention instantly. Thank you so much for sharing!!! You definitely saved the day!!!
You’re welcome Renata! So glad you love this casserole!
Added bacon and smoked paprika. Cheesy bacon hamburger pasta. Nice stuff. Thanks for the recipe.
You’re welcome Ronnie! Glad to hear that you enjoy the casserole! Adding bacon? Brilliant!
Super easy and tasty. I used fake beef crumbles because I’m a vegetarian and it was awesome.
I love this recipe. It’s very yummy
Tried this tonight. Needed a little more salt, but aside from that it was delicious. I actually without realizing until I was browning it, used ground pork. Nonetheless I went back for seconds, something I never do.
Hi Holly,you are always my go to girl,when I need an easy,satisfying meal.Today I’m making cheesy beef and macaroni casserole.I love casseroles,you can prepare them ahead of time and bake them off when your ready.I used maranara sauce instead of tomato paste,chunk tomatoes,and tomato sauce.I hope it works out I will use the sauce sparingly,not to make the casserole to liquify.I will get back to you how it came out.Thanks Holly!
Thanks Ann! That is super sweet of you ♥️ We hope your casserole turned out delicious!
Easy to make and super delicious!
I broil it on high for 7 mins so the cheese gets golden , brown
Definitely will make it again and again.
Sounds perfect to me!
The recipe calls for 1 lb dry pasta. I have a 340g box. If I would cook the entire box I wouldn’t have nearly enough ground beef. The internet states that 1 lb dry pasta equals 8 cups dry pasta
You’d be a little bit short on pasta but it should still work fine, it’ll be a bit more saucy. 1lb of pasta is 453g.
Holly’s recipe was very tasty. I used home grown tomatoes and I reduced the juice to make tomato sauce. I also used fresh basil from the garden (1/2 cup fresh basil and 1/4 cup dried basil). Thank you Holly.
I bet this was delicious with fresh garden produce. So glad you enjoyed it Gloria!
Just made this for my husband and he is raving about it. It’s so delicious! I added cheddar jack cheese and fine Parmesan cheee to top it off with the 2 cups of cheddar. Amazing!! Great recipe!
Yummy choices Yani! That sounds delicious.
Made it exactly according to the recipy, easy and tasty, kids love it!
This was a wonderfully tasty dish, however, the macaroni I had was a small variety & even using only 3/4 of the suggested amount, it was too much to use, so half is in the reezer waiting for the next call for macaroni.
NIce for breakfast too. :)
A simple but hearty, healthy and delicious recipe!! Thanks so much, my family of 4 enjoyed it!
Need recipe
Hi Dulcetta, for the full recipe you can scroll towards the bottom of the post or use the jump to recipe button at the top of the page.
I love these recipes
Can this be frozen?
I haven’t tried freezing this casserole but I think it would do great Debbie. Just bring out to defrost the night before then pop it in the oven following the recipe instructions or until fully heated through!
Quick, easy and delicious!
ABSOLUTELY delicious..
sounds great
So delicious! My whole family loved it. I added some seasoning salt, oregano, pepper, and paprika to the beef for extra flavor.