Looking for easy, cheesy (but still healthy!) ground beef dinner ideas? The Minced meat will have your family asking for seconds and will become a staple in your repertoire of ground beef recipes.
Ground beef is browned with onions, peppers, garlic and a surprise ingredient (Rotel!) and layered over pasta in a cheese sauce for one big, bubbly casserole that will have you saying “mmm-mmm-MMM!”. above.
When preparing comfort food with ground beef that crowd pleases, isn’t overdone, and is easy, I immediately (and less creatively) think of the old tacos or spaghetti ‘n’ meatballs.
They don’t knock on the classics, they’re family favorites for a reason, but this Ground Beef Casserole recipe is a fresh take on a ground beef dinner with SO MUCH FLAVOR.
Ground beef for easy dinners
Ground beef casserole is easy and simple
That’s right, you can make a ground beef casserole that’s 100% satisfying but doesn’t consist of a block of cheese, a cup of heavy cream, or a can of cream soup.
- Greek yogurt adds extra protein and creaminess and makes a great healthy substitute for sour cream.
- Whole wheat pasta adds protein and fiber, making the meal even more filling.
- It’s cheesy without overdoing the cheese factor.
- Also, vegetables are added to pack some vitamins.
How to make ground beef casserole
In this ground beef casserole, tomato sauce and canned diced tomatoes in green chilies (yes, Rotel has powers beyond queso dip!) are mixed into the browned ground beef and veggies.
From there, the ingredients are transformed into a divine ground beef casserole by layering them over creamy pasta, with a final sprinkling of shredded cheddar to top it off.
Top!
To prevent the noodles from becoming too mushy, do not cook your noodles until they are al dente. They will continue to cook while baking in the casserole dish.
The ingredients
- ground beef. Opt for 90% to 93% ground beef to make the dish leaner. It has lots of cheese and creamy sauce to keep it moist.
- pasta. Choose your favorite shape, e.g. E.g. elbow, penne or egg noodles.
- Cheese. A sharp cheddar brings out the cheese flavor.
- cream cheese. Reduced fat cream cheese is stirred into the cheese sauce for a creamy factor.
- Greek yogurt. Makes the sauce even creamier and adds more protein.
- paprika. One green bell pepper plus one red, orange, or yellow (your choice!) adds fiber and vitamins, making this easy ground beef casserole recipe an all-in-one meal.
- Tomato sauce. Adds moisture to the lean ground beef.
- Tomatoes in green chillies. Surprise ingredient to add a lot of flavor to the minced meat.
- Green Onion. Adds a bite.
The directions
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, sear the meat, onion, and bell pepper with salt and pepper. Stir in the garlic.
- Add diced tomatoes in green chilies and tomato sauce. Simmer for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, cook pasta until just under al dente.
- Whisk together the reserved pasta water, cream cheese, Greek yogurt, cornstarch, and salt, then stir in the cheese.
- Add half the scallions, pasta and 1 cup pasta water. Stir to combine.
- Spread the sauce-covered pasta in an even layer on the bottom of a prepared casserole dish.
- Pour the beef mixture over the pasta mixture.
- Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake the ground beef casserole at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes until browned and bubbling. Sprinkle with spring onions and let stand 15 minutes before serving. ENJOY!
storage tips
- To store. Refrigerate leftover ground beef casserole in an airtight storage container for up to 3 days.
- To warm up. Heat leftovers in a Dutch Oven on the stovetop over medium-high heat or gently in the microwave.
- Freeze. Store in freezer-safe, airtight storage containers for up to 3 months, thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then reheat.
Meal prep tip
- To save time cooking during the day, chop onions and peppers and grate cheese, then refrigerate separately in ziptop bags until ready to cook.
- You can also make the whole casserole the day before, wrap it up and store it in the fridge and bake it the next day. This is a great shortcut for a weeknight dinner.
What to serve with ground beef casserole
Make this ground beef casserole for your next family dinner.
It may not win a beauty pageant, but it will conquer every palate!
frequently asked Questions
Yes! You can fully prepare the dish and bake it the next day. Ground beef casserole is also freezer safe, so it’s a great meal ahead of time.
Yes, you can swap out ground turkey or chicken for ground beef. The taste and texture will be different, but it will still be delicious. For a taste more similar to beef, try ground bison.
This ground beef casserole recipe features fresh vegetables, whole grains, and lean compound, all of which provide nutritional benefits.
- 1 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 Pound lean ground beef 90% or 93% lean
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped
- 1 paprika red, yellow or orange, chopped
- 1 green paprika chopped
- 1 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt divided
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 Garlic cloves chopped (about 1 tablespoon)
- 2 10-ounce cans of diced tomatoes and green chilies (e.g. Rotel)
- 1 Added 8-ounce can of tomato sauce
- 12 ounces whole wheat pasta like egg noodles, elbow macaroni or penne
- 1 Cup Full fat Greek natural yoghurt or sour cream
- 4 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 8th ounces sharp cheddar cheese shredded and divided (about 2 cups)
- 4 green onions thinly sliced, divided
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Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Coat a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
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In a wide, deep skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the beef, onion, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper. Cook the meat, breaking apart, until fully cooked through and the onions are translucent, about 8 minutes. Increase the heat slightly and continue to cook and stir until most of the liquid has evaporated.
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Stir in the garlic. Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the diced tomatoes in green chilies and the tomato sauce. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
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Meanwhile, in a large saucepan of salted water, cook the pasta until just al dente – they should not be quite crispy but still firm enough to eat. Reserve 1 1/2 cups of the pasta cooking water, then drain and set aside
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Pour 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water back into the now-empty pot you used to cook the pasta. Add the cream cheese, Greek yogurt, cornstarch, and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Whisk until smooth. Stir in a third of the cheese and continue beating until mostly smooth. Don’t worry if the cheese doesn’t melt completely.
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Add half of the scallions, the pasta, and the remaining 1 cup of the pasta water. Stir, then gently spread the pasta and liquid in the saucepan into an even layer in the bottom of the prepared casserole dish. At this point it will look like a mess.
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Pour the beef mixture evenly over the noodles. Sprinkle with the cheddar.
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Bake the ground beef casserole until cheese is browned and bubbling around the edges, about 30 minutes. If desired, place the pan under the broiler for a minute or two to further brown the cheese. Watch carefully. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with the remaining spring onions and let stand 15 minutes before serving.
- TO STORE: Store leftover ground beef casserole in an airtight storage container for up to 3 days.
- TO WARM UP: Reheat leftovers in a Dutch oven on the stovetop over medium-high heat or gently in the microwave.
- FREEZE: Store in a freezer-safe, airtight container for up to 3 months, thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat.
Portion: 1from 6Calories: 559kcalCarbohydrates: 46GProtein: 38GFat: 23GSaturated Fatty Acids: 11GPolyunsaturated fat: 1GMonounsaturated fatty acids: 7GTrans fats: 0.3GCholesterol: 97mgPotassium: 519mgFiber: 6GSugar: 6GVitamin A: 1260ieVitamin C: 45mgCalcium: 356mgIron: 2mg
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More ground beef dinner ideas
Ground beef makes so many easy and crowd-pleasing dinners! Taco casserole, pasta casserole and shepherd’s pie are all classics.