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A plate of cheesy macaroni with ground beef, reminiscent of cheeseburger casserole, sits on a marble surface next to black forks and an orange checkered napkin. A casserole dish with more pasta is partially visible in the corner.
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5 from 3 votes

Cheeseburger Casserole Recipe

Cheesy, savory, and full of bright flavors, Cheeseburger Casserole is the ideal comfort food! This dish is the easiest weeknight dinner that everyone will love. 
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Dinner, Main Course, Pasta
Cuisine: American
Diet: Low Salt
Servings: 6
Author: Melissa Griffiths

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 teaspoon dried minced onion
  • 1 teaspoon garlic salt
  • ¼ cup tomato paste
  • 1 cup tomato sauce
  • 2 cups beef broth
  • 1 pound cavatappi noodles uncooked
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese divided

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 350°F.
  • Cook your ground beef in a large pan or skillet over medium high heat for 5-7 minutes, or until it is no longer pink in the middle.
    1 pound ground beef
  • Once the ground beef is fully cooked, stir in the beef broth, garlic salt, dried minced onion, tomato paste, and tomato sauce. Bring the broth mixture to a boil and then add your pasta noodles. Reduce the heat to a low simmer and cover the pan with a lid. Allow the pasta to cook for 10 minutes, or until soft.
    1 teaspoon dried minced onion, 1 teaspoon garlic salt, ¼ cup tomato paste, 1 cup tomato sauce, 2 cups beef broth, 1 pound cavatappi noodles
  • Fold in the sour cream and half of the cheddar cheese until the cheese is fully melted and evenly distributed among the beef and noodles.
    ½ cup sour cream, 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
  • Transfer your casserole to an 8x8 inch baking dish and top with the remaining cheese.
    3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
  • Cook your casserole for 20 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly.
  • Serve and enjoy!

Notes

Skip the Foil: There is no need to cover your casserole with tin foil while baking it.
Noodle Swaps: Other noodles you can use include elbow, penne, and bowtie. Any kind of noodle will work great in this recipe, but shorter noodles will work best.
Creamy Secret: The sour cream helps add some smoothness to the casserole. If you don't have sour cream then you can use plain Greek yogurt.
Cheese Matters: Freshly shredded cheese will melt down much better than bagged cheese, but feel free to use whatever you have on hand.
Broth Does Double Duty: The beef broth both cooks the noodles and helps amplify the rich meaty flavor of the dish.
Tomato Paste Substitute: If you don't have tomato paste then you can use 2 tablespoons of ketchup instead.

Nutrition

Calories: 767kcal | Carbohydrates: 63g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 40g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 121mg | Sodium: 1400mg | Potassium: 715mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1029IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 464mg | Iron: 3mg

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