Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. I may earn a small commission for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial, and/or link to any products or services from this website.
This creamy, cheesy Spinach and Ground Beef Casserole is an old-fashioned, easy dinner that’s ready for the oven in about 30 minutes. You’ll love the hearty combination of creamed spinach, satisfying beef, and crispy golden brown onions. It’s a cozy meal for busy nights!
Quite possibly the best way to get your family to eat their leafy greens — in a cheesy, creamy Spinach and Ground Beef Casserole! You won’t find any complaints here! Pair the easy baked dish with some warm dinner rolls or a loaf of homemade bread for a comforting and delicious dinner.
Why We Love this Ground Beef Casserole:
Casseroles are easy meals that make it simple to get dinner on the table fast, and this recipe is no exception! I just turned one of my favorite side dishes — Creamed Spinach Casserole — into an entree by adding a healthy dose of satisfying protein (thanks to the ground beef)!
- The recipe is versatile since you can add any veggies (or meats) that you happen to have on hand!
- Cooking ground beef with onion and garlic adds tons of flavor. Using frozen chopped spinach keeps the cook time quick and the cost affordable.
- You can prepare this recipe in advance and bake the dish just in time for dinner.
How to make Spinach and Ground Beef Casserole:
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 spinach), and a binder or liquid that holds it all together (such as the condensed soup). We’ve checked all of the boxes with this easy hamburger casserole recipe, and we’ve upped the ante with some cheese and crunchy French fried onions! Let’s get started…
Ingredients for Ground Beef and Spinach Pie:
- Ground beef
- Onion
- Garlic
- Frozen chopped spinach
- Cream cheese
- Condensed cream of mushroom soup
- Sour cream
- Milk
- Grated mozzarella cheese
- French fried onions
Step 1: Cook Ground Beef
First, brown the beef, onion and garlic in a large skillet. Drain off the grease.
Step 2: Add Remaining Ingredients
Next, add the spinach, cream cheese, condensed soup, salt, sour cream, milk and 1 cup of the grated mozzarella. Stir over low heat just until warmed through and completely combined.
Step 3: Bake Spinach Casserole
Transfer the mixture to a 2-quart baking dish and cover with foil. Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 20 minutes.
Step 4: Add Toppings
Remove the cover after 20 minutes, and sprinkle the top of the casserole with the remaining cheese and the French fried onions.
Pop the dish back in the oven for about 5-10 more minutes, or just until the cheese is melted and the casserole is hot and bubbly.
What to serve with Spinach and Ground Beef Casserole:
While there are a lot of leafy greens in this dish (thanks to the spinach) and plenty of protein from the ground beef, there is not any rice, pasta or other grains. As a result, here are a few sides that go well with the Spinach and Ground Beef Casserole:
- Rice or buttered noodles
- Dinner rolls or a loaf of crusty No-Knead Bread
- Garlic bread or breadsticks
- Buttermilk Biscuits or Cheddar Bay Biscuits
- Skillet Cornbread
- Blueberry Muffins
- Pumpkin Muffins or Pumpkin Bread
- Southern Fried Apples
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.
- Have leftovers? The cooked casserole will keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- I do not recommend freezing this casserole. The sour cream and milk-based sauce may “break” or separate when thawed.
- To reheat a previously baked casserole: Cover the dish loosely with foil to prevent the top from excess browning. Warm in a 300 degree 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, just until heated through.
Cook’s Tips and Recipe Variations:
- Swap out the ground beef and use sausage or ground turkey instead.
- Add extra vegetables to the casserole. Sautéed mushrooms would be great, and so would corn, canned (drained) diced tomatoes, or even diced and peeled boiled eggplant.
- Instead of cream of mushroom soup, try cream of celery soup or cream of chicken soup for a slightly different flavor.
- Make sure that you squeeze the spinach very dry before adding it to the casserole. I like to use a dish towel to wring out the liquid, which prevents a watery, soggy casserole.
- Start with softened, room temperature cream cheese, sour cream and milk. This will help the ingredients come together smoothly.
More ground beef casserole recipes that you might enjoy:
- Hamburger Casserole with Rice
- Ground Beef Casserole with Cornbread Crust
- Dump-and-Bake Ground Beef Casserole with Rice
- Amish Hamburger Casserole with Noodles
Spinach and Ground Beef Casserole
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1 cup finely chopped onion
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
- 2 (10 oz) boxes frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 (10.5 oz) can condensed cream of mushroom soup, NOT diluted
- ½ cup sour cream, at room temperature
- ½ cup milk, at room temperature
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
- Âľ cup French-fried onions
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- In a large skillet, cook beef, onion and garlic over medium heat until no longer pink; drain.
- Stir in the spinach, cream cheese, condensed soup, sour cream, milk, salt and 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese. Stir over low heat, just until combined.
- Transfer to the prepared baking dish. Cover with foil. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil; sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup of mozzarella cheese and the French-fried onions. Bake for 10 more minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the casserole is hot and bubbly.
Notes
- Swap out the ground beef and use sausage or ground turkey instead.
- Add extra vegetables to the casserole. Sautéed mushrooms would be great, and so would corn, canned (drained) diced tomatoes, or even diced and peeled boiled eggplant.
- Instead of cream of mushroom soup, try cream of celery soup or cream of chicken soup for a slightly different flavor.
- Make sure that you squeeze the spinach very dry before adding it to the casserole. I like to use a dish towel to wring out the liquid, which prevents a watery, soggy casserole.
- Start with softened, room temperature cream cheese, sour cream and milk. This will help the ingredients come together smoothly.
Sounds amazing. Could I use bagged fresh spinach? If so, would it just be added into the casserole and cook as stated.
Thanks, Janet
Hi, Janet! Yes, you can use fresh spinach — you’ll just need A LOT of fresh spinach to equal 2 (10-oz) boxes. In general, one pound of fresh spinach is equal to one (10 oz) box of frozen spinach. So you would need about 2 lbs of fresh spinach for this recipe. I would cook the spinach and wilt it down in a skillet first, strain off the liquid so that it’s really dry, and then add it to the casserole as instructed. Otherwise the fresh spinach will release a lot of liquid as it cooks in the dish, which would water down your casserole. Let me know if you give it a try!
Made this again tonight for dinner using ground italian sausage and boxed spinach this time. One change up I’m trying is I lined the Casserole dish with thin sliced potatoes, I’ll get back to let you know how it turns out. Steve
Awesome, Steve! Let us know how it goes!
Can u add pre cooked egg noodles to this dish?
Hi, Michelle! Absolutely! Depending on how much pasta you add, you may want to thin the sauce with some additional milk and/or an extra can of condensed soup so that it doesn’t get too dry. Just stir it together and see how it looks. You can always add more if you need it. Enjoy!
Made this tonight for dinner and it tasted delicious. I used one 10 oz bag fresh spinach, added directly to pan and let it cook down. Followed directions otherwise. Using fresh spinach must of added to much moisture as it was a little loose. I served it over linguine as a sauce and will diffidently be making again. Thank you
Thanks, Steve! I’m glad that you were able to make it work with the fresh spinach — even if it was thinner in the end. 🙂
I made this recipe for my family for dinner this evening and it was fantastic! So tasty and very satisfying. Thank you for sharing! 🙂
Excellent! Thanks for letting me know, Emeline!
I just took this out of the oven 30 minutes ago. First, I used 10 oz fresh spinach. Added it in after Browning and draining the meat and onions. Added garlic and spinach and cooked just til spinach was wilted. From there,I followed the recipe as written. As I followed, I realized that it lacked seasoning, so I added a pinch of salt and a big pinch of ground pepper. Fast forward to pouring into the baking dish. It was obvious that there was too much liquid which would not cook off given the rest of the recipe instructions. I thought about it for a while and decided to use a pkg of CHEAP ramen noodles (y’all all know what I’m talking about). Crunched them up pretty small (without seasoning pkt) and worked them through what was in the casserole already. Then proceeded with recipe as written. With my changes, it came out pretty good. Fed us and will have lefties for tomorrow