Ground Beef Casserole

Ground Beef Casserole- This ground beef casserole dish is quick and easy to make, and it feeds a multitude! It’s hearty and made with simple ingredients. This delicious beef and pasta dish is guaranteed to please the little ones. It’s also quite customizable dependent on what you have in the fridge/pantry/etc. You may even add some additional vegetables if you like. It is not labor-intensive, since it requires only 23 minutes of hands-on work. You don’t have to skip out if the entire duration (just under an hour and 20 minutes) is a little too long for your already hectic weeknights. Casseroles are an excellent make-ahead alternative for families that are always on the go. This meaty version is no exception. Prep it over the weekend and store it in the freezer until the night before serving. Serve with a simple green salad and some delicious Garlic Bread.

Ground Beef casserole Recipe:

I keep vacuum-packed ground beef in the fridge at all times. It’s simply too handy. I use it to prepare a variety of delectable dishes, like these:

1. Cauliflower casserole
2. Korean Ground beef Korea
3. Meat pie with ground beef

I also use it to make this wonderful and quick casserole. It’s rapidly become one of my favorite meals to prepare for my family. It helps that everyone loves it, including adults and children.

Ingredients:

When creating this delicious ground beef casserole, you’ll only need a few simple ingredients. Here’s a rundown of what you’ll need:

• Ground beef: For this dish, I use extra-lean ground beef. Normally, I favor lean, rather than extra-lean. But in this case, I remove the fat nonetheless, and I also add additional creamy components.
• I use fine sea salt and pepper. You can use more coarse kosher salt if you use coarse kosher salt.
• Garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper are the spices used. Check to see whether they are still fresh! A stale spice may quickly spoil a meal.
• I use reduced-fat cream cheese, but full-fat is acceptable if that’s what you want.
• Extra-sharp cheddar: I like to use extra-sharp cheddar. It’s really delicious!
• Parsley: This herb is mainly used as a garnish, but it also offers a great layer of taste.

How To Make Ground Beef Casserole?

1. Browning ground beef with onions and garlic is the first step in creating beef noodle casserole. I use 90% lean ground beef since it has a lot of flavor but isn’t too greasy. After the meat has been cooked, spices and tomato sauce are added to the pan.
2. I boil my egg noodles while the meat cooks. The noodles are added to the pan with the meat, and everything is combined before being put into a baking dish.
3. The final touch is lots of shredded cheddar cheese!
4. I finish with a sprinkle of parsley, but this is an optional step.

Tips And Tricks:

• What if you don’t have any marinara sauce? Any jarred tomato-based pasta sauce would suffice, as will a similar quantity of tomato sauce or a combination of tomato products such as diced tomatoes and tomato paste or crushed tomatoes (I’d also add a little of Italian seasoning or other herbs for taste). This recipe is very adaptable dependent on what you have in your cupboard.
• You may use whatever pasta you have on hand in place of the penne (or even use egg noodles like some casseroles do). To avoid mushy pasta/noodles in the oven, I recommend slightly undercooking any pasta/noodles.
• The component amounts do not have to be perfect. A little more or less meat is just acceptable. Do you want to add extra sauce? Proceed with caution. The same goes for the cheese.
• If you want to give this dish a Tex-Mex twist, add some beans, taco seasoning, and a Tex-Mex cheese mix.

Changes And Substitutions:

1. I adore this dish exactly as stated and nearly always make it that way. However, if you want to change up the fundamental recipe, here are a few suggestions:
2. I purposefully leave off chopped onions in this recipe since it’s delicious with the onion powder and it’s so much simpler not to have to bother with cutting an onion. However, when browning the meat, you may add a medium chopped onion! Perhaps you’re not as sluggish as I am.
3. Another tasty alternative is to incorporate some spicy sauce into the meat mixture.
4. More spices, such as smoked paprika and chili powder, can be added.
5. Provolone works nicely in place of the cheddar in this recipe.

Can  Ground Beef Casserole Be Made Ahead Of Time?

Yes, you may make the beef noodle casserole ahead of time. Simply make the meat and tomato sauce and combine it with the noodles before covering and chilling. Add the cheese just before you’re ready to bake your casserole and place it in the oven. To account for the fact that you’re starting with a cold casserole, add around 10-15 minutes to the baking time.

This beef noodle casserole is a terrific basic dish that can be tweaked in a variety of ways to suit your preferences. Variations include using ground turkey instead of beef, adding extra veggies such as peas or green beans, substituting macaroni for egg noodles, and experimenting with different varieties of cheese for the topping.

How Long Should Hamburger Casserole Bake?

This simple hamburger casserole bakes for 20 minutes, or until hot and bubbling. The baking process allows some of the sauce to sink into the noodles, ensuring that every bite is flavored to perfection!

If you create this meal ahead of time, remove it from the fridge approximately 30 minutes before baking. If it is cold before it goes into the oven, you may need to add a few minutes to the cooking time.

Why Are You Making Use Of Low-Fat Ingredients?

I used to purchase lean ground beef all the time (85 percent lean). However, I’ve just been experimenting with utilizing extra lean ground beef (93 percent lean).

I find up draining the fat in many ground beef recipes, including this dish. As a result, using leaner ground beef makes sense.

I also find that reduced-fat cream cheese produces wonderful results in dishes, so I use it on occasion. 

So, in this recipe, I use extra lean ground beef, reduced-fat cream cheese, and a tiny quantity of shredded cheddar, and the results are wonderful, delicious, and creamy. However, if you want, go ahead and add full-fat items!

Isn’t a Casserole Supposed To Have a Starchy Component?

Yes. A starchy component is used in traditional casserole recipes. I, on the other hand, have been preparing low-carb casseroles for many years.

I’ve discovered that they’re delicious without any carbohydrate and with only a protein, a creamy component (sour cream, mayonnaise, heavy cream), spices, and occasionally a vegetable.

How Can I Improve The Flavor Of Ground Beef?

Fatty ground beef is more flavorful than lean ground meat. However, even extra-lean ground beef may be considerably improved in flavor by heavily salting and seasoning it, as well as adding creamy and/or dairy components such as sour cream or cheese.

It’s fine if the ground beef remains a little pink while browning it at first. After all, it’ll be done cooking in the oven. And leaving it a little pink in the beginning of the cooking process will help it stay lovely and juicy.

What To Serve With Ground Beef Casserole?

Hamburger Casserole includes lean meat, pasta, and vegetables, so it’s a complete meal. We occasionally serve it with a fresh salad and Easy Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits to soak up any delicious sauce that remains in the dish.

Leftovers Storage:

This dish creates great leftovers that taste even better the next day and can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

I reheat the leftovers in the microwave on 50% power, covered. I occasionally freeze individual portions. They may be frozen and reheated in the microwave for up to three months.

MORE DELICIOIUS RECIPES HERE:

Garlic Butter Baked Salmon

Garlic Mushroom Pasta

Deviled Eggs

Roasted Red Pepper Pasta

Dark Chocolate Cookies

Lemon Garlic Shrimp Pasta

Did you make this recipe ? be sure to follow me on Pinterest, rate the recipe and tag #saltedcaramelgirl on Instagram!