Ground Beef Casserole is an easy, hearty meal that your whole family will enjoy! Budget friendly, it’s on our rotation every month!

 

 

All my picky eaters love ground beef casserole and for good reason! Beef, pasta, and corn smothered in a yummy cheese? Say no more!

It’s the ultimate kid friendly comfort food that leaves everyone asking for seconds!

I love this Mexican ground beef casserole because it’s so easy and simple! Cook the pasta and beef, add in everything else, and let it cook! 

I also love this casserole with ground beef because it makes great leftovers! It’s easy to reheat and still tastes great days later!

And there’s always enough leftover of this beef casserole recipe to get another meal out of it! Or just use it to feed a crowd!

Plus, it uses really basic ingredients and you don’t need any kind of cream soup!

As far as easy ground beef casserole recipes go, this easy dish is one you’re definitely going to want on your rotation too!

 

 

What Ingredients are in Ground Beef Casserole?

All you’ll need for this casserole dish is a large skillet, a large pot, and the following simple ingredients!

• Pasta: Use any dried macaroni style pasta noodles.
• Ground Beef: This can also be substituted with ground turkey or ground chicken if desired.
• Onion: I prefer using yellow onion but you could substitute with another onion too.
• Bell Pepper: Use any color for the bell peppers! I like to use a bright one to really add a pop of color.
• Red Pepper: This can be omitted if you’ve got really picky eaters who hate even a hint of spice.
• Montreal Seasoning: Use steak seasoning or chicken seasoning. Montreal has a great spice blend.
• Tomato Sauce: This will add a liquid sort of base for your casserole but it won’t be too liquidy.
• Tomatoes and Green Chilies: You can normally find a combo can of tomatoes and green chiles but if you don’t have one you can use one can of each.
• Oregano: I use dried oregano for this pasta ground beef casserole.
• Taco Seasoning: Use store bought taco seasoning or make your own homemade.
• Corn: Use a can of corn or substitute with frozen or even fresh if you’ve got it.
• Cheese: You can find Mexican cheese blends already shredded at the grocery store.
• Green Onions: These are optional but make a great garnish.
• Sour Cream: For anyone who hates the red pepper, sour cream really tones it down. Also optional.

Pro Tips:

• Lean ground beef will give you less fat than other ground meats.
• Gluten-free pasta also works well in this easy dinner recipe.
• Easy mix ins are marinara sauce, black beans, white rice, or fresh green beans. Feel free to customize!

 

 

How to Make Ground Beef Casserole

Your entire family is going to enjoy this delicious meal. Here’s how to make it.

1. Cook Pasta: Just follow the package directions to cook the pasta noodles.
2. Cook Ground Beef: Cook ground beef with onions, bell pepper, red pepper flakes, and steak seasoning.
3. Simmer: Add in the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, oregano, and chili powder to the beef mixture and let it simmer.
4. Serve: Mix everything together now and serve it warm!

Pro Tips:

• You can substitute the Mexican cheese blend with parmesan cheese, sharp cheddar cheese, or other preferred cheeses.
• This tasty casserole doesn’t take a lot of time to cook so be sure to get any other side dishes ready early.

 

 

What to Serve with Ground Beef Casserole

Ground beef casserole is a hearty casserole to serve for weeknight dinner and I find I often don’t need to serve it with anything else.

However, I do like to sneak extra veggies in, and if we’ve got a party, you bet I’ve got more on the table.

So here’s a few ideas of things to serve with ground beef casserole:

• Salad: Your main dish has meat so try a veggie salad like 3 Bean Salad, Creamy Cucumber Salad or Creamy Coleslaw Recipe.
• Vegetables: Go with something quick and easy like Air Fryer Baby Potatoes, Roasted Butternut Squash, or Air Fryer Asparagus.
• Fruit: Sauteed Apples, Old Fashioned Strawberry Pretzel Salad, or Summer Fruit Salad are always a hit.
• Bread: Sandwich Rolls Recipe, Irish Soda Bread, or Homemade Crescent Rolls make great side dishes.
• Rice: So many rice options! Try Buttered Rice, Easy Mexican Rice, or Mexican Lime Rice.

 

 

Can You Freeze Ground Beef Casserole?

Definitely! Cheesy casserole is a comfort food classic that can be frozen and reheated later.

Freezing ground beef casserole in portion sizes is one of my favorite things since then we can pull out just how much we need.

It’s also an easy meal to freeze all together. Then I can just pull out the whole thing for a super quick weeknight meal.

First, make sure you let the casserole cool completely. Otherwise the condensation from the steaming casserole will completely ruin the dish.

Then place the casserole in a freezer safe bag or airtight container.

Label the container with the recipe’s name and the date you cooked it.

The ground beef casserole will stay good in the freezer for up to 3 months.

 

 

How to Reheat Ground Beef Casserole

This can vary based on the amount of ground beef casserole you want to reheat.

If you’re reheating in small portion sizes, I find I can reheat in the microwave in 30 second bursts until heated through.

But for larger portion sizes, it’s easiest to just use the oven.

Put the ground beef casserole into a baking dish. Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes.

You don’t need the casserole to get cooked again, but you want it heated through. So be sure to check it.

If you cook it too long, the noodles can become mushy and lose their great texture.

 

 

Can Dogs Eat Ground Beef Casserole?

There are many health benefits dogs can get from eating ground beef. It’s really good for them actually!

However, cheesy ground beef casserole is a no-go. 

Pasta, cheese, and other ingredients like those can be harmful to a dog’s digestive tract.

They can cause stomach upset and other not so pleasant side effects.

And actually all parts of onions can be toxic for dogs. So those should be avoided in all cases!

You can share small amounts of the ground beef you’ve cooked with your dog but please keep them away from the casserole itself.

 

 

Ground Beef Casserole is an excellent weeknight meal. Quick and easy, simple and cheap, it’s a great family favorite food! Enjoy!

 

Originally Posted: September 7, 2014

Photos & Text Updated: August 18, 2022

 

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