Hamburger Casserole

This easy Hamburger Casserole is loaded with flavor from sweet onions, red bell pepper, garlic, tomatoes, and elbow macaroni. It’s all in a perfectly seasoned tomato sauce base and topped with Monterey Jack and cheddar cheese.

Discover a simple and delicious hamburger casserole recipe perfect for busy weeknights. With just a few ingredients and minimal prep time, this dish will quickly become a family favorite.

Enjoy this hearty casserole with a simple garden salad, crusty cheese garlic bread, minestrone soup, or tomato salad.

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

See the complete list of ingredients below on the recipe card.

• Ground beef: use ground beef with a bit of fat in it for flavor
• Onion: preferably yellow for sweetness
• Bell pepper: any color bell pepper works
• Tomato sauce: or crushed tomatoes
• Fire-roasted diced tomatoes: if you can not find them, substitute diced tomatoes
• Elbow macaroni: this recipe can be used with any short pasta shape, including rotini, elbow macaroni, farfalle, penne, egg noodles, or cellentani pasta.
• Cheese: cheddar, Monterey Jack, or a Mexican blend cheese works well

How to make Hamburger Casserole

This is the summary version; see the recipe card below for the complete list of ingredients and the instructions.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook the elbow macaroni al dente according to package instructions. Drain well in a colander in the sink.

Meanwhile, brown the ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat. About halfway through the browning process, add the onion and red bell pepper. Continue cooking until the veggies are soft and the ground beef is browned. Drain any excess grease. Reduce the heat to low and add the garlic and Italian seasoning, cooking for 1 minute while stirring constantly.

Stir in the tomato sauce, fire-roasted diced tomatoes, and cooked macaroni. Simmer for a couple of minutes. Season with kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste. Spoon the ground beef mixture into a 9×13-inch casserole dish. Top with a mixture of shredded cheddar cheese and shredded Monterey Jack cheese. Cover and bake for 15 minutes. Then remove the foil and bake for another 5 minutes.

Preparation Tips

• Cook the noodles al dente, which means slightly firm. They will be simmered for a few minutes and then baked.
• You can substitute Italian sausage, ground turkey, ground chicken, or ground pork.
• Cook in the oven long enough to heat the casserole and melt the cheese.
• Other cheeses to try include provolone, Parmesan, Fontina, mozzarella, and pepper jack if you like spicy foods.

Hot to Freeze This Casserole

Already baked: First, let the casserole fully cool. Then, wrap the dish in several layers of plastic wrap. Place on a level shelf in the freezer and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight, and remove the casserole from the fridge 40 minutes before baking to bring it to room temperature. Reheat at reduced power in the microwave.

Before baking: Prep the dish and wrap it in several layers of plastic wrap. Place on a level shelf in the freezer and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and remove the casserole from the fridge 40 minutes before baking to bring it to room temperature. Bake according to the recipe directions.

Storage and Reheat

Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, cover the dish with foil and place it in a 350-degree oven for about 15 minutes or until heated through.

Alternatively, reheat in the microwave at reduced power for short increments until warm. It is always best to remove the casserole from the refrigerator 40 minutes before reheating to bring it to room temperature.

More Ground Beef Recipes

Easy Hamburger Casserole Recipe

A quick and easy ground beef casserole recipe with onions, bell peppers, garlic, tomatoes, elbow macaroni, and diced tomatoes, all under a blanket of melty Monterey Jack and cheddar cheese.

5 from 52 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: main meal beef

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 531kcal

Author: Beth Pierce

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 small onion diced
• 1 red or green bell pepper diced
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 ½ teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 (14.5-ounces) can fire roasted diced tomatoes
• 2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
• Kosher salt to taste
• Fresh ground black pepper to taste
• 1 cup finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 cup finely shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray for easier cleanup.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook the elbow macaroni al dente according to package directions. Drain well.
• Meanwhile, brown the ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat. About halfway through the browning process, add the onion and the red bell pepper. Continue cooking until the onion and bell pepper are soft and the ground beef is browned. Drain any excess grease. Reduce the heat to low and add the garlic and Italian seasoning, cooking for 1 minute while stirring constantly.
• Stir in the tomato sauce, fire-roasted diced tomatoes, and cooked macaroni. Simmer for a couple of minutes. Season with kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste.
• Spoon the beef mixture into a 9×13-inch casserole. Top with a mixture of shredded cheddar cheese and shredded Monterey Jack cheese. Cover and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the casserole is heated through.

Notes

• Cook the noodles al dente, which means slightly firm. They will be simmered for a few minutes and then baked.
• You can substitute Italian sausage, ground turkey, ground chicken, or ground pork.
• Cook in the oven long enough to heat the casserole and melt the cheese.
• Other cheeses to try include provolone, Parmesan, Fontina, mozzarella, and, if you like spicy things, Pepperjack.

Nutrition

Calories: 531kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 89mg | Sodium: 293mg | Potassium: 466mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1135IU | Vitamin C: 30mg | Calcium: 315mg | Iron: 3mg

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