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If you, like many American families, grew up on those boxed casseroles where you “just add ground beef,” then you’ll love this throwback!
Our hamburger casserole may feel like the one-pot original, but the taste is unmatched! This is a homemade version that’s just as simple, but packed with flavor. We baked ours in the oven for a melty cheese crust and a bit of a twist.
This is an easy, cheesy dish that makes our weeknights a breeze. It doesn’t dirty a bunch of dishes, and it’s on the table in under an hour!
We love to keep a running list of meals that are not only easy to make but yummy, so the kids will actually eat them – casseroles like this one usually fit the bill.
Why we think you’ll love it:
- A childhood favorite. This hamburger casserole hits it out of the park. It is so easy and flavorful. Really, what’s not to love? It’s like a casserole of comfort.
- On the table in no time. Family dinner is a cinch and on the table in under an hour!
- Kid-approved. With “hamburger” in the name, how could it not be?! Our kids love every flavor in this dish.
Hamburger Casserole Ingredients And Substitutions
- 1 pound ground beef – Use ground turkey or chicken instead, or substitute half the ground beef with ground sausage.
- 1 (10.5-ounce) can Cream of Chicken and Mushroom Soup, or cream of mushroom soup
- 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1 (15-ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained – Other vegetables you could use are peas, sautéed green beans, zucchini, or bell peppers.
- 1 teaspoon chili powder – To turn up the heat, add extra chili powder, red chili flakes, or top with hot sauce.
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt (with parsley flakes)
- black pepper
- 2 cups elbow macaroni noodles, uncooked – Use another similar-sized pasta such as small shells, egg noodles, small penne, rotini, or ditalini.
- 1 cup grated cheddar cheese more if needed, to cover the casserole – We like mild or sharp cheddar cheese, but you can use another favorite cheese like mozzarella, Colby, or pepper jack.
- optional topping – Top each serving with green onions and a dollop of sour cream.
How to Make Hamburger Casserole
- PREP. Preheat the oven to 350°F
- PASTA. Boil the macaroni according to the package directions and drain.
- SAUCE. Use a large skillet to brown the ground beef over medium-high heat (drain excess oil). Add the chili powder, garlic salt, Italian seasoning, and pepper to taste.
- In a separate bowl, stir the cream of chicken mushroom soup, tomato sauce, and corn. Add it to the skillet with the hamburger.
- BAKE. Add the cooked pasta to the skillet and mix.
- Pour the mixture into a 9×13-inch casserole dish. Bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes.
- During the last 15 minutes of bake time, sprinkle the grated cheese over the top and finish baking the casserole.
Kristyn’s Recipe Tips
- Casseroles are famous for being quick, easy, and hearty meals. We suggest doubling this recipe so you have a meal you can serve and one to freeze for later.
- My grocery store carries “Cream of Chicken and Mushroom” soup. If you can’t find that combo, you can either use a can of Cream of Mushroom Soup, a can of Cream of Chicken Soup, or make a Cream Soup Substitute.
- For best texture, we cook the macaroni to al dente, as it will continue to cook and soften in the oven.
Hamburger Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 (10.5-ounce) can cream of Chicken and Mushroom Soup, or cream of mushroom soup
- 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1 (15-ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt (with parsley flakes)
- pepper
- 2 cups macaroni noodles, uncooked
- 1 cup grated cheddar cheese more, if needed, to cover the casserole
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F
- Boil the macaroni according to the directions on the package and drain.
- Use a large skillet to brown the ground beef. Add the chili powder, garlic salt, Italian seasoning, and pepper to taste.
- In a separate bowl, stir the cream of chicken mushroom soup, tomato sauce, and corn. Add it to the skillet with the hamburger.
- Add the cooked pasta to the skillet and mix.
- Pour the mixture into a 9×13-inch baking pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes.
- During the last 15 minutes of bake time, sprinkle the grated cheese over the top and finish baking the casserole.
Video
Notes
- Casseroles are famous for being quick, easy, and hearty meals. We suggest doubling this recipe so you have a meal you can serve and one to freeze for later.
- Our grocery store carries “Cream of Chicken and Mushroom” soup. If you can’t find that combo, you can either use a can of Cream of Mushroom Soup, a can of Cream of Chicken Soup, or make a Cream Soup Substitute.
- For best texture, we cook the macaroni to al dente, as it will continue to cook and soften in the oven.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
We recommend boiling the noodles just to al dente. Assemble the casserole in a freezer-safe baking dish, cover with plastic wrap, then again with aluminum foil. Label and freeze for 3-6 months. Thaw the hamburger casserole before topping with cheese and baking.
The unbaked casserole can be prepped the day before, covered, and stored in the refrigerator. Place it on the counter for about 30 minutes before baking.
Store leftovers in an airtight container (s) in the fridge for 2-3 days or in the freezer for 203 months. Use the oven to reheat larger portions. Smaller portions can be heated in the microwave.
Complete The Meal
Sides
Cheesy Garlic Bread
20 mins
Olive Garden Breadsticks
2 hrs 27 mins
Fried Zucchini
25 mins
Baked Parmesan Asparagus
25 mins
Desserts
Chocolate Delight Recipe
54 mins
No Bake Oreo Cheesecake
4 hrs 15 mins
Scotcheroos Recipe
20 mins
Frosted Brownies
32 mins
Pasta Casseroles
Collections
This recipe was originally published October 2020.
So good! I took this to my church potluck tonight and it was demolished. Very filling and now in my rotation, thank you!
Oh that makes us so happy to hear!! You’re welcome!
Does a serving of this Hamburger Casserole really have over 5000 mg. sodium in it? I can’t see from the ingredients enough sodium to account for that number.
Its the canned soup.. i wish they would post a substitute option whenever the recipe calls for a can of canned sodium
I wanted to verify, so I recalculated the nutrition facts. Assuming you divide the recipe into 12 servings, there is 286mg of sodium per serving, which is significantly less than what was showing up before. Should you wish to lower the sodium count even more, you can look for low-sodium soup or make a Cream Soup Substitute (https://lilluna.com/cream-soup-substitute/), which would allow you more control over the amount you wish to add.
Thank you for commenting so I could fix the error! I hope this information is helpful and that you give the recipe a try.
The Hamburger Casserole was easy and turned out to be so tasty! I had to do a little substituting since I did not have any tomato sauce, I used some garlic and basil spaghetti sauce. Rather than corn, I used a can of green beans and mushroom soup was what was available. This was surprisingly yummy – my husband, daughter, and I all returned for seconds! It was a great day to have leftovers! Thanks!
Well this is definitely a keeper, because we loved it! I did have to make a couple substitutions based on what I had on hand. I didn’t have garlic salt with parsley so I used garlic powder and parsley separately. I also had to use marinara instead of tomato sauce. Now that being said, I know it would have been just as good (or better) with the sauce as I have made similar recipes that way and they were amazing! As I said though, I used what I had at the time. Next time and there will be quite a few next times, I will make as written! Great job and thank you for all the recipes you share, they are awesome!
Love the recipe but will probably leave out the corn next time. But it’s going in my files.
Thought it was very bland.
Do you drain the ground beef…..recipe doesn’t say to???
It was delicious
Thank you!! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I sauteed an onion and a couple of garlic cloves then added hamburger. This is simple but good, overall. Thanks.
I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe!
I added more seasonings a dash of Cheyenne pepper gives it a little more jazz than the chili powder also 2 cups of cheese was better than 1. Other than that my kids seemed to like it
I’m so glad your kids liked it! Thanks for sharing what you did!
What do we do with Italian seasoning? Is it in the instructions and I’m missing it? I see it in the ingredients. I assume add in with the hamburger. Yum! 🙂
Yes – you add the Italian seasoning in with the other spices when you are cooking the hamburger meat. I will make this step more clear in the post. Thanks so much for catching that! I hope you enjoy the recipe!
This was wonderful! I used spaghetti sauce instead of tomato sauce, because I didn’t have any. With the cream of mushroom soup, it makes for a nice smooth, less acidic sauce for the casserole. It was a big hit with our family and the neighbors. Thanks for sharing!
I’m so glad it was such a big hit for your family and neighbors! Spaghetti sauce sounds like a great alternative. Thanks for sharing!
This was great. I doubled the recipe(big family) and added about 8 oz Sour cream in with the tomato sauce mixture and the family loved it. Quick and easy!
Perfect! Glad everyone loved it! Thank you!
Added some black beans for extra protein and it turned out so good!! Probably will add more corn next time though cause I love it lol
Sounds perfect!! Thank you for sharing that!
Perfect just the way it was written! I did put a little more salt 😉
Thank you for letting me know what you thought 🙂
The recipe calls for chilli powder and Italian seasoning. Is that correct? I dont see in the directions to add italian seasoning . Thanks!
Yes, sorry. Add it in step 3 with the other ingredients.
My kids gobbled it up!
So easy to make and my family loves it!
Ok I haven’t made this yet but it sounds AMAZING and I can’t wait to try it!!
I love how versatile this recipe can be. I used ground turkey with it and we loved it! So happy I found this recipe!!
kids favorite
My kids destroyed this one!! Next time I’ll reduce the Italian season just a pinch! But that’s because I’m not used to cooking with it! 😆
I made this to make something new for dinner and we loved it! My toddler gobbled it up along with the rest of us! Will be putting this into our rotation!!
This is comfort food at its best!
Delicious! Can be modified to taste and so simple to make.
Yes, for sure! Thanks for sharing that!
What size can of corn do you use? We have a couple sizes in Canada.
It’s like 15.25 ounces. If you like corn, you can add more or you don’t even have to add that much. Whatever you like 😉
Excellent dinner. Great taste. A little hard for me to do since I use a walker.
Glad you think so 🙂 Thank you for trying it!
Shouldn’t we drain the grease from the hamburger?
Yes, you totally can. I drain & sometimes, I don’t…when I’m in a hurry or just totally forgot 🙂
Way better than boxed hamburger helper and just as easy.
This would be a go to meal when I’m feeding the masses. Total comfort food.
Made this and it was a hit !! Thank you
You are welcome! Glad it was a hit! Thank you!!
wow! It looks so delicious. Maybe I will try this recipe.
Do you have any Youtube channel?
Thank you, it is delicious! I hope you do try it! No, I don’t have one.