Ground Beef Casserole
Updated Sep 21, 2025
Ground beef casserole, aka hamburger casserole, is a favorite family meal and is easy to make in just a few steps and basic ingredients.
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Jump to Section
Family favorite casserole
If I want to feed a family something easy and comforting, this ground beef casserole is what I make. I cook ground beef with onions, garlic and spices and then add marinara and fresh basil. Toss everything together and bake until the cheese is golden and bubbly, or freeze for a quick meal that’s ready to heat up on busy nights.
This ground beef casserole, which is also called hamburger casserole (even though it doesn’t taste like a hamburger to me) also makes for a great family-sized freezer-friendly dinners! You can freeze the sauce to add to freshly cooked pasta before baking or assemble the ground beef casserole with noodles in a baking pan, cover it with foil, and freeze it as a whole meal ready to bake.
Happy Cooking!
– Yumna
Ground Beef Casserole Ingredients
- Ground beef: Choose lean ground beef for the ideal meat-to-fat ratio. You can also make this with ground turkey or ground chicken.
- Pasta: You can use any kind of pasta you like in this casserole, though I think short pasta like penne or cavatappi is better than long noodles.
- Onion + garlic: Chop them small so picky eaters don’t have an issue with them but they add a lot of flavor.
- Marinara sauce: I love keeping a jar of homemade marinara sauce in the pantry for an effortless recipe whenever I need it. Use your favorite store-bought jarred marinara sauce, or make some fresh from scratch with my easy marinara recipe.
- Mozzarella cheese: Any type of shredded cheese works but mozzarella’s taste and meltiness goes so well with the ground beef casserole.
- Oil: Use olive oil or avocado oil for sauteing the beef with the onions and garlic.
- Seasonings: Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
How to Make Ground Beef Casserole
Ground Beef Casserole
Video
Ingredients
- 16 ounces penne pasta
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 large onion diced
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 25-ounce jar marinara sauce store-bought or homemade
- ¼ cup Fresh basil torn, plus more for garnishing
- 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook al dente according to package instructions. Drain, reserve ½ cup pasta water, and transfer the pasta to a 9×13 baking dish.
- In a large deep skillet over medium-high, heat the olive oil. Add the ground beef and onions and season with Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Cook the ground beef and onions, breaking up the beef into smaller pieces with the back of a wooden spoon until browned, about 10 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 more minute. Stir in the marinara and basil, then transfer the sauce on top of the pasta in the baking dish and toss gently to combine. Add as much of the reserved pasta water as desired until the sauce looks glossy.
- Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella cheese on top and bake in the preheated oven until the cheese is lightly golden, about 15 minutes. Garnish with fresh basil and serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Recipe Tips
- Use a lower-sodium marinara sauce. Choose a jarred sauce that has low sodium since the salt can add up otherwise. You can always season to taste, but you can’t take it away once it’s already there.
- Cook the pasta al dente. Prevent the pasta from overcooking in the casserole by boiling it until just al dente because it’s going to continue cooking in the oven and you want to avoid it becoming overcooked with a soft and gummy texture.
- Reserve some pasta water. After you cook the pasta, reserve about ½ cup of water for the sauce. Once you’ve poured the meat sauce over the pasta in the baking dish, add a bit of the reserved pasta water to thin it out until the sauce has a glossy look. It will help the sauce cling to the pasta once you bake it.
- Don’t cover the casserole. It’s only in the oven for 15 minutes at 375°F – just enough to melt the cheese. Covering it will create too much moisture that’s unnecessary for such a short bake time.
Serving Ideas
- With a side salad: Kale Pear Salad, Roasted Beet Feta Salad, Strawberry Pecan Salad, Caesar Salad with Kale
- With bread: Skillet Dinner Rolls, Garlic Knots, Rosemary Focaccia
FAQs
Store leftover beef casserole with pasta in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days..
Reheat in the microwave or preheated oven until heated through.
Yes! To freeze, prepare the casserole in a baking dish and cover with a layer of foil followed by plastic wrap to securely cover the dish. You can freeze ground beef casserole with pasta up to 3 months and bake straight from frozen by simply adding an additional 20 minutes or so to the cook time.
You can make the baked pasta with ground beef ahead of time and freeze for up to 3 months. There’s no thawing necessary. When ready to serve, just place it in the oven for an extra 20 minutes. You can also keep it in the fridge unbaked and covered for a day.
Comments
So easy to make, and so delicious. The whole family loved it (and finished it)! Another Feel Good Foodie success recipe added to my toolkit. I used lupini pasta for higher protein lower carb version and it was delish. Thank you Yumna!
Yay! So glad it was a hit with your family!! Thanks, Coco!
I had no idea what to make for dinner. I saw this recipe on Instagram and I knew I had all the ingredients on hand. Super easy dinner to make and it was delicious!! Everyone had seconds! I used Banza protein pasta to give us added protein. This recipe is a keeper for sure!
Aww, I love that! So awesome that you were able to add extra protein. Thanks, Kim!!
See All Comments