Cheeseburger Casserole

Delightfully gooey, this cheeseburger casserole is a breeze to make and will have everyone asking for seconds.

Table of Contents

We Love Easy Cheeseburger Casserole Because:
Easy Cheeseburger Casserole Ingredients
Substitutions And Additions
How to Make Cheese Burger Casserole
How To Serve Cheesy Hamburger Casserole
Storing This Recipe For Cheeseburger Casserole
Cheeseburger Casserole FAQs
More Recipes You’ll Love
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.

A plate of food, with Casserole and Burger

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.

Easy Cheeseburger Casserole Ingredients

This cheeseburger casserole boasts a delicious, savory taste reminiscent of a classic cheeseburger.

It features seasoned ground beef, sautéed onions, a blend of spices, Worcestershire sauce, and tomatoes for a burger-like flavor profile.

The elbow macaroni mimics a burger bun’s texture, while the star of the show is the melted mozzarella and mild cheddar cheeses, creating a golden, cheesy topping.

You’ll need:

2 cups of water
3 beef bouillon cubes
1 pound of 92% lean hamburger meat
1 onion, chopped
1 teaspoon of salt
½ teaspoon of black pepper
2 teaspoons of minced garlic
1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon of garlic powder
½ teaspoon of chili powder
1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons of 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.

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 and mini shells can be substituted for macaroni in this casserole, or use any of your favorite small pasta that can grab onto the meat and cheese.

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 turn this into a bacon cheeseburger casserole.

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

How to Make Cheese Burger Casserole

Let’s walk through the easy step-by-step instructions for making this hearty 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 two cups of water and three beef bouillon cubes.

Microwave on high for four to five 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.

A bowl of food on a plate, with Ground beef

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 five to seven minutes.

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

A bowl of food on a table, with Casserole and Beef

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 five minutes. Uncover and stir.

Cover again and let cook for another five minutes or until the pasta is done.

STEP SEVEN: Stir in the sour cream and milk.

A bowl of food, with Onion and Cheeseburger casserole

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 ten 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.

Get creative and use your casserole as a filling for bell peppers. Cut the tops off the peppers, remove the seeds, and stuff them with the casserole mixture. Bake until the peppers are tender.

Make it a family-friendly meal by serving your cheeseburger casserole with a side of tater tots or French fries.

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.

MORE CASSEROLE RECIPES

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Baked Tuna Casserole

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Cabbage Roll Casserole

Storing This Recipe For Cheeseburger Casserole

Let’s talk about how to store it to enjoy the leftovers or prep in advance for busy days.

MAKE AHEAD: If you’re planning to make your life a bit easier during a hectic week, you can prepare the casserole ahead of time.

Assemble the casserole as per the recipe but stop short of baking it. Cover it tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and store it in the fridge for up to 24 hours.

When you’re ready to indulge, simply pop it into the oven and follow the baking instructions.

IN THE FRIDGE: You can save this easy dish for up to two days in the fridge in an airtight container or covered with plastic wrap or aluminum foil.

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 ten minutes or until the cheese is bubbly.

A dish is filled with food, with Cheeseburger casserole

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.

More Recipes You’ll Love

Easy Cheeseburger Casserole

5 from 8 votes

Delightfully gooey, this cheeseburger casserole is a breeze to make and will have everyone asking for seconds.

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 40

Total Time 45

Servings

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Review Recipe

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
1½ cups mozzarella cheese, shredded from the block
1½ 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

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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!

Stephanie Keeping Publisher
Layne Kangas Marketing
Lexus Monroe Editorial Assistant

Cheese Burger Casserole