This Amish hamburger casserole is a comforting dinner that’s full of ground beef, pasta, vegetables, and three different types of cheese. My mom served the layered sour cream noodle bake when I was growing up, and my own kids now love the easy meal, too. Pair it with a simple green salad, broccoli, cornbread, or a crusty loaf of bread!
Table of Contents
For even more ground beef recipes, be sure to try these cast iron skillet burgers, a pot of creamy tomato soup with ground beef and noodles, this cowboy casserole, this Jiffy cornbread taco bake, Johnny Marzetti, this stuffed bell pepper casserole, this ground beef casserole with rice, and a bacon cheeseburger casserole with rice, too!
Hamburger Noodle Casserole
When it comes to feeding our families, recipes like this cozy dinner make the daily task so much easier. I grew up on my mom’s old fashioned hamburger casserole, and I’m happy to report that it’s now one of my kids’ favorite dishes as well. What’s not to love about layers of noodles, ground beef, and cheese?!
In general, a “casserole” is any food that is cooked and served in the same dish. Casseroles typically include three main components: a base that provides the main flavor and texture of the dish (in this case, the ground beef), an extender that helps thicken the dish (here it’s the noodles), and a binder or liquid that holds it all together (such as the tomato soup). We’ve checked all of the boxes with this easy hamburger noodle casserole recipe, and we’ve upped the ante with some vegetables, cheese, and sour cream!
Ingredients
This is a quick overview of the ingredients that you’ll need for a classic sour cream noodle bake. As always, specific measurements and complete cooking instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.
- Egg noodles: cooked just until barely al dente, since the noodles will continue to bake in the oven.
- Cream cheese, cottage cheese, sour cream, and butter: come together to form the creamy, cheesy layers throughout the dish. It actually tastes similar to a lasagna recipe!
- Ground beef: gives the meal hearty, rich flavor.
- Onion, green bell pepper, and diced tomatoes: vegetables that add nutrition, flavor, and filling, satisfying bulk to the casserole.
- Condensed tomato soup: a sweet tomato sauce that brings the meat filling together.
- Worcestershire sauce: for a touch of salty, umami flavor that pairs so well with the beef.
- Shredded cheddar cheese or mozzarella cheese: because every good casserole deserves some ooey, gooey, melty cheese on top!
How to Make Hamburger Casserole
There’s nothing difficult about assembling this dish. You can even put it together in advance to make dinnertime quicker and easier!
- Boil the noodles; drain and set aside.
- Stir together the softened cream cheese, cottage cheese, sour cream, and melted butter in a large mixing bowl; set aside.
- Cook the ground beef, onion, and bell peppers in a large skillet. Drain off the fat.
- Stir in the diced tomatoes, tomato soup, and Worcestershire sauce.
- Assemble the casserole by layering half of the noodles, half of the cheese mixture, and half of the ground beef mixture.
- Repeat layers with remaining cheese mixture, beef mixture, and noodles.
- Top with cheddar cheese.
- Bake in a 350°F oven for 25-30 minutes, until the cheese melts and the filling is hot and bubbly.
What to Serve with this Ground Beef Casserole Recipe
Since this casserole includes protein, veggies, and a starch, you really don’t need anything else on the side. Convenient, right? However, if you’d like to round out the meal with a couple of other options, here are some great sides that go well with the hamburger casserole:
- 3-Ingredient Buttermilk Biscuits, Flaky Biscuits, Cheese Biscuits or Drop Biscuits
- Skillet Cornbread, Honey Cornbread, Corn Sticks, Mexican Cornbread or Sweet Cornbread Muffins
- Crusty French Baguette, Soft Dinner Rolls, or Homemade Crescent Rolls
- 3-Ingredient Sour Cream Muffins, Applesauce Pumpkin Muffins or Pumpkin Bread
- Green Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette, Caesar Salad, or our favorite House Salad with Candied Pecans
- Fried Corn
- Southern Fried Apples
- Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower
- Roasted Broccoli or Broccoli and Cheese
- Roasted Asparagus or Sauteed Asparagus
- Amish Green Beans with Brown Butter or Southern-Style Green Beans
- Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots
- Cranberry Sauce
- Balsamic Roasted Root Vegetables
Preparation and Storage Tips
- Prep ahead: You can assemble this casserole in advance and keep it covered in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours before baking.
- I do not recommend freezing this casserole, as the sour cream mixture has a tendency to “break” or separate when thawed.
- Have leftovers? The cooked casserole will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
How to Reheat
To reheat a previously baked casserole, cover the dish loosely with foil to prevent the top from excess browning. Warm in a 300°F oven for about 20 minutes, or just until heated through. If you need the topping to get crispy again, remove the foil cover during the final 5-10 minutes. You can also reheat individual portions in the microwave for about 1-2 minutes, just until heated through.
Recipe Variations — Old Fashioned Hamburger Casserole
- Cooking for a Smaller Family? Cut the ingredients in half and prepare the casserole in an 8-inch square baking dish. You can reduce the baking time to 20 minutes.
- Use ground turkey or ground chicken in lieu of the ground beef.
- Season the beef mixture with additional spices, such as an Italian seasoning blend, garlic powder, or onion powder. Herbs like parsley, basil, thyme, rosemary, chives, or oregano would all be great, too!
- Omit the bell pepper or onion if your family doesn’t like those extra vegetables, or substitute with different veggies like diced carrots or frozen peas.
- Instead of tomato soup, substitute with canned tomato sauce. The tomato sauce isn’t quite as sweet as the soup, so you might need to add a touch of sugar to balance the acidity in the tomatoes.
- Use ricotta cheese instead of cottage cheese. Since cottage cheese is saltier than ricotta, you might want to add a little bit of salt to the sour cream mixture.
- If you don’t have egg noodles, you can substitute with 8 ounces of another pasta that your family enjoys — such as cooked macaroni, penne, or farfalle.
Tips for the Best Hamburger Noodle Casserole
- Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water. Well-salted water is imperative for flavorful noodles.
- Boil the pasta just until barely al dente (about 1 minute less than called for on the box). They will continue to cook in the oven, so you don’t want to end up with mushy, overdone noodles.
- Bake the casserole just until it’s heated through. All of the ingredients are already cooked, so you just want to warm it in the oven until bubbly. Don’t bake it for too long or it may dry out or get burned on top.
- Garnish the casserole with fresh herbs, such as chopped parsley, for a bright touch of flavor and color.
More Hamburger Casserole Recipes to Try
- Hamburger Potato Casserole
- Easy Ground Beef Noodle Casserole
- Shipwreck Casserole
- Frito Pie
- Bisquick Cheeseburger Pie
- Tater Tot Cowboy Casserole
- 4-Ingredient Ground Beef Casserole
- Hamburger Casserole with Rice
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Hamburger Casserole
Equipment
- 9 x 13-Inch Baking Dish
Ingredients
- 8 ounces uncooked wide egg noodles
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened at room temperature
- 1 cup cottage cheese, at room temperature
- ½ cup sour cream, at room temperature
- 3 tablespoons salted butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 ½ lbs. ground beef
- ½ cup diced onion
- ½ of a medium green bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
- ¾ cup condensed tomato soup, not diluted
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 cup shredded cheddar or mozzarella cheese
- Optional garnish: chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish and set aside.
- Cook noodles in a large pot of salted boiling water until just barely al dente, about 5 to 6 minutes (1 minute less than package directions). Drain and set aside.
- In a large bowl, stir together softened cream cheese, cottage cheese, sour cream, and melted butter until smooth. Set aside.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef, onion, and bell pepper. Cook until meat is no longer pink and onion is translucent, about 5 to 7 minutes. Drain excess fat.
- Stir diced tomatoes, tomato soup, and Worcestershire sauce into the beef mixture.
- Layer half of the noodles in the prepared baking dish. Top with half of the cream cheese mixture, then half of the meat mixture. Repeat layers with remaining ingredients.
- Sprinkle shredded cheese evenly over the top.
- Bake uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes, until cheese is melted and edges are bubbly.
- Let rest 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh parsley if desired.
Notes
- Cook noodles al dente: Pull them 1 minute early since they’ll continue cooking in the oven.
- Drain the beef well: Excess grease makes the casserole greasy and can cause layers to separate.
- Room temperature dairy: Softened cream cheese and room-temp sour cream blend smoothly without lumps.
- Don’t overbake: Everything is already cooked, so you just need to heat it through until bubbly. Overbaking dries it out.
- Make ahead: Assemble up to 24 hours in advance and refrigerate. Add 5 to 10 minutes to baking time.
- Not freezer-friendly: The sour cream mixture tends to separate when thawed.
- Leftovers: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Reheat covered at 300°F for 20 minutes.
- Pasta swap: Macaroni, penne, or farfalle work in place of egg noodles. Use 8 ounces.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published in August, 2017. It was updated in December, 2021.
I’m not looking forward to summer ending, but I am looking forward to fall and cooler weather! I can’t believe kids go back to school in just two weeks, so crazy! This hamburger casserole sounds like a delicious meal, Blair! I love the hearty ingredients in here. Sounds perfect for back-to-school or anytime!
Thanks, Gayle! I agree — bring on the fall and cooler weather!
Regarding the Amish Hamburger Casserole, are we to drain the juice of the diced tomatoes? I want to make this soon but I’m afraid of having a sloppy mess. Please let me know. Thank you, Franci pS I just discovered you. This will be my first time trying one of your recipes.
Hi, Franci! Yes — in the recipe card at the bottom of the post it calls for a 14.5 ounce can of diced tomatoes drained. So glad that you found my site. I hope you enjoy the casserole!
Could I substitute ricotta for the cottage cheese
Hi, Terry! Yes, I think that would work fine. The ricotta will have a thicker, stiffer texture than the cottage cheese, but it should still be okay. The ricotta also isn’t nearly as salty as cottage cheese, so you might need to add some extra seasoning. Hope you enjoy!
Can I use this and just add some peas an carrots along with the onions an peppers
Absolutely, Elizabeth! Feel free to add what you enjoy. If you’re using fresh, raw carrots, you may want to steam them first so that they’re not too crunchy in the casserole. Enjoy!
Thank you! 🙂
Yum! We definitely need to try this soon as it looks delicious!
Thanks so much! I hope that you do!
Absolutely a smashing hit with the family. Will make again, thank you
Wonderful! Thanks, April! I’m so glad that you all enjoyed it. 🙂
I made this tonight….WOW!! I had 2 men and myself that went back for 2nds, (I never go back for 2nds). I will be taking this for lunch tomorrow also, (I am NOT a lunch eater, I eat 1 time a day…..unusually breakfast). I made this EXACTLY as the recipe stated and it was AMAZING!! Another commenter said….there wasnt enough cheese, HOGWASH….there is PLENTY of cheese in this recipe AS IS!!! Thank you for sharing, I WILL be making this again and again!!
YAY! I’m so glad that it was a hit in your house, Diane! My boys all love this meal, too. And I agree — there’s plenty of cheese in the recipe. 🙂 Thanks so much for your positive feedback!
Do I have to use cottage cheese ?? I don’t even like the looks or smell of it .!! Lol
Hi, Karen! Nope, you definitely don’t need to use cottage cheese if you don’t like it. 🙂
Do you like ricotta cheese? That’s a good substitute, but you’d need to season it with a bit of salt and pepper because it doesn’t have as much flavor on its own. If you don’t like that substitute, you can even just omit the cottage cheese altogether and replace it with a little bit more sour cream and cream cheese. The casserole will obviously have a different taste and texture, but it should still “work.”
I tried this recipe and started layering it but decided to just mix it all together and bake it. I also added some additional seasoning-italian seating and minced garlic. Added a bit more flavor and turned out good. Even my 7 year old who doesn’t like anything didn’t complain about his supper. I can only give it a four star because of the canned tomato soup, I generally don’t use canned foods.
I made this and it was very good but a little on the dry side. I would suggest adding half or anither can of tomato soup and doubling the cottage cheese mixture. You can always discard what you dont use but i neesed a little more. I also seasoned my meat very well, used red and green bellpeppers and ground turkey instead of beef as i dont eat red meat. Other than those tweaks, great recipe!
Glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
I made this last night for dinner! Everyone loved it!!! this is definitely a recipe to keep! I modified mine a bit as I didn’t have everything on hand. I used macaroni since I didn’t have egg noodles, and I used ricotta cheese since I didn’t have cottage cheese but still excellent!
Thank you for a wonderful recipe.
Awesome! Thanks so much for letting me know, JoAnn! Your substitutions sound perfect. 🙂
5 stars!⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Easy to follow recipie and it was so delicious …I don’t even like tomatoes ….I will share this with anyone who asks
Awesome! Thank you, Alyssa!!! 🙂
I love this recipe, and though it is meant for a quick meal, I let my sauce simmer for a few hours so all the flavors would marry. I seasoned the meat as it cooked with salt, pepper, garlic powder and added some dried Italian seasoning.I added some garlic cloves that I put through a garlic press.I have to say that this was so delicious, it will become a part of my monthly meal rotation. The tomato soup adds a nice depth of flavor to the sauce. Thank you for sharing.
Wow, your version sounds amazing, Kirsten! 🙂
Yummy! I omited onion and bell pepper but stired in a pouch of beefy onion dry soup mix to the beef, used tomatoe bisque and a sprinkle of cinnamon to beef mixture, and italian diced tomatoes…everything else the same…a real winner with the picky eaters in my family.
Thank you for a great receipe
Sounds great! Thank you! 🙂
I made this tonight and it was really good. I also experimented on a lower carb version using Zucchini noodles and even that was good. Thanks so much really enjoyed it!
That’s great, Brenda! I’m so glad to know that the zucchini noodles worked, too! 🙂
I made this earlier in the week for a friend I was looking after who underwent surgery. We both adored it. I used up some bolognese sauce I made last week in place of the meat and tomatoes, but I still added the Worcestershire to change the character in keeping with the recipe. This is truly my dream-tasting hamburger casserole. I think it’s the excellent combination of cottage cheese, cream cheese, sour cream and butter that makes it so special. Thanks for sharing this recipe. It will definitely be part of my fall-winter-spring standards.
Wonderful! I’m so glad to hear that you and your friend enjoyed the meal! I bet it’s delicious with your homemade sauce! 🙂
Made on our first day of cooler weather here in the south! This a great and delicious meal. My family loved it. My hubs says, I hope you kept the recipe. I give you 5 stars!
Wonderful!! I’m so happy to hear that you and your husband enjoyed the meal. Thanks, Rhonda!
I make this all the time! I LOVE it!! And your “dump and bake@ casseroles are AMAZING! I’m a HUGE fan of your recipes! They work so well with my hectic lifestyle.
Hugs!!!
Tracey
Thank you so much, Tracey! I’m so glad that you find the recipes helpful and that you enjoy this casserole. 🙂
SOOOO GOOOD! AND i have a pretty picky husband and son. I prepared it on sunday and threw in oven wednesday (busy working mom that loves prepped food). Also just as delicious warmed up next day.
Yay! So glad that this was a hit in your house, Sara! Good to know that you can prep it that far ahead — so convenient for a busy mamma! 🙂
Is this a loose or a firm casserole? What I mean by that is do you spoon this out of the casserole dish or do you slice it and then remove it by the section?
Hi, Mike! I’d say it’s a loose casserole. It’s not as firm as something like lasagna that you can slice into squares. Hope that helps!
Looking for one recipe, found this instead. It was great, didn’t tweak except for garlic powder. Put the topping cheese on after baking. Hubby came back for 3rd helping and has taken the rest for lunch.
Great! So glad that the husband approved, too! 🙂
Hi, Melody!
I’m not sure where you saw it listed as “Meals for the Homeless,” because I don’t have that categorization on my own site. Was it a link on some other website? If so, I’m sorry — I don’t have any control over that.
I’m not familiar with the volume that a foil lasagne pan can hold, but I would guess that it’s about double that of a regular 9 x 13 casserole dish that I used here. As a result, you should be able to quadruple the ingredients and bake the recipe in two large pans. For instance, use 32 ounces of noodles, 32 ounces of cream cheese, 4 cups of cottage cheese, 2 cups of sour cream, etc. and divide everything between the two pans. The cooking time should be roughly the same, although you’ll likely want to add 5-10 minutes to the total bake time just to account for the larger quantity in each pan.
Hope that helps, and enjoy!
Making this SOON !!! Already plans / ingredients bought for Quinoa Chicken Fajita Dump n Bake Casserole .. My son who is ”not a big fan ofcasserole type dishes” absolutely said “l LOVE it” first time I made it ..!! And ate 3 huge helpings of it ..!!! Have made it probably 4-5 in the last couplein of months and I’m NOT a big cook ..!!!
Wonderful! Enjoy, Tammie! 🙂
I added extra tomatoes and soup. This recipe was a huge winner! Thanks !
Wonderful! Thanks, Kathy!