Hamburger Casserole is an honest to goodness quick and easy meal! Using quality ingredients like lean ground beef, pasta sauce, tomatoes and of course my favorite spices, you know the end result is going to be over the top tasty!
We serve this delicious meal with a fresh salad and 30 Minute Dinner Rolls for a complete meal my whole family loves!
Thank you to McCormick for partnering with me to create this amazing belly warming casserole to share with all of you!
Hamburger Casserole
One of the best parts about creating recipes and sharing them with you is all of the cool things I get to learn and experience! I recently got to spend some time with the McCormick flavor experts and learned to be a flavor expert myself! The care and detail put into all of the spices they produce is amazing and made me excited to get in the kitchen and start creating! I’m super excited to share what I’ve learned!
I know how much you guys love my Easy Hamburger Soup, so it was only natural I would take those same amazing flavors and create a delicious hamburger casserole!
How to Make Hamburger Casserole
Hamburger Casserole is really easy to make! This meal starts with ground beef (aka hamburger meat) cooked with onions, salt and pepper.
Next I stir in some veggies (I use frozen to make it easy but fresh work well too), tomatoes and McCormick Oregano, McCormick Basil Leaves and McCormick Garlic Powder for flavor! The sauce simmers for a few minutes while the pasta cooks to allow all of the spices and flavors to blend. Finally stir the meat sauce and pasta together top with cheese and bake!
You can count on McCormick for their commitment to pure ingredients and Oregano is no exception – it is an herb that is so versatile and I love the addition in this sauce! McCormick’s Oregano is bright green as a high quality oregano should be. In McCormick Oregano, it’s easy to see actual chopped oregano leaves with no green fillers, large stems or buds (which can be bitter) as I’ve noticed in other brands. You’ll find oregano in countless meals from Baked Spaghetti to lamb or beef!
It’s a typical spice that reminds me of pizza and I love how it pairs with any tomato-based dish from Oven Roasted Tomatoes to a fresh Fresh Tomato Salad and of course any type of tomato-based sauce like this Hamburger Casserole recipe!
Top Spice Tips
Spices are an easy (and affordable) way to add an abundance of flavor to any recipe for only pennies per dish! McCormick ensures they provide sustainably-sourced spices and have a commitment to quality. Spices last for years if stored properly and I love that I can open up my spice cabinet and be welcomed to a whole world of culinary flavors!
It is no wonder we are able to create meals from recipes that span across the globe, simply because we have the ability to access these delicious spices! Here are my fave tips for keeping your spices fresh:
- No Heat or Light: Store in a dark space away from heat. Light, sunshine and heat can make your spices deteriorate quickly.
- No Moisture: To make sure your spices don’t expire more quickly, use a spoon to add spices directly to your cooking pot or skillet to prevent moisture from steam.
- Do Not Freeze: McCormick doesn’t recommend freezing your spices as it can cause condensation (although red pepper spices like paprika & chili powder can be stored in the fridge to maintain their fresh flavor longer).
- Use Good Quality: McCormick Spices can last up to 2-3 years if stored properly and one bottle can season countless meals. Spending an extra dollar on a bottle, making sure you’re getting the best possible quality spices, means only pennies per dish. You’ll be amazed at the difference in flavor a quality spice will make!
- Season Throughout: Layer spices throughout your dish for the best flavor, season and taste each step along the way!
How Long Do You Bake Hamburger Casserole?
This easy hamburger casserole bakes for about 20 minutes until hot and bubbly. The baking step allows some of the sauce to soak into the noodles ensuring every bit has lots of flavor!
If you make this dish ahead of time, I would suggest you take it out of the fridge about 30 minutes before baking. You may need to add a few minutes onto the cook time if it’s chilled when it goes into the oven.
What to Serve With Hamburger Casserole
Hamburger Casserole has pretty much everything you need in a meal, lean beef, pasta and veggies. We sometimes serve it with a fresh salad and Easy Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits to sop up any yummy sauce left in the bowl.
More Easy Casserole Dishes You’ll Love
- Beef Stroganoff Casserole
- Unstuffed Cabbage Roll Casserole
- Tater Tot Casserole
- 4 Ingredient Chicken Rice Casserole
- Baked Spaghetti
Hamburger Casserole
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 ounces egg noodles about 3 cups dry
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 small onion diced
- 1 cup frozen mixed vegetables
- 14 ounces pasta sauce canned/jarred
- 14 ounces diced tomatoes, canned drained
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon McCormick Oregano Leaves
- ½ teaspoon McCormick Basil Leaves
- ¼ teaspoon McCormick Garlic Powder
- 2 cups cheddar cheese divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Cook egg noodles according to package directions. Drain and rinse.
- Brown ground beef and onion over medium-high heat. Drain any fat.
- Add pasta sauce, diced tomatoes, frozen vegetables, oregano, basil, garlic powder and salt & pepper. Simmer 3-4 minutes to allow flavors to blend.
- Combine noodles, meat sauce and 1 cup of cheese in a 2 ½ QT casserole dish.
- Top with remaining cheese and bake 20-22 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Casserole, Main Course
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Hi there! Quick question for you. I have a 2 qt and a 3 qt casserole dish but no 2.5 qt. Of the two I have which one would work best for this recipe? Thanks in advance!
I think either would work as long as it fits. Enjoy Erica!
I am 82 and have run out of ideas for cooking dinner. My daughter uses at home chef and loves it. I thought I would try something new
I hope you enjoy the casserole Barbara!
Thank you for the wonderful recipes
This casserole is really YUMMY!! I made it last night for our dinner and my husband and I both loved it!! He said it definitely needs to go in the “Keeper” file!! :) So thanks for this easy and delicious dish.
This was VERY good. I didn’t have a mixed vegetable so I used just a 10 oz bag of corn.
I will be making this again. Thanks for the great recipe
Good everyday recipe. In answer to those who said it was bland..remember that you must always flavor meat before cooking. I used salt. Pepper and garlic pd. I also used garlic in recipe. Just add what you have. I used diced tomatoes with green chilies. I also used my 4 blend cheese. Just a basic recipe that you can change as needed.
Thank you, it turned out delicious . My boyfriend had second ( that tells me when he likes a meal)
I loved it too
Can this be prepared and then frozen for a future meal? Will it compromise the taste or quality?
Hi Natalie, the noodles can get a bit soft when frozen and reheated but you could try cooking them al dente to see if that helps when reheating. You may need to refresh the spices as well.
I would like to know about your simply recipes. I just retired and busier now than ever so I need a quick fix for dinner time. Thank you Deb
Some simple hamburger recipes would be nice to get.
Hi Deb, we have a section of yummy ground beef recipes that may be of interest for you :) Have fun cooking!
I have a recipre just like this,but instead of noodles you put refrigerator
bisquits around the edge of the casserole and brush with melted butter and
Italian seasoning and then bake.
That sounds delicious!
Awesome recipes. They’re simple and inexpensive.
This was a great recipe – the kids chowed it down. I didn’t add veggies because I didn’t have any frozen and wasn’t sure how fresh would bake. next time will def add them! I also added more sauce than called for.
Glad you enjoyed it Aubry! If using fresh veggies, I would suggest steaming or boiling them just until tender crisp. You could add them in with the noodles for all or part of the cooking time depending on the veggie.
I had a project going so my husband greed to cook supper. He found this recipe and cooked it up using our homemade spaghetti sauce ( this sauce is made up from our home grown tomatoes and we add many ingredients including mushrooms). He did not add the garlic as garlic doesn’t agree with me.
So this makes a big cake pan full and for two of us it might normally last 3 days. This recipe only lasted 2 nights it was so good. We loved it and found it a nice change from plain spaghetti. I sent it to my daughter who has a family of 5 and is always looking for inexpensive quick recipes. Another great thing about this recipe is the fact that it that it is everything in one pan. No need to cook separate vegetables.
So happy to hear it was a hit with your family Anita!
While it is good.I use regular garlic pieces instead of garlic salt or powder in all recipes calling for garlic.Taste better and smells better
Easy to make and I appreciate all the healthy ingredients in this 1 dish meal. I added additional veggies. I had everything in my freezer/pantry already. I will be adding this recipe to one of my “go to” casserole night recipes.
It was okay. Super simple and very filling. But not s recipe I’d do again. The flavor was pretty bland even with some after the fact additions.
Sorry to hear that you didn’t enjoy the casserole as much as we do Leslie. Thank you for trying it!
Love this flavorful recipe
We added some mustard, worcestershire And ketchup and pickles and made a cheeseburger casserole. It came out delicious
We really enjoyed this easy recipe. I added a bit more pasta sauce and would probably add a little more mixed vegetables the next time. We also love to use red pepper flakes in many of our recipes – it gives it a little more punch.
Those additions sound delicious Joan! Thanks for sharing.
Sounds delicious Joan! So glad that you love this casserole recipe. We do too!
Thanks for sharing this recipe. Made it for company and all loved it. Making again this evening.Yum
So happy to hear everyone enjoyed it DiB!