This hamburger casserole is cozy, cheesy, and full of hearty flavor. Tender pasta, beef, and veggies bake together in a rich tomato sauce for an easy family favorite.
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Holly’s Recipe Highlights
- Flavor: Cheesy and savory with tender noodles, seasoned beef, and a rich tomato sauce for the perfect cozy bite.
- Prep Note: This casserole can easily be assembled ahead of time and baked later (more information below).
- Swaps: Swap the ground beef for ground turkey or chicken.
- Serving Suggestion: Add garlic bread and a Caesar salad for a simple, complete meal.
This recipe has been sponsored by McCormick
Ingredient Tips
- Pasta: Rotini twists are perfect for catching all that savory sauce. No rotini? Fusilli, penne, or egg noodles work well, too. Cook just to al dente for the best texture after baking.
- Lean Ground Beef: Use lean ground beef and be sure to drain well after browning. You can swap in ground turkey, Italian sausage, or chicken for a tasty twist.
- Frozen Mixed Vegetables: Use any blend you like; I use a blend with carrots, peas, corn, and green beans. Cooking them in the pasta water makes for a fast meal!
- Sauce: This simple sauce gets its flavor from pasta sauce, diced tomatoes, and classic herbs like oregano, basil, and garlic. Use store-bought or homemade sauce and season to taste.
- Shredded Cheese: Any cheese will work in this recipe! A pre-shredded cheddar cheese or mozzarella cheese blend is a great (and easy) option.
How to Make Hamburger Casserole
- Brown the ground beef in a large skillet, add the sauce ingredients, and simmer.
- Meanwhile, cook pasta. Add the frozen vegetables in the last few minutes (full recipe below).
- Combine all ingredients in a casserole dish. Top with cheese and bake until bubbly.
Storing Leftovers
- Leftovers can be covered in plastic wrap or in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave.
- Freeze portions before or after baking, wrapped tightly in foil. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and bake as directed in the recipe.
Easy Weeknight Casseroles
Did you make this Hamburger Casserole? Leave us a rating and comment below.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces rotini or medium pasta
- 1½ cups frozen mixed vegetables
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 small onion diced
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 (14 ounce) can pasta sauce
- 1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes or petite diced tomatoes, lightly drained
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1½ cups shredded cheddar cheese blend
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the rotini al dente according to package directions. Add the frozen mixed vegetables to the boiling water for the last minute of cooking time.
- Meanwhile, heat a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and diced onion to the skillet, cooking until no pink remains. Drain any grease. Stir in the oregano, basil, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
- Add the pasta sauce, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and Worcestershire sauce to the skillet. Simmer for 4 to 5 minutes or until thickened.
- In a large bowl, combine the sauce, pasta, and vegetables. Spread into a 2.5 QT casserole dish and top with cheese.
- Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or just until heated through and the cheese is melted.
Notes
Keep leftover hamburger casserole covered in plastic wrap or in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave.
Freeze portions before or after baking, wrapped tightly in foil. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and bake as directed in the recipe.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 490 | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 82mg | Sodium: 437mg | Potassium: 510mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 2682IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 246mg | Iron: 3mg
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Beef, Casserole, Dinner, Main Course, Pasta
Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
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!