Beef Noodle Casserole
intro
Hearty, cheesy baked casserole loaded with tender ground beef, soft egg noodles, and creamy tomato sauce, a classic comfort food perfect for cozy shared family meals.
Ingredients
Steps
Cook egg noodles
Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a rolling boil over high heat. Preheat your oven to 175C (350F) while waiting for the water to boil. Add 340g wide egg noodles to the boiling water, and cook for 6 minutes (2 minutes less than package al dente directions, as noodles will finish cooking in the oven). Drain noodles and set aside; do not rinse, as residual starch helps the sauce cling.
Brown beef and aromatics
Heat 15ml extra-virgin olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium heat (stovetop setting 5/10). Add 150g finely diced yellow onion, cook for 3 minutes until soft and translucent, then stir in 9g minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add 450g 80/20 ground beef, break apart with a wooden spoon, and cook 7-8 minutes until fully browned with no pink remaining; drain off any excess rendered grease from the pan.
Build sauce base
Reduce stovetop heat to medium-low (setting 3/10). Stir in 400g undrained diced tomatoes, 295ml condensed cream of mushroom soup, 30ml Worcestershire sauce, 5g kosher salt, 1g ground black pepper, and 1g dried oregano to the browned beef. Fold in 200g frozen mixed pea, carrot, and corn blend, then simmer for 4 minutes until the sauce bubbles gently and the frozen vegetables begin to thaw.
Combine noodles and sauce
Add the drained, partially cooked egg noodles to the skillet with the sauce. Toss gently with a silicone spatula for 2 minutes until every noodle is evenly coated in sauce, taking care not to tear or break the soft noodles. If not using an oven-safe skillet, transfer the mixture to a 9x13 inch (23x33cm) baking dish, and spread into an even, flat layer.
Add cheese topping
Sprinkle the full 226g shredded sharp cheddar cheese in a uniform layer across the top of the noodle mixture, covering the entire surface so no noodles or sauce are exposed.
Bake the casserole
Place the uncovered skillet or baking dish on the middle rack of the preheated 175C (350F) oven. Bake for 25 minutes, until the cheese is fully melted, the sauce is bubbling vigorously around the edges of the dish, and the cheese develops light golden brown spots in places.
Rest and serve
Carefully remove the hot casserole from the oven using oven mitts, and set it on a wire cooling rack for 10 minutes at room temperature to allow the sauce to set before scooping into portions and serving.
Tips
2.Let the casserole rest for the full 10 minutes after baking to allow the sauce to thicken and set, so portions hold their shape instead of being runny when served.
3.For easy meal prep, assemble the unbaked casserole up to 2 days in advance, cover tightly, and store in the fridge; add 6-8 minutes to the bake time when cooking from cold.
OMG this casserole was an absolute game changer for our busy weeknight family dinner! I was scrambling to find something that didn’t require a million ingredients and came together fast, and this hit every mark. My three kids went back for SECONDS, even my picky middle one who turns his nose up at anything with beef usually. Total cook time was right at 55 minutes like the recipe said, no fancy skills needed. 10/10 will be making this again for our next potluck at church!
Really solid recipe! Made a big batch on Sunday for meal prep for the work week, and it held up perfectly all 5 days in the fridge. Only thing I did different was toss in a handful of frozen peas and carrots because I had them lying around, added a nice little veggie boost. Super easy to throw together, no weird steps. Would be 5 stars but I wish the noodle to sauce ratio was a tiny bit higher, but that’s just personal preference!
Wait this is SO good??? I’m a college student with basically zero cooking skills and I managed to pull this off without burning anything? Used ground beef I got on sale, egg noodles from the pantry, and it tasted like something my grandma used to make. Total win, will be making this every other week for sure.
Y’all, I was skeptical of beef noodle casserole because I’ve had so many dry, bland versions in the past, but this one? *Chef’s kiss* The egg noodles stay perfectly tender, the beef is so flavorful, and that cheesy top layer? I could eat that part straight out of the pan. Made this for my husband’s birthday dinner and he said it’s his new favorite meal I make. Win!
Made this after a long day of hiking with my partner, and we both devoured half the pan standing up at the kitchen counter because it smelled so good while it was baking. Loved that it didn’t require a ton of cleanup too — only one baking dish and a pot to boil the noodles, which is perfect after being out all day. Hearty, filling, exactly what we needed after burning a ton of calories outside.
Just pulled this out of the oven for my office potluck tomorrow and I already snuck a bite (don’t tell my coworkers). It is so creamy and savory, I know everyone is gonna lose their minds over it. Love that it’s easy to transport and reheats like a dream, no weird texture changes when you warm it up in the microwave. Can already tell this is going in my regular potluck rotation.
Great recipe, family loved it. Only note is that I accidentally used wide egg noodles instead of the regular ones the recipe called for, and it still turned out great? Also added a dash of hot sauce on top of my serving, gave it a nice little kick. My teen said it was “mid” but then ate three servings so I think that’s a rave review from a 16 year old.
The flavor of this is really great, but I tried swapping regular egg noodles for gluten free egg noodles and they turned super mushy by the time the casserole was done baking. Wondering if I did something wrong? I followed the rest of the recipe exactly, cooked the GF noodles al dente before baking, but they still got oversoft. Bummer because the taste was amazing, I just couldn’t get the texture right.
Wow, this is exactly the cozy comfort food I was craving on this rainy cold day. I added a can of drained corn to mine because I love a little sweet crunch with savory beef, and it paired so well. The recipe was straightforward enough that I even let my 8 year old help stir the ingredients, which made dinner feel extra special tonight.
This recipe is so budget friendly! I calculated the cost per serving and it came out to like $1.75, which is way cheaper than takeout and tastes way better. Used ground chuck that was marked down at the grocery store, generic egg noodles, and store brand cream of mushroom soup, and you couldn’t tell the difference. Perfect for anyone trying to cut down on grocery costs without sacrificing flavor.
I’ve been making a version of beef noodle casserole for 40 years, and I have to say, this recipe is better than mine! The addition of a little Worcestershire and garlic powder to the beef mixture gives it so much more depth than my old recipe ever had. I brought a pan to my retired teachers lunch group and everyone asked for the recipe, I told them I found it here!
Just made this after my evening workout and it hit SO hard. High protein from the beef, carbs from the noodles, super filling without making me feel sluggish. I added a little extra broccoli to mine for some fiber, and it paired perfectly. So easy to throw together even when I’m exhausted after leg day, no complicated steps or fancy ingredients.
Game. Changer. I have twin 4 year olds who have been going through an extremely picky eating phase, and they both ate entire plates of this without a single fight or complaint. I didn’t even have to bribe them with dessert. I almost cried, y’all. This is going into the permanent weekly meal rotation, no questions asked. Easy to make, minimal cleanup, kid approved? Can’t ask for better than that.
Really solid base recipe! I doctored mine up with a teaspoon of smoked paprika, half a teaspoon of cayenne, and a handful of pickled jalapeños on top for a little spicy kick, and it was chef’s kiss. Super versatile, you can add pretty much any veggie or spice you have lying around and it still works. My only tiny complaint is that the top got a little crispier than I like on the first bake, but that’s probably because my oven runs hot.
Made this for our weekly Sunday family dinner with my parents and grandparents, and everyone was raving. My grandma said it tasted just like the casserole her mom used to make when she was a kid, which is the highest possible compliment you can get from her. It’s hearty, nostalgic, and so easy to throw together even when you have a house full of people running around. 10/10, will be a Sunday staple from now on.