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All of the flavors of a classic burger come together with pasta in this easy dinner recipe! You only need about 20 minutes to assemble a Cheeseburger Casserole that your whole family will adore!
You can’t beat the ease or the crowd-pleasing appeal of a simple ground beef casserole. Add plenty of cheese and some al dente pasta, and this meal will soon become a regular in your weeknight meal rotation.
What is Cheeseburger Casserole?
This term refers to a variety of baked dishes that include ground beef, cheese, and either biscuits, crescent rolls, potatoes, or pasta. We’re using rotini in this recipe, and adding ketchup, mustard, pickles, tomatoes and onion. Just like a burger piled high with all of the toppings — but assembled in an easy, prep-ahead casserole!
How to make Cheeseburger Casserole:
You only need about 20 minutes to pull together this recipe before it goes into the oven. Let’s get started…
Ingredients:
- Rotini pasta
- Ground beef
- Onion
- Garlic
- Condensed cheddar cheese soup
- Milk
- Petite diced tomatoes
- Pickle relish
- Ketchup, mustard, Worcestershire sauce
- Grated cheddar cheese
First, cook the pasta in a large pot of salted water just until it’s al dente. While the pasta cooks, brown the beef, onion and garlic in a large skillet. Drain.
Stir in the cooked pasta and the rest of the ingredients, reserving half of the cheese for the top of your casserole.
How long to bake the casserole:
Bake the casserole at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the dish is heated through.
What to serve with Cheeseburger Casserole:
Top the casserole with sliced dill pickles, chopped green onion or red onion, or just chopped fresh parsley. The dish goes well with any of the following sides:
- A simple green salad tossed with Buttermilk Dressing
- Roasted Broccoli
- Southern Slow Cooker Green Beans
- Roasted Asparagus
Cook’s Tips and Recipe Variations:
- Make a Bacon Cheeseburger Casserole by adding 6 slices of chopped bacon to the skillet with the ground beef. Alternatively, use cooked, chopped bacon to garnish the casserole just before serving.
- Substitute ground chicken or ground turkey for the ground beef.
- Don’t have rotini? You can substitute with an equal amount of any similar short pasta.
- Prep Ahead! You can assemble this casserole in advance and keep it covered in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours before baking. Alternatively, freeze the casserole before baking for up to 3 months.
- Leftover casserole will stay fresh in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- Can you freeze the cooked casserole? Yes! The texture of the pasta may be a bit mushy after thawing, but it will still keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Is Cheeseburger Casserole Keto? No, this dish is not low-carb or Keto-friendly, thanks to the pasta in the recipe. One serving of the casserole has about 397 calories and about 26 grams of carbs.
More easy ground beef casserole recipes that you might enjoy:
- Cheeseburger Casserole with Tater Tots (or French Fries)
- Ground Beef Casserole with Cornbread Crust
- 5-Ingredient Taco Casserole
- Quick and Easy Amish Hamburger Casserole
Cheeseburger Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 cups uncooked rotini pasta (about 5 ounces)
- 1 lb. ground beef
- ½ cup chopped onion
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
- 1 (10.75 oz) can condensed cheddar cheese soup, NOT diluted
- ½ cup milk
- 1 (14.5 oz) can petite diced tomatoes, drained
- ¼ cup sweet pickle relish
- 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups (8 ounces) grated cheddar cheese, divided
- Optional garnish: sliced green onion, chopped or sliced dill pickles, chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
- Cook pasta in salted water until al dente, according to package instructions (about 8-10 minutes). Drain.
- While the pasta cooks, brown beef, onion and garlic in a large skillet over medium-high heat until meat is no longer pink. Drain. Stir in condensed soup, milk, tomatoes, pickle relish, mustard, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, 1 cup of cheese, and cooked pasta.
- Transfer mixture to the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle remaining 1 cup cheese over top. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until cheese is melted and casserole is heated through.
- Garnish with sliced green onions, dill pickle, or fresh herbs, if desired.
Notes
- Make a Bacon Cheeseburger Casserole by adding 6 slices of chopped bacon to the skillet with the ground beef. Alternatively, use cooked, chopped bacon to garnish the casserole just before serving.
- Substitute ground chicken or ground turkey for the ground beef.
- Don’t have rotini? You can substitute with an equal amount of any similar short pasta.
- Prep Ahead! You can assemble this casserole in advance and keep it covered in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours before baking. Alternatively, freeze the casserole before baking for up to 3 months.
- Leftover casserole will stay fresh in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- Can you freeze the cooked casserole? Yes! The texture of the pasta may be a bit mushy after thawing, but it will still keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Is Cheeseburger Casserole Keto? No, this dish is not low-carb or Keto-friendly, thanks to the pasta in the recipe. One serving of the casserole has about 397 calories and about 26 grams of carbs.
It looks really great. I want to do this. Thanks.
Hi Blair,
Cant wait for the 7up pound cake recipe!
Hopefully, next sunday ?
Hey, Judy! The cake recipe won’t be up until next month. Do you want me to email the recipe to you now? Let me know — I’m happy to send it along if you need it sooner! 🙂
Love this recipe but when I made it – I left out the noodles and sadded one 1 cup of Bisquick instead and it came out so good. Oh and I can’t thank you enough for using Healthy Request soup. That is the only kind I can buy because I am so allergic to MSG. Thank you again for shring this recipe.
Sounds delicious, Kathi! Thanks for sharing that variations with us! 🙂
Would you be excited by exchanging links?
I made this dish last night and it was a definite “Hit” !! My hubby & I really enjoyed it and so another one of your recipes is going into my “Keeper” file! Thanks! 🙂
That’s awesome, Tess! I’m so glad that you both enjoyed it. Thanks for letting me know!