The Ultimate Cheeseburger Casserole

A SUPER Easy Ground Beef Recipe: Cheeseburger Casserole!

If you’ve ever found yourself craving a cheeseburger but don’t feel like firing up the grill, fear not! Introducing the ultimate cheeseburger casserole, a delightful twist that brings all the flavors of that beloved burger straight to your dinner table. Get ready for a meal that’s as hearty as it is fun to make!

Gather Your Ingredients

To whip up this masterpiece, you’ll need:

(12oz) large elbow macaroni

(1lb) of juicy ground beef (aim for that 90/10 lean-to-fat ratio)

(1c) diced onion

(4t) minced garlic

(3c) baby Bella mushrooms, sliced

 (2T) tomato paste

(⅓c) all-purpose flour

(1¼c) beef stock

(2T) Worcestershire sauce

(2½T) Better Than Bouillon beef base (or 25g powdered beef bouillon)

(2T) Dijon mustard

(1c) heavy cream

(⅓c) sour cream (add off heat)

(2c) shredded mozzarella cheese

(½c) grated parmesan cheese

(3.5oz) Fried onions, crumbled (store-bought)

Let’s Get Cooking!

The beauty of cheeseburger casserole lies in its simplicity.

Start by boiling 4 quarts of water and cook your macaroni until al dente (or as some like to call it, *toothsome*). Drain it, coat it with a splash of olive oil, and set aside.

Meanwhile, in a dutch oven, cook that ground beef like a champ with just a pinch of salt. The goal is to break it down finely and get all those delicious beefy flavors mingling.

As the beef starts to brown, toss in the onion and garlic! Make sure to scrape up every last bit of goodness stuck to the bottom—after all, those flavors are the secret to your casserole’s success.

Once the onion softens up, add those mushrooms, and watch them become tender friends with the beef!

Now comes the fun part—mixing in the tomato paste, flour, the beef stock, and heavy cream, creating a creamy base that dreams are made of.

And don’t forget the secret ingredients! The Beef Better Than Bouillon is a staple in our kitchen and kicks the flavor up a notch. And the tang from dijon mustard is truly one of a kind. Also, what’s a cheeseburger casserole without the Worcestershire sauce?!

Fold in your cooked macaroni along with the sour cream. Be sure to do this OFF heat since sour cream tends to curdle on high heat. Let’s not forget our mozzarella and parmesan cheese for a gooey glory that’s hard to resist. *Pro tip – splash some water if the casserole starts to get a bit TOO gooey. (But really… what’s too gooey mean anyways?)

Top it off with some crumbled fried onions for that crunchy goodness and slide it into the oven. In just 20-25 minutes, you’ll have a bubbling, golden dish that smells like heaven.

Enjoy this cheeseburger casserole with your loved ones, and watch them fight over the last scoop—because that’s just what this casserole is all about!

The Ultimate Cheeseburger Casserole

A comforting, easy casserole? Yes, please! 

Layer seasoned ground beef, creamy cheese sauce, and pasta, then top with shredded cheese and bake until golden and bubbly. It’s like your favorite cheeseburger in a single pan—family-friendly and ready in under an hour!

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Ingredients

  

• 12 oz large elbow macaroni
• 1 lb ground beef (90/10)
• 1 cup 1 cup diced onion
• 4 tsp minced garlic
• 3 cups baby bella mushrooms sliced
• 2 Tbsp tomato paste
• ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
• 1¼ cup beef stock
• 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2½ Tbsp Better Than Bouillon beef base
• 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 cup heavy cream
• ⅓ cup sour cream (add off heat)
• 2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
• 3.5 oz Fried onions crumbled (store-bought)

Instructions

 

• Boil 4 quarts of water. Salt well. Cook macaroni until al dente, drain, coat with olive oil, and set aside.
• In a Dutch oven over medium-high, cook ground beef with a pinch of salt, breaking it down finely as it cooks. When the beef is no longer pink, add onion, garlic, and another pinch of salt. Cook, scraping up any ground beef fond, until onions are soft (5 minutes).
• Add mushrooms and a pinch of salt and cook until they soften and lightly brown (5-8 mins), adding a bit of water to deglaze as mushrooms cook.
• Once mushrooms have begun to brown, stir in tomato paste and flour. Cook briefly, then add beef stock, Worcestershire, beef bouillon, Dijon, and heavy cream. Simmer for 2-3 minutes.
• Off heat, stir in sour cream. The sauce should be thick and creamy.
• Fold pasta with sauce, mozzarella, and parmesan. Adjust with a little water if needed.
• Transfer to a baking dish. Top with crumbled fried onions and more parmesan.
• Bake at 425°F/220C for 20-25 minutes until golden and bubbly.

Video

Keyword easy ground beef recipes, ground beef casserole, weeknight dinner