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Cheese Burger Casserole

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Delightfully gooey, this cheeseburger casserole is a breeze to make and will have everyone asking for seconds.
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Table of Contents
  1. WE LOVE EASY CHEESEBURGER CASSEROLE BECAUSE: 
  2. CHEESEBURGER CASSEROLE RECIPE INGREDIENTS
  3. SUBSTITUTIONS AND ADDITIONS
  4. HOW TO MAKE CHEESEBURGER CASSEROLE
  5. HOW TO SERVE CHEESY HAMBURGER CASSEROLE
  6. STORING THIS RECIPE FOR CHEESEBURGER CASSEROLE
  7. CHEESEBURGER CASSEROLE FAQs
  8. More Recipes You’ll Love
  9. JUMP TO RECIPE

This easy cheeseburger casserole recipe is vintage cooking at its best, putting all of the juicy flavors of your favorite burger into casserole form. Think of it as your favorite Hamburger Helper, only better, because it’s deliciously homemade.

WE LOVE EASY CHEESEBURGER CASSEROLE BECAUSE: 

  • It’s a great all-in-one meal with all the food groups in one dish.
  • Cheeseburger casserole is so flavorful from all the delicious ingredients.
  • It can be assembled ahead of time and baked just before you are ready to serve it.

CHEESEBURGER CASSEROLE RECIPE INGREDIENTS

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You’ll need:

  • 2 cups of water
  • 3 beef bouillon cubes
  • 1 pound 92% lean hamburger meat
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 (15-ounce) can of diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 2 cups of dried large elbow macaroni
  • 1 cup of sour cream
  • ¼ cup of whole milk
  • 1½ cups of shredded mozzarella cheese (shredded from the block)
  • 1½ cups of shredded mild cheddar cheese (shredded from the block)

PRO TIP:

Make sure you shred the cheese fresh from the block rather than buying pre-shredded cheese. Pre-shredded cheese tends to be coated with a preservative which means it doesn’t melt as well.

SUBSTITUTIONS AND ADDITIONS

CHEESE: The combination of mozzarella and cheddar gives this casserole a layered dimension, however, you could easily substitute another type of cheese just as you would a regular burger. Colby Jack or Pepper Jack cheese would make a good choice!

PASTA: Rotini noodles and mini shells can be substituted for macaroni in this hearty cheeseburger casserole or use any of your favorite small pasta that can grab onto the meat and cheese mixture.

SOUR CREAM: Plain Greek yogurt can also be used in the place of sour cream in this easy recipe.

BACON: Try adding crumbled bacon for an extra tasty crunch and to turn this into a bacon cheeseburger casserole.

MEAT: Ground turkey or ground pork would also work well in this hearty casserole.

HOW TO MAKE CHEESEBURGER CASSEROLE

OUR RECIPE DEVELOPER SAYS

This recipe can be assembled ahead of time the night before and popped in the oven when you are ready to bake it.

STEP ONE: In a medium bowl, add 2 cups of water and 3 beef bouillon cubes. Microwave on high for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the beef bouillon cubes are dissolved. Set aside.

STEP TWO: In a large saucepan, brown ground beef over medium-high heat until no longer pink. Drain the excess grease and return the beef to the pan.

PRO TIP:

Ground beef can be cooked ahead of time in larger batches and frozen until you need it. Add the cooked ground beef and continue the recipe as written.

STEP THREE: Turn the heat down to medium and add the chopped onions, salt, pepper, minced garlic, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and chili powder. Stir well and let it cook until the onions are soft and translucent, usually about 5 to 7 minutes.

STEP FOUR: Add the Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, and diced tomatoes (in their juices) to the ground beef mixture and stir together.

STEP FIVE: Next, add the dried elbow macaroni noodles and bouillon beef broth to the meat mixture and stir together.

STEP SIX: Cover and let simmer over medium-low heat for 5 minutes. Uncover and stir. Cover again and let cook for another 5 minutes, or until the pasta is done.

STEP SEVEN: Stir in the sour cream and milk.

STEP EIGHT: Pour half of the beef and pasta mixture into a 9×13-inch glass baking dish sprayed with cooking spray. Sprinkle half of the mozzarella and cheddar cheese over the casserole.

STEP NINE: Pour the remaining mixture into the dish and spread evenly. Sprinkle the remaining half of the mozzarella and cheddar cheese over the top of the casserole.

STEP TEN: Bake uncovered at 400°F for 10 minutes, or until the sides of the casserole are bubbling.

HOW DO I KNOW WHEN MY CHEESE BURGER CASSEROLE IS COOKED?

You’ll know your casserole is ready when the sides of the pan are bubbling, and the cheese is melted.

HOW TO SERVE CHEESY HAMBURGER CASSEROLE

A Caesar side salad and easy cornbread complement the beef, cheese, and noodles of this dish. You can also put out a tray of lettuce, tomatoes, and crumbled bacon to garnish the top of the casserole.

If you enjoy this easy pasta bake, be sure to try some of our other favorite casserole dinner recipes like easy lasagna casserole or pizza casserole.

STORING THIS RECIPE FOR CHEESEBURGER CASSEROLE

IN THE FRIDGE: To prepare this easy dish ahead of time, or to save for up to two days in the fridge, place it in an airtight container or cover it with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Simply stop before the final baking step if preparing ahead.

IN THE FREEZER: To freeze this cheesy casserole, store it in an airtight container. To reheat, simply do so in the oven at 350°F for about 10 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly.

This cheeseburger casserole recipe makes it so easy to make your own homemade hamburger helper from scratch on a busy weeknight. The seasoned ground beef, tomato mixture, and cheesy sauce are stirred in with elbow macaroni to make an easy dinner idea your whole family just won’t get enough of!

CHEESEBURGER CASSEROLE FAQs

Can I make this recipe into a freezer meal?

You can make this great recipe into a freezer meal. Prepare the dish right up to the baking step. Let cool and cover with foil before freezing. Thaw and bake as directed.

Can I leave the tomatoes out of this dish?

If you are not a fan of tomatoes, you could leave them out and this dish would still be delicious.

Can I use a beefy onion soup mix instead of beef bouillon cubes?

You could add a flavorful beef and onion soup mix in place of the plain beef bouillon cubes.

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Easy Cheeseburger Casserole

5 from 4 votes
Delightfully gooey, this cheeseburger casserole is a breeze to make and will have everyone asking for seconds.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 5

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups water
  • 3 beef bouillon cubes
  • 1 pound lean hamburger (92%)
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 15 ounces diced tomatoes
  • 2 cups dried large elbow macaroni
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • ¼ cup whole milk
  • cups mozzarella cheese, shredded from the block
  • cups mild cheddar cheese, shredded from the block

Instructions
 

  • In a medium bowl, add 2 cups of water and 3 beef bouillon cubes. Microwave on high for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the beef bouillon cubes are dissolved. Set aside.
  • In a large saucepan, cook ground beef over medium-high heat until no longer pink. Drain grease and return beef to the pan.
  • Turn heat down to medium and add the chopped onion, salt, pepper, minced garlic, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and chili powder. Stir well and let it cook until onions are soft and translucent, about 5 to 7 minutes
  • Add Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, and diced tomatoes (in their juices) and stir together.
  • Add the dried large elbow macaroni noodles and beef bouillon broth to the beef mixture and stir together.
  • Cover and let simmer over medium-low heat for 5 minutes. Uncover and stir. Cover again and let cook for another 5 minutes, or until the pasta is done.
  • Stir in the sour cream and milk.
  • Pour half of the beef and pasta mixture into a 9×13 glass baking dish. Sprinkle half of the mozzarella and cheddar cheese over the casserole
  • Pour the remaining mixture into the dish and spread evenly. Sprinkle the remaining half of the mozzarella and cheddar cheese over the top of the casserole.
  • Bake uncovered at 400°F for 10 minutes, or until the sides of the casserole are bubbling.

Video

Notes

  • Make sure you shred the cheese fresh from the block rather than buying pre-shredded cheese. Pre-shredded cheese tends to be coated with a preservative which means it doesn’t melt as well.
  • This recipe can be assembled ahead of time the night before and popped in the oven when you are ready to bake it.
  • Ground beef can be cooked ahead of time in larger batches and frozen until you need it. Add the cooked ground beef and continue the recipe as written.

Nutrition

Calories: 707kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 46g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Cholesterol: 144mg | Sodium: 1784mg | Potassium: 880mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1150IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 546mg | Iron: 5mg
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Proudly Prepared by the Spaceships Kitchen

This recipe was developed, tested, cooked and photographed by the Spaceships Kitchen. From our dinner table to yours, we hope you think it's out of this world!

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