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Home » Dinner » Beef Noodle Casserole

April 22, 2018 By Sara 182 Comments

Beef Noodle Casserole

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This beef noodle casserole is ground beef in a rich tomato sauce, tossed with egg noodles then topped with plenty of cheese and baked to perfection. An easy comfort food dinner that’s perfect for feeding a crowd.

When I have a package of hamburger in the fridge, I often make this simple yet hearty beef casserole. It’s cheesy, kid friendly, and quick to whip up on a busy night.

Beef Noodle Casserole Recipe | Ground Beef Casserole | Beef and Egg Noodles #hamburger #beef #noodles #casserole #dinner #dinneratthezoo

Beef noodle casserole in a serving dish topped with melted cheddar cheese and parsley.

I love a good casserole, and this beef noodle casserole is always on our regular dinner menu rotation. It’s a simple yet delicious combination of ground beef, tomato sauce, egg noodles and cheese. Put it all together and bake until melted and bubbly, then serve it to your family and watch the compliments roll in!

How to make beef noodle casserole

The first step to making beef noodle casserole is to brown some ground beef with onions and garlic. I use 90% lean ground beef, it’s got plenty of flavor but isn’t overly fatty. I cut the onions small so that my kids won’t even notice that they’re in this dish. After the beef is cooked, some seasonings and tomato sauce go into the pan.

Seasoned ground beef and tomato sauce in a skillet.

While the beef is cooking, I boil my egg noodles. The noodles go into the pan with the beef and everything gets mixed together and spread into a baking dish.

Ground beef and egg noodles tossed in tomato sauce, inside a baking dish.

The finishing touch is shredded cheddar cheese, and plenty of it!

A pan of ground beef and egg noodles in tomato sauce, topped with shredded cheddar cheese.

I add a sprinkling of parsley at the very end, but that’s an optional step.

A pan of beef noodle casserole with a serving spoon in it.

Can beef noodle casserole be made in advance?

Yes, you can make beef noodle casserole in advance. Simply prepare the beef and tomato sauce and toss it with the noodles, then cover and refrigerate. Right before you’re ready to bake your casserole, add the cheese and pop it in the oven. You’ll need to add about 10-15 more minutes to the bake time to compensate for the fact that you’re starting with a chilled casserole.

This beef noodle casserole is a great basic recipe that can be altered in different ways to be customized to your tastes. Some variations include using ground turkey instead of beef, adding more vegetables like peas or green beans, using macaroni instead of egg noodles and trying different types of cheese for the topping.

If you’re craving comfort food tonight, grab a container of ground beef and try this casserole, you won’t be disappointed.

More fabulous casserole recipes

  • Chicken Noodle Casserole
  • Broccoli and Cheese Casserole
  • Chicken and Rice Casserole
  • Chicken Enchilada Casserole
  • Chicken Broccoli and Rice Casserole

Beef Noodle Casserole Video

Beef noodle casserole in a serving dish topped with melted cheddar cheese and parsley.
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4.98 from 68 votes

Beef Noodle Casserole

This beef noodle casserole is ground beef in a rich tomato sauce, tossed with egg noodles then topped with plenty of cheese and baked to perfection. An easy comfort food dinner that's perfect for feeding a crowd.
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword beef casserole, beef noodle casserole
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 458kcal
Author Sara Welch

Ingredients

  • 12 ounces egg noodles uncooked
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1 1/4 lbs lean ground beef I use 90% lean
  • 1 onion finely chopped
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 16 ounces canned tomato sauce
  • 15 ounce can diced tomatoes drained, I prefer to use the small diced (petite cut) variety
  • 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
  • 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
  • 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
  • cooking spray

Instructions

  • Bring a pot of salted water to a boil; add the egg noodles and cook according to package directions. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
  • While the noodles are cooking, heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium high heat.
  • Add the ground beef to the pan and cook for 4-5 minutes, breaking up the meat with a spatula.
  • Add the onion and garlic to the pan and cook for an additional 5 minutes, or until onion has softened and beef is cooked through. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Add the tomato sauce, tomatoes and Italian seasoning to the beef and stir to combine.
  • Drain the noodles and add to the pan with the beef; toss to combine.
  • Pour the beef and noodle mixture into a 9"x13" baking pan that's been coated in cooking spray. Top with cheddar cheese.
  • Bake for 10-15 minutes or until cheese is melted. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 458kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 145mg | Sodium: 605mg | Potassium: 787mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 750IU | Vitamin C: 6.7mg | Calcium: 325mg | Iron: 4.6mg

Filed Under: Dinner Tagged With: Beef, Casserole

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Comments

  1. Stephanie says

    January 16, 2021 at 7:21 pm

    Made it with gluten free egg noodles and it’s turned out great! Will definitely make this again!

    Reply
  2. Jessica knight says

    January 3, 2021 at 10:17 am

    Can I use jarred spaghetti sauce instead of regular tomato sauce?

    Reply
    • Sara says

      January 3, 2021 at 7:41 pm

      Yes that’s fine!

      Reply
  3. Lisa says

    December 19, 2020 at 3:15 pm

    5 stars
    Delicious and big hit with my granddaughter. Used cheddar but will try Italian blend cheese next time.

    Reply
  4. Catie says

    December 15, 2020 at 1:16 pm

    5 stars
    This is great, thank you! I love that its quick and easy, or I can add more ingredients to it to make a more involved dish. I can also triple it and freeze a few batches in foil pans to pull out and bake on busy nights.

    Reply
    • Pat says

      December 17, 2020 at 5:28 pm

      When you freeze this do you add the cheese before freezing? Do you stick it in the oven frozen and if yes how long do you cook it for?

      Thank you, pat

      Reply
  5. F ddg iane says

    December 11, 2020 at 10:02 am

    Could you use pre-cooked flap meat instead of hamburger

    Reply
    • Sara says

      December 11, 2020 at 9:02 pm

      I think it would be ok but I haven’t tried it this way myself!

      Reply
  6. Tawnya says

    December 9, 2020 at 1:36 pm

    If I didn’t want to use the tomatoes what would you suggest as a substitute?? Would I need more liquid if I wasn’t using them??

    Reply
    • Sara says

      December 9, 2020 at 4:43 pm

      You could add more tomato sauce, you need the liquid because the pasta will absorb the sauce as it cooks!

      Reply
  7. L. Nelson says

    November 19, 2020 at 2:44 pm

    5 stars
    We loved this recipe. I added a can of cream of celery to the beef and used shredded cheddar, shredded mozzarella cheese, and sprinkled with parmesan cheese. It was delicious!! Will definitely make again. I wonder what it would taste like with Italian sausage.

    Reply
  8. Ryan says

    October 25, 2020 at 5:34 pm

    5 stars
    I’ve never commented on a recipe site before, but here I am. This meal was delicious, easy, and quick to make. I added more ground beef, red pepper flakes, and tweaked the spices a bit to our liking. This is going on our “meals we love” board. Tip for the cooks out there: REMEMBER to drain the diced tomatoes. Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply
  9. Julie Robs says

    October 3, 2020 at 12:37 pm

    This recipe was delicious! I just used bow noodles instead (what I had on hand), and it was a hit for everyone! Thanks for sharing!😄

    Reply
    • Ramicah says

      October 8, 2020 at 2:42 pm

      This is a delicious and easy recipe! I used bowtie pasta and everyone loved it!

      Reply
      • Clara says

        October 31, 2020 at 8:06 am

        5 stars
        I agree it is so good

        Reply
  10. Cheryl says

    September 14, 2020 at 2:27 pm

    5 stars
    I didn’t think I was going to like this recipe, I mainly made it for my son and husband, but it was so good, I loved it!! I had a big thing of ground beef so I doubled the recipe and froze half of the sauce for later. I added some peas and carrots, and I use an immersion blender to break up my ground beef. I mis-read the recipe and added the liquid in with the canned tomatoes, but I like it that way! We are gluten free, so I had to use a different type of gluten free noodle and it turned out very well! Thanks for the simple and tasty recipe!

    Reply
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With 3 young kids, dinner can feel like feeding time at the zoo! I'm a mom on a mission to create easy, healthy and family friendly recipes ...Read More
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