5-Ingredient Dump-and-Bake Beefaroni

4.41 from 5 votes

This homemade Dump-and-Bake Beefaroni recipe only requires about 5 minutes of prep!

Course Dinner

Cuisine Italian

Keyword easy ground beef recipe, ground beef casserole, Pasta casserole recipe

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 45

Total Time 50

Servings people

Calories 328kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Spray a 2-quart (about 8-inch square) baking dish with cooking spray. Place onion, uncooked pasta, grated cheese, marinara sauce, and water in the dish and stir to combine. Add the uncooked ground beef to the dish, breaking it up into small pieces with your fingers. Stir to combine.
Cover tightly with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Stir, cover, and return to oven for 15-20 more minutes, or until pasta is tender and beef is cooked through.

Do NOT boil the pasta or brown the beef before it goes into the dish. All of your ingredients are raw!
Grate your own cheddar -- it melts better than the packaged version.
Make sure to spray the baking dish before adding your ingredients. This will prevent the pasta from sticking as it bakes.
Stir the pasta halfway through the baking time. This will ensure that all of the ingredients cook evenly.
I recommend using extra lean ground beef (at least 93% lean). This is because you will not be draining the meat after it cooks, so you don't want extra grease in your casserole. If you prefer, you can substitute ground turkey breast or ground chicken breast for the ground beef.
Serve the beefaroni with optional toppings such as fresh parsley or basil, or extra grated cheddar or Parmesan cheeses.
This recipe makes enough to serve about 3-4 people. If you're cooking for a larger family, I suggest that you double all of the ingredients and bake the casserole in a 9 x 13-inch dish. The rest of the cooking instructions remain the same.