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Simple Ground Beef Casserole

Published: / Updated: / 300 Comments

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This ground beef casserole recipe is super easy to throw together and feeds a crowd! It's comforting and uses simple ingredients.

hamburger pasta casserole in a baking dish

Love casseroles? You may also like my Easy Taco Casserole Recipe or my Ranch Chicken and Rice Casserole. 

This cheesy beef and pasta casserole is sure to be a hit with the kiddos. It's also really easily adaptable based on what you've got in the fridge/pantry/etc. You could even throw in some extra veggies if you want. 

I wasn't sure whether to call this a casserole or ground beef pasta bake or what. Basically, you just boil up some penne, and while that's cooking, you make a quick tomato and meat sauce. You then toss it together in a 9x13 dish, top it with cheese, and bake. Easy peasy.

ground beef casserole in a baking dish (ready for the oven)
Ready for the oven!
close-up of easy ground beef casserole
So cheesy.

Hamburger pasta casserole recipe notes & tips:

  • Don't have marinara sauce? Any jarred tomato-based pasta sauce will work, or use a similar amount of tomato sauce or even a combo of tomato products such as diced tomatoes and tomato paste or crushed tomatoes (I'd then add in a bit of Italian seasoning or other herbs for more flavor). This recipe definitely can be adapted based on what's in your pantry.
  • You can substitute the penne with whatever pasta you have on hand (or even use egg noodles like some casseroles do). I recommend slightly undercooking any pasta/noodles so it doesn't go mushy in the oven. 
  • The ingredient quantities don't have to be exact. A bit more or less beef will be totally fine. Want to add more sauce? Go ahead. Same with the cheese. 🙂 
  • If you want to put a Tex-Mex spin on this recipe, add in some beans, taco spices, and use a Tex-Mex cheese blend. 

pasta bake with ground beef in a white bowl

More tasty ground beef recipes:

ground beef casserole being lifted out of baking dish with spatula

Let me know if you'll give this easy ground beef pasta casserole recipe a try!

Questions? Leave me a comment below.

hamburger pasta casserole in a baking dish

Ground Beef Casserole

This ground beef casserole recipe is super easy to throw together and feeds a crowd! It's comforting and uses simple ingredients.
4.91 from 93 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 25 mins
Total Time 35 mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 6
Calories 538 kcal

Ingredients
 

  • 1 pound uncooked penne
  • 1/2 medium onion chopped
  • 1 pound extra lean ground beef
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • 1.5 cups marinara sauce
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • 1.5 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven to 400F and move the rack to the middle position. Grease a 9x13 baking dish (I use Pam spray).
  • Boil a large, salted pot of water for the penne. Cook it for 10 minutes (it should be slightly underdone so it doesn't get mushy).
  • Add the oil, beef, and onion to a skillet. Sauté over medium-high heat, breaking the meat up as you go along, for 10 minutes. Once it gets going, stir in the garlic. Spoon out excess fat if needed.
  • Stir in the marinara sauce and warm through. Give it a taste and season with salt & pepper as needed.
  • Drain the pasta and pour it into the baking dish. Pour the beef mixture over top and then toss until it's combined with the pasta. Top with an even layer of the cheese. If you want it extra cheesy, you can stir in an additional half cup of cheese prior to topping it with the rest of the cheese.
  • Bake for 10 minutes, uncovered, until the cheese is nicely melted. I then broil it for a few minutes (optional) to brown the cheese up a bit. Serve immediately.

Notes

  • This is a very flexible recipe where additions/substitutions/etc. are fine. I have some tips within the blog post.
  • Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.

Nutrition

Calories: 538kcalCarbohydrates: 61gProtein: 34gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 77mgSodium: 551mgPotassium: 674mgFiber: 3gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 548IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 236mgIron: 4mg
Keyword ground beef casserole, ground beef pasta casserole, hamburger casserole, pasta bake with ground beef
Author Natasha Bull
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  1. Michelle says

    5 stars
    Husband found this recipe a few nights ago and made it, the whole family loved it so much. Tonight I made it, tripled the meat sauce so I can freeze two batches. Next week hubby just has to make noodles and assemble.
    Thanks for sharing a great recipe!

    Reply

  2. Stephanie says

    I had whole wheat noodles only in home 🙁 and I didn't have marinara sauce so I used tomato sauce with oregano, rosemary, basil onion sugar salt and pepper (found recipe online) and I used cheddar and mozzarella cause xD i didn't have much okay. :3 it's in the oven now but thanks for the recipe I'm sure it's going to be yummy

    Reply

  4. Amber Wise says

    5 stars
    Definitely an family favorite!! Easy to follow recipe, delicious, definitely a 10/10! I’m a newbie “chef” and I followed the recipe to the T, without any problems. Absolutely amazing. Thank you

    Reply

  5. Blaire says

    I also forgot to add that I also used roasted garlic and herb pasta sauce instead of plain marinara!

    Reply

  6. Blaire says

    5 stars
    This was so good! We all throughly enjoyed it. The only changes I made was using veggie rotini and adding some crushed red pepper for spice. Definitely will be making again!

    Reply

  7. Mak says

    5 stars
    This was so good! I’m in college and I made this for my family and they loved it! I added mixed veggies, added cheese on the inside, and added Italian seasoning. Would definitely recommend this recipe 🙂

    Reply

  8. Janie Barrera says

    5 stars
    This has become a family favorite for my family and friends. I sometimes use fusilli or rotini. I double the recipe for my sons that don’t live at home. I do add the extra cheese. Love it!

    Reply

  9. Regina Winters says

    5 stars
    This recipe is on the top of my list of things to make for myself and my family and if I have any friends that will be more than happy to eat at my table if they still consider me, their "friend" after I get out of this strange relationship thing that I brought on myself m.

    Reply

  10. Julie J says

    5 stars
    This is now in our rotation and I call it "lazy mom lasagna." I make it a bit kid friendlier (my kids won't eat onions), add a little mozzarella when I mix together, and substitute chickpea rotinni for the penne. It's great! And it tastes a lot like lasagna with a lot less work!

    Reply

  11. Kathy Kramer says

    5 stars
    Love this recipe. Super tasty. I minced mushrooms and yellow squash in my processor and added it to the meat sauce. I love that you can add extra vegetables if you desire. Great meal for young and old!

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      You can... but I am personally not the biggest fan of frozen pasta. It tends to get a bit soggy when you reheat it.

      Reply

    • Natasha says

      Yes, but you may need to add in some additional flavorings... like sauté it with some onions and garlic first, perhaps. Tomato sauce is very plain by itself.

      Reply

  14. Bridget says

    5 stars
    Hello! I have a bunch of ameeican cheese I dont want to go waste. Any thoughts about using that instead of cheddar?

    Reply

  15. Rachel Torres says

    Great recipe thank you. Im excited to try it. Can you tell me if Squash or Zucchini or Asparagus would be ok to add in with it? Im not a great cook but saw you put you can add vegetables. Id appreciate your help 🙂

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      Thanks! I think that those would work just fine, Rachel. I'd chop everything fairly small so it cooks in time. I'd probably brown the beef then add the veggies in so the water cooks off a bit before adding it to the casserole dish. Let me know how it goes!

      Reply

  16. Shelli says

    5 stars
    I just made your dish! Big hit! I added sliced black olives and pinto beans onto the meat sauce. Served with chilled chunky mix fruit and garlic bread. Thank you!

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      I removed your 1-star rating since you just came here to be rude and didn't make the recipe. And, actually, no. It's a baked pasta dish, but baked ziti uses ziti (shocking, I know), and the sauce is a bit different... it uses sausage (for one thing). What a weird comment to leave on a stranger's website lol.

      Reply

  20. Brandi L Moe says

    Can I make this dish ahead of time, and does the cooking temp and time frame differ if so?

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      Yes, I believe some readers have done that. I would prep it up until the baking step then cover it tightly and it'll keep in the fridge for a day or two. Baking time will be a bit longer since it'll be cold, so I'd keep an eye on it. Might want to start it covered with foil and then uncover and broil to bubble up the cheese.

      Reply

  21. Katarina says

    5 stars
    European here! I was trying to do something different with ground beef and this has entered "the favourite top 5" according to my 3 sons. It is so simple and yet so delicious.
    Oh, yes...almost forgot..I added some button mushrooms once and it was still yummy.

    Reply

  22. Brody Blane says

    5 stars
    Perfect meal for the young, and old alike. Accompany with a little Texas garlic bread. Bueno.

    Reply

  24. Shaun says

    Like many others here, I was looking for something different to make with the ground meat I had out. Since we often make tacos at the house, I decided to take a taco spin on this. Rather than making a tomato sauce, I used the seasoning mix and sauce that is usually put in the beef for tacos. Stirred in some diced tomatoes and shredded lettuce before putting in the oven. Thanks for the inspiration!

    Reply

  25. Renee says

    5 stars
    Like a recent reviewer, my husband and I were doing the "what are we having for dinner, I don't know, what do you want, what do YOU want..." discussion. He had pulled a pound+ of ground beef from the freezer yesterday so I googled, "what can I make with hamburger meat for dinner" and your site popped up with this recipe. I was thrilled because I had a box of whole wheat penne, spaghetti sauce, onion and a fresh bag of shredded sharp cheddar cheese. I used a full jar of sauce, 1/2 can of tomato paste, added a packet of taco seasoning and used garlic powder (no fresh garlic at home). We put sour cream on it after it was served (hubs also put hot sauce on it). it was AMAZING. Next time, we'll use marinara and 2 packets of taco seasoning for a little stronger flavor. Thanks for a very easy to follow recipe with ideas for variation. So happy I found your site and will be trying more recipes soon!!

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      Haha that's excellent. I'm so glad that you enjoyed it, and I love your adaptations. It's fun to see what readers do with this recipe!

      Reply

  26. Vanessa says

    5 stars
    Omg!! What a great and easy recipe . Made this tonight and my boyfriend and I absolutely fell in love with this meal. I love that it was quick and simple to make but tasted even better. Will definitely be adding this to the rotation 🙂 A++

    Reply

  27. Marie Klassen says

    I asked my husband what he wanted for dinner and again I got the famous phrase “I don’t know” and so I googled recipes for I don’t know and somewhere along the line I came across your recipe and I made it for dinner, it was delicious, just way too much for the two of us but will make it again and will be a big hit for my grandkids.

    Reply

  28. Kara says

    Hello! Making this tonight and very excited 😊Do you use red or white onion? Also is that parsley that you topped it with?

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      Hi Kara! I typically only use red onions for raw applications (salads etc.). I usually cook with Vidalia/sweet onions, but white or yellow (Spanish) work just fine. Yes, it's parsley on top. Mostly just to add a pop of color to the photos. Totally optional. Hope you like the recipe!

      Reply

  29. Louise James says

    5 stars
    I made this for supper last night. Because I had some leftover cooked pork meatballs and tomato sauce I decided to mince the meatballs and add them to the dish. Wow! One of the best casserole dishes EVER and so easy to make. It was a hit with the family and I will definitely make this again. Thanks for this great recipe.

    Reply

  30. Caitlin says

    This is a go to recipe for us! I use a whole jar of marinara because we like it a little extra saucy 🙂

    Reply

  32. Pamela M Hartter says

    Can I freeze it after cooling down? I used more sauce than recipe but it seemed a little dry but still delicious!

    Reply

  33. Andre says

    Hello Natasha,
    My name is Andre. I made this tonight for my mom and I and loved it. I didn't have marinara sauce though and used pasta sauce. I also didn't have onions or garlic so I used the powdered versions 😂. I put cheese in the beef mixture and on top. The one thing I was confused about is how much a pound of pasta is(I used maceronie) in cups lol. I put two cups and it was a bit to much. Next time I plan on using the right ingredients. Anyway loved the dish.
    Hope you are having a good day
    Andre.

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      Hi! I'm so glad it worked out for you. 🙂 A pound of pasta is 16 ounces or 454g. In cups it really depends on the shape of pasta... for macaroni I believe it's around 3 cups. This definitely makes a lot of food haha. I'd say definitely use less if you want to use macaroni again.

      Reply

  34. Keira Gilleland says

    5 stars
    is the nutritional information including the whole dish or just a portion of it? it is very good but since I am diabetic I need to know the amount of carbs per cup.

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      Hi Keira! It's for 1/6 of the recipe (the recipe card indicates it's 6 servings). Unfortunately, I can't provide any info beyond that. I am not a trained nutritionist, and even providing the info that I do comes with a heavy disclaimer that it's an estimate because it's calculated automatically, and brands vary and so forth, the leanness of beef you use can vary, and so on. I have no idea what exactly 1 cup equates to. If you're planning on making this recipe, I would weigh out/properly measure the exactly ingredients you're using and plug it into something like My Fitness Pal.

      Reply

  35. Darren Bryant says

    5 stars
    Hi Natasha! This was so easy to make and it was fantastic! Can't believe how something so simple could be so flavorful. I used 1/2 cup of shredded triple cheddar in the meat mixture and then just an even layer of regular mild cheddar on top. The triple cheddar, being a mix of sharp and mild cheddars, gave it just enough tangy goodness to elevate this dish, at least for us. We use Gardein faux beef crumbles, so without the animal fat for added flavor, I've had to learn how to amp things up a little. The triple cheddar did the trick.

    This dish was a HUGE hit, and will be included in the rotation often. This is true comfort food.

    Reply

  36. Amy says

    5 stars
    Hi Natasha! We LOVED the recipe, it's so simple and delicious! This is my first time making a casserole! My son who's 5, wanted me to write a review to let you know that he LOVED the casserole! We cut the recipe in half and it came out amazing! Thanks so much for a great recipe!

    Reply