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    Home » What We're Eating » 4-Ingredient Ground Beef Casserole

    4-Ingredient Ground Beef Casserole

    Published: Oct 30, 2017 by Blair Lonergan

    Jump to Recipe
    Long collage of 4-Ingredient Ground Beef Casserole

    This 4-Ingredient Crescent Roll Ground Beef Casserole comes together in just minutes for an easy weeknight dinner! It's a simple one dish meal that you will turn to again and again when you need to feed your family...fast!

    A ground beef casserole on a plate with a fork

    Along with chicken breasts, ground beef is one of those staples that makes its way onto our meal plan just about every week. It's easy to buy the meat in bulk and then save it in the freezer for nights when you don't want to make a separate trip to the store, and the versatile protein works in so many different types of recipes.

    Since I'm always looking for new ways to keep dinnertime interesting, you can imagine how happy I was when a reader named Stephanie shared this ground beef casserole recipe with me! One look at the list of ingredients and I instantly knew that it would be a winner in my house, too!Ground beef casserole in a white dish with a spatula

    I originally "met" Stephanie when she participated in the free 5-Day Meal Planning Challenge that I hosted earlier this fall. We were swapping recipe ideas, and Stephanie mentioned this dish that her family always called "That Pizza Casserole." Here's what Stephanie had to say:

    One of our favorite "quick" dinners is one that we had when both our children were growing up, and now my husband and I still enjoy it! The bonus now is that there are more pieces leftover for lunch the next day!

    What You Need To Make This Ground Beef Casserole;

    • Beef
    • Crescent rolls
    • Salsa
    • Cheddar cheese

    A slice of ground beef casserole on a blue plate topped with green onions

    Although I called this recipe a Ground Beef Casserole, it's also a lot like a Taco Pizza (as Stephanie said). The crescent rolls form the crust, which is filled with salsa (or barbecue sauce), ground beef, and cheese. Who knew that 4 simple ingredients could taste so darn good!?

    A ground beef casserole in a white dish with a spatula

    In fact, the first time I served this ground beef casserole, Keith spent the entire meal raving about it. No, I didn't tell him just how easy it was (I'll let him think that I spent a long day slaving over a hot stove)! The dish is now on my go-to list of "quick dinners" as well -- thanks to the tip from Stephanie!

    More Ground Beef Casserole Recipes You Might Like:

    • 5-Ingredient Dump-and-Bake Beefaroni
    • 5-Ingredient Cabbage Casserole
    • Johnny Marzetti Casserole
    • Taco Pasta Casserole
    A ground beef casserole on a plate with a fork
    Print Pin
    4.95 from 17 votes

    4-Ingredient Ground Beef Casserole

    This ground beef casserole couldn't be easier to make and is sure to please the whole family.
    Course Dinner
    Cuisine Mexican
    Keyword beef casserole, easy casserole
    Prep Time 15 minutes
    Cook Time 20 minutes
    Total Time 35 minutes
    Servings 6 servings
    Calories 287.6kcal
    Author Blair Lonergan

    Ingredients

    • 1 8 ounce can Pillsbury crescent roll dough (I like to use the Crescent Dough Sheets, which don’t have any perforations)
    • 1 lb. extra lean ground beef can substitute with ground turkey or chicken as well
    • 1 cup salsa can substitute with barbecue sauce
    • 1 cup grated cheddar cheese (I used 2% cheese, but any variety will work)
    • Optional garnish: sliced green onions

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350F (180C).
    • Spray an 11 x 7-inch baking dish with cooking spray. You can also use a 9 x 13-inch dish -- it will just yield a slightly thinner crust and beef layer. Either works well, though!
    • Unroll crescent roll dough and press into the bottom of the prepared dish to form a crust. Set aside.
    • In a large skillet, cook ground beef over medium-high heat until no longer pink. Drain any fat from the skillet.
    • Stir in 1 cup of salsa.
    • Spoon beef mixture over the crescent roll dough. Sprinkle with grated cheese.
    • Bake for 20 minutes, or until crust is golden brown. Cut into squares and serve.

    Notes

    Feeding a Smaller Family? Stephanie prepares this meal for just two of them now that her kids are grown up, and she says that it's delicious leftover the next day for lunch! I wouldn't know, since it never lasts more than one meal in our house. ????
     

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1/6 of the recipe | Calories: 287.6kcal | Carbohydrates: 17.3g | Protein: 23.5g | Fat: 14.7g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 63.8mg | Sodium: 827mg | Sugar: 2.7g
    « Our Week in Meals #50
    30 Days of Easy Chicken Breast Recipes »

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice

      October 30, 2017 at 7:07 am

      Easy dishes like this were made for me! I make a similar dish, except with taco flavors. I've got to try your version next time! Thanks to Stephanie for sharing! 🙂 Love the simplicity of this and the fact that it's easy to jazz up, too. Sounds like a winner for dinner! 🙂

      Reply
      • Blair

        October 30, 2017 at 1:13 pm

        Thanks, Gayle! Yep -- easy dishes like this were made for me, too! SO good!

        Reply
        • Leslie Cipriani

          December 06, 2017 at 7:03 pm

          Blair,

          I have tried so many of your recipes from your blog and have loved every single one of them. Thank you so much for sharing and God bless. By the way, I live in Richmond Virginia and envy that you live in the mountains. The Blue Ridge Mountains are so beautiful and I make it up there every year for my birthday. Luckily, my birthday is in October so I get to hit the mountains at the perfect time.

          Reply
          • Blair

            December 06, 2017 at 7:41 pm

            Hi, Leslie! Thank you so much for your note! We're practically neighbors! 🙂

            I do love the mountains, but I also think Richmond is a really great little city. I used to spend quite a bit of time there when I was working as a lawyer, and you can't beat the Jefferson Hotel! The kids and I also love the Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens. It's such an easy city to navigate and get around, which I appreciate -- not too overwhelming!

            Thanks so much for reading the blog and for saying, "hi!" Enjoy the holidays!

            Reply
        • Trisha Brandhorst

          September 29, 2018 at 9:57 pm

          5 stars
          I just tried this recipe wth the bbq sauce variation, & let me tell you what!!! It was absolutely amazing, my husband loved it!! Thank you!!

          Reply
    2. Cass Andersen

      October 30, 2017 at 7:34 am

      5 stars
      I've made a similar dish for the past few years except I'll pour about a cup and a half of mexican white cheese dip over the top and then put another layer of crescent rolls on top. I'll sprinkle taco seasoning on the top and bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes until the rolls are done.

      Reply
      • Blair

        October 30, 2017 at 1:13 pm

        Yum! Your version sounds delicious, too! Thanks, Cass!

        Reply
    3. Jerry

      October 30, 2017 at 10:02 pm

      5 stars
      Savory barbecue sauce mixed with ground beef and topped with a buttery crescent roll crust is sure to impress your family and guests. With just a handful of ingredients, what’s not to love?

      Reply
      • Blair

        October 31, 2017 at 6:46 am

        Exactly! So, so good!

        Reply
    4. Yvonne

      October 31, 2017 at 12:21 am

      Hi, what can I use in England to substitute crescent rolls please?

      Reply
      • Blair

        October 31, 2017 at 6:46 am

        Hi, Yvonne! If you don't have anything like refrigerated biscuit or pastry dough, I would use regular refrigerated pizza dough! 🙂

        Reply
      • Alice Field

        November 16, 2017 at 1:14 am

        I'm in the UK... Read recently that "crescent roll dough" is essentially croissant dough, and sold in tubes in Tesco freezer aisles.

        Reply
        • Blair

          November 16, 2017 at 5:23 am

          OH!!!! Yes, I didn't realize that you can purchase croissant dough in the UK. That's definitely what you would want to use, since crescent rolls are basically just little croissants! Thanks for that tip, Alice!

          Reply
    5. Leslie Cipriani

      December 06, 2017 at 7:04 pm

      5 stars
      Blair,

      I have tried so many of your recipes from your blog and have loved every single one of them. Thank you so much for sharing and God bless. By the way, I live in Richmond Virginia and envy that you live in the mountains. The Blue Ridge Mountains are so beautiful and I make it up there every year for my birthday. Luckily, my birthday is in October so I get to hit the mountains at the perfect time.

      Reply
    6. David McKethan

      June 02, 2018 at 9:26 pm

      Hi Blair,
      Do I need to bake the bottom croissant till it's half baked and then add the hamburger mixture so that it's not soggy?

      Reply
      • Blair

        June 03, 2018 at 5:26 am

        Hi, David! No, I have never pre-baked the crust. It's not going to be a crispy crust like you would find on a brick-oven pizza, but I never found it to be soggy. You could certainly pre-bake it if you want to try it that way, though. If the edges start to get too brown when it's in the oven for the second time, just lightly cover the edges with foil (like you would do with a pie crust). Hope that helps!

        Reply
    7. Sam M

      August 29, 2018 at 5:12 am

      5 stars
      how do you adjust this for chicken breast?

      Reply
      • Blair

        August 29, 2018 at 7:47 am

        Hi, Sam! You can use ground chicken breast in exactly the same way that the recipe calls for ground beef. It's an equal swap.

        If you want to replace the beef with cooked, diced chicken breast, you will need about 1 1/2 - 2 cups of the cooked chicken. All other instructions remain the same. Enjoy!

        Reply
    8. Tim

      September 26, 2018 at 6:45 pm

      5 stars
      Tasted great and indeed simple to make. I added seasoned black beans which worked well.

      Reply
      • Blair

        September 27, 2018 at 6:09 am

        Thank you, Tim!

        Reply
    9. Jackie Aszman

      November 06, 2018 at 10:45 am

      5 stars
      I made this recipe last night. It was super easy and delicious. I always know if it was liked when my picky eater significant other takes three helpings. The only thing I changed was I put a layer of the crescent rolls on top as well.
      Thanks sharing recipes that are quick, easy, AND delicious!

      Reply
    10. Marisa

      December 05, 2018 at 6:56 pm

      Do you think it is too spicy for a toddler if the salsa is used?

      Reply
      • Blair

        December 06, 2018 at 8:49 am

        Hi, Marisa! That totally depends on the type of salsa that you use. If you can find a mild salsa, it should be totally fine. Medium or hot salsas will probably be too spicy, but every kid is different! 🙂

        Reply
    11. Alicia

      December 11, 2018 at 1:06 am

      5 stars
      Tried the recipe - it was delicious and very easy to make!. Perfect dinner for busy nights
      Thank you!

      Reply
      • Blair

        December 11, 2018 at 6:37 pm

        Great! Thanks so much, Alicia!

        Reply
    12. Merri B

      February 17, 2019 at 8:24 pm

      5 stars
      Awesome dish, as a new empty nester making full meals are a thing of the past! So when the girls came down for the weekend, this dish was truly right on time....WE LOVED IT!!!!!!! TY so much

      Reply
      • Blair

        February 18, 2019 at 6:05 am

        Awesome! Thanks, Merri!

        Reply
    13. Christie Gillispie

      March 14, 2019 at 8:10 pm

      Want to try this tonight. Can I subsitute with biscuits and thin them some like crossiant rolls?

      Reply
      • Blair

        March 14, 2019 at 8:34 pm

        That might work, but you want to be sure that you create a crust without any seams or holes in the bottom. If you can press the biscuit dough together enough to create that crust, then I think it would be fine. 🙂

        Reply
    14. Christina

      May 09, 2019 at 6:44 pm

      5 stars
      Thanks for the recipe! I've made it several times now and my family loves it. I've added black beans and corn a couple of times along with diced tomatoes when I was out of salsa, which is really good too. I also bake them in muffin tins, using one crescent triangle per hole, which the kids love!

      Reply
      • Blair

        May 10, 2019 at 5:38 am

        I love that idea to make individual portions in the muffin tin. So fun!

        Reply
    15. Tonya

      June 01, 2019 at 4:37 pm

      4 stars
      A few months ago I had 2 major surgeries and discovered during my time off I LOVE TO COOK! Several times a week I "Google" for recipes using ingreduents I have on hand and while doing this I found your site. While I've found some really good recipes, Ive never been impressed enough before to sign up or even make a comment till now. I love the way you interact with your followers and the food I have tried so far is on point! Thank you for sharing your food and your time!!

      Reply
      • Blair

        June 01, 2019 at 6:29 pm

        Oh, thank you so much, Tonya! I love hearing that, and I appreciate your kind words!!

        Reply
    16. Ginny

      September 01, 2019 at 11:16 pm

      5 stars
      We used the bbq sauce one and added onion and it was awesome! We will try the salsa one next. Thanks lots for this wonderful recipe.

      Reply
      • Blair

        September 02, 2019 at 6:11 am

        That's great, Ginny! I'm so glad that you liked it! If you want a taco version, this is a newer post and it's my kids' favorite: https://www.theseasonedmom.com/lightened-up-taco-crescent-casserole/

        Have a good week!

        Reply
    17. Regina

      April 23, 2020 at 12:04 pm

      I used refrigerated peach mango salsa mixed with a little barbecue sauce, waiting to taste it.

      Reply
      • Blair

        April 23, 2020 at 2:22 pm

        Sounds good! I hope you enjoy, Regina!

        Reply
        • Regina

          April 23, 2020 at 2:34 pm

          It is delicious, thank you for sharing , I made cole slaw on the side next time I will try regular salsa, or just barbecue sauce.

          Reply
          • Blair

            April 24, 2020 at 5:37 am

            Great! Thank you!

            Reply
    18. Lindsay

      May 01, 2020 at 7:52 pm

      This was delicious and so easy! I used a 9x9 pan (that’s the closest I had), and that worked well. I used the BBQ sauce substitute and threw in some tomatoes, spinach, and onion. It was great and I will definitely make it again!

      Reply
      • Blair

        May 02, 2020 at 5:44 am

        Thanks, Lindsay! I'm so glad that it worked well for you! 🙂

        Reply
    19. Faye Bozeman

      June 25, 2020 at 7:53 pm

      5 stars
      I made this using sloppy joe sauce and it was delicious. Family licked the pan clean. Thanks so much for the easy recipes.

      Reply
      • Blair

        June 25, 2020 at 8:06 pm

        Thanks, Faye!

        Reply
    20. Nicole

      July 01, 2020 at 8:54 pm

      5 stars
      Great easy recipe! I have several teenage boys so I added a can of refried beans to make the hamburger mixture go further. It was a hit! Thanks for sharing!!!!

      Reply
      • Blair

        July 02, 2020 at 5:29 am

        Thanks, Nicole! I'll have to remember that tip for when my 3 boys are all teenagers! 🙂

        Reply
    21. Kathy Mood

      August 02, 2020 at 10:52 pm

      This looks & sounds really good & quite easy..my husband just requested tacos, so I think I'll give this a try..I know I'll love it & hopefully so will he! TY for your recipe.

      Reply
      • Blair

        August 03, 2020 at 6:06 am

        Great! Enjoy, Kathy!

        Reply
    22. Home cook

      August 17, 2021 at 1:18 pm

      Add some doritos on top and it will be even better!

      Reply
      • Blair

        August 17, 2021 at 2:08 pm

        Yes, Doritos make everything better, right?! 🙂

        Reply
    23. Katie

      November 12, 2021 at 11:06 pm

      5 stars
      This was delicious. My family ate it all up! I didn’t have salsa so I added taco seasoning and 1/2 cup tomato sauce to the meat and cooked it a couple minutes before adding to the crescent layer. It was delicious! Fed 6 people just fine! I will definitely make it again! Very quick and easy!

      Reply
      • Katie

        November 12, 2021 at 11:08 pm

        5 stars
        I forgot to add that chopping up some taco toppings would also go great with this. Lettuce, olives, sour cream, etc. Yum!

        Reply
      • Blair Lonergan

        November 13, 2021 at 5:46 am

        Awesome! Thanks, Katie. I appreciate you taking the time to come back here and leave a note. 🙂

        Reply
    24. Dallas Lawrence

      April 06, 2022 at 2:51 pm

      I make this often, it's always a hit with my family. I add a packet of taco seasoning and instead of salsa I use 8 oz can of hot tomato sauce. Simple and delicious!!

      Reply
      • Blair Lonergan

        April 06, 2022 at 3:00 pm

        Sounds perfect, Dallas! Thanks for sharing that version...I bet it's delicious!

        Reply
    25. Tiffany

      April 20, 2022 at 10:45 am

      5 stars
      Super versatile! Did bbq sauce and added onions and a little leftover corn. So easy, fast, and yummy! Excited to try other recipes of yours!

      Reply
      • Blair Lonergan

        April 20, 2022 at 12:58 pm

        Awesome! Thanks, Tiffany!

        Reply

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