Hamburger Casserole with Rice
This creamy, cheesy Hamburger Casserole with Rice is an old-fashioned, easy dinner with just 15 minutes of prep! Perfect for busy weeknights!
Servings 6 people
Calories 589.5kcal
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1 small onion, diced (or about 1 cup of frozen pre-diced onion for a shortcut)
- 1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup, NOT diluted
- 1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed cream of celery soup, NOT diluted
- 1 ¼ cups milk
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon dried chives
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 4 cups cooked rice (I use 2 packages (8.8 oz each) of Uncle Ben’s Ready Rice microwaved according to package instructions)
- 2 cups frozen mixed vegetables, thawed (I use a 10-ounce package)
- 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
- 1 cup crushed Corn Flakes cereal (about 1 ¾ c. whole cereal before crushing)
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- Cook beef and onion in a large skillet over medium-high heat until meat is no longer pink (about 5-7 minutes). Drain.
- In a separate bowl, stir together condensed soups, milk, salt, chives, pepper and garlic powder.
- Add cooked rice, soup mixture and vegetables to the cooked beef. Stir to combine. Transfer to prepared baking dish. Sprinkle cheese over top.
- In a small bowl, toss together Corn Flakes crumbs and melted butter. Sprinkle over top of the casserole.
- Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. Allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Prep ahead: You can assemble this casserole in advance and keep it covered in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours before baking.
- To freeze: Assemble the casserole, cover tightly with foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, thaw in the refrigerator overnight and then allow to sit on the counter and come to room temperature for 30 minutes before baking.
- Have leftovers? The cooked casserole will keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- 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.
- You'll need 4 cups of cooked rice for this recipe. I like to use two packets of Uncle Ben's Ready Rice for a shortcut, which I can microwave in minutes. If you prefer, you can cook your own rice on the stovetop or use leftover rice from a previous meal.
- Any variety of cooked rice will work -- brown rice, white rice or even a wild rice blend.
- Just about any vegetables will work in this casserole. I use frozen mixed vegetables, but you can substitute with broccoli florets, green beans, peas and carrots, or just corn. You do not need to cook the vegetables before adding them to the casserole -- just make sure that they're thawed.
- I love the flavor and crunch of the Corn Flake topping; however, you can swap out the cereal and toss the melted butter with breadcrumbs, crushed potato chips, crushed Ritz crackers, or even dry stuffing mix.
- Instead of the hamburger meat, try using an equal amount of ground turkey or ground chicken.
- Serving a smaller family? Cut all of the ingredients in half and prepare the casserole in an 8-inch square baking dish. The smaller casserole will probably only need about 25 minutes in the oven, but the rest of the instructions remain the same.
Nutrition
Serving: 1/6 of the casserole | Calories: 589.5kcal | Carbohydrates: 55.6g | Protein: 26.2g | Fat: 28.6g | Saturated Fat: 13.8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10.1g | Cholesterol: 93.6mg | Sodium: 836mg | Potassium: 724.3mg | Fiber: 3.2g | Sugar: 5.7g