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 homemade hamburger helper, ground beef stroganoff and this simple yet hearty beef casserole. It’s cheesy, kid friendly, and quick to whip up on a busy night.
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.
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.
The finishing touch is shredded cheddar cheese, and plenty of it!
I add a sprinkling of parsley at the very end, but that’s an optional step.
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
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.
Melted cheese and noodles… what could be better comfort food and family pleaser!
Look at all that cheesy goodness! I bet it tastes amazing and it is definitely perfect for parties especially this season because it’s easy to make and it can feed a lot of people!
This is going to be another winner in the family! It looks like mac and cheese, but only better because of the beef! Yummy.
Oh my goodness this is an instant classic recipe! I have got to make this one soon!
My kids like the box hamburger helper but I can’t stand it plus I hate all that processed filler stuff. I already pinned this to my Pinterest board before even commenting to make this week for dinner. This looks amazing. I wonder if you could make this in the crock-pot too, since I work EMS and one of our stations doesn’t have a kitchen but we do have a crockpot…wonder if this could be done in that or even like you said made ahead and then set on low in the crockpot to warm until we can eat!
I love a good casserole and this one looks and sounds amazing!! I need to try this for myself!!
Goodness!!! I love all sorts of meaty pasta but this is definitely making me crave!!! I need to get my hands busy this weekend for this.
My son would absolutely love this dish! The cheese really makes it looks so delicious!
Now this sounds like a great meal to end the day with! I am all for a delicious casserole and my other half has a thing for beef, so totally up both our streets.
This looks really good and like a fairly quick meal. I’m always on the hunt for new recipes that I can get on the table fast.
This looks so yummy! I can’t wait to make this recipe for my family soon!
This looks really good and so easy. I’m always looking for new ideas that my family will enjoy.
That looks terrific, I’d eat some of it right now if I could reach through the screen. I make something similar and the hubby loves it.
Casseroles are always a hit in our home. I make a similar recipe using ground turkey or chicken and the tomatoes with diced chilis for a little spice.
It’s usually just me and my husband as we have no kids but we both work and sometimes we don’t have a lot of time to whip up dinner! I think this recipe is going to be one of those life savers! It looks SO yummy as well!
I do enjoy a good casserole! I’ll have to make this for dinner sometime. I’m sure everyone would love it. We all love our cheese!
I’ve never made a recipe like this, and I like the combination of beef with the noodles. Pretty sure my kids would like this too!
When I make this dish I always make two at least and freeze one for later. This is a comfort food to the max. Beef and Noodles is always a winner around my house.
Very smart. Cook once and eat twice. Perfect way to cook.
Simple meals are usually the best and this one looks like a winner. I like that you can make it ahead of time and the way you dice the onions small so that the kids won’t notice. Looks delicious!
That sounds like a meal my kids are going to love. I am going to have to make it for my family for dinner one night this week.
Exactly. My kids will love it too
Thank you!
This is awesome
I made this tonight, and it was awesome! My boyfriend loved it and went back for thirds. The only ingredient I didn’t have on hand was tomato sauce, so I replaced it with a can of diced tomatoes and it was delicious. I don’t think I even want to try it with tomato sauce!
Also instead of using Italian seasoning, I did nature’s seasoning and tumeric. I served this with carmelized butter carrots with onion (these were just things I needed to get rid of in the fridge) sauted with fresh oregano from my little herb garden. I think any side veggie would be great with this dish! Will definitely make this again.
So glad you enjoyed it, I’ll have to try it with the diced tomatoes next time!