This cheeseburger casserole tastes like a juicy cheeseburger without the bun. Tender ground beef is paired with diced tomatoes, simple seasonings, and is tossed with elbow macaroni and topped with melted cheddar cheese making the most amazing meal.
It’s one of those easy recipes that has all the flavors of a cheeseburger in a casserole form that’s simple to make.
Cheeseburger Casserole Recipe
My Hamburger Casserole is a popular recipe on the site so I decided to make a cheeseburger version. It’s a quick dinner idea that even picky eaters love! I love a good ground beef recipe because it’s something I can easily keep in the freezer and get dinner on the table in a hurry.
Juicy and tender ground beef is mixed with soft macaroni pasta, coated in a rich tomato and Worcestershire sauce with melted cheese throughout. It’s comfort food at its best using simple ingredients that can be served in just 30 minutes! Your cheeseburger lover is going to devour this dinner.
What is Cheeseburger Casserole?
If you’ve never tried a serving of cheeseburger casserole then you’re in for a real treat. This dish offers a casserole twist to the much-loved cheeseburger. Instead of grilling up a batch of burger patties, simply combine ground beef, onion, tomatoes, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce into a casserole dish with tender macaroni and shredded cheese.
It has lots of flavor and textures of a traditional cheeseburger, served up in convenient casserole style to feed the entire family.
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef (use lean or extra-lean ground beef)
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 green pepper, chopped
- 1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 8 oz elbow macaroni
- 3 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350
- Spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- In a large skillet, cook the ground beef over medium-high heat, breaking up the beef as it cooks. Drain off the fat and add the onion and the green pepper to the cooked ground beef, and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.
- Add the can of diced tomatoes,Worcestershire sauce, oregano, salt and pepper to the meat mixture. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to low. Simmer for 15 minutes.
- Cook the noodles according to the package directions, until al dente then drain.
- Add the noodles to the baking dish, and pour the beef mixture on top of noodles then top with cheese.
- Bake for 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
How Do I Store This Casserole?
Cheeseburger casserole can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days, either in an airtight container or in the casserole dish (covered tightly with plastic wrap).
This casserole is also great for freezing. Once completely cool, cover the casserole dish tightly with plastic wrap and then again with aluminum foil to store in the freezer for up to 3 months! Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and then reheat in the oven till warm throughout.
Can I Make This Cheeseburger Casserole Ahead of Time?
Yes, you can! You can either bake your cheeseburger casserole to be stored ahead of time or you can fully assemble the casserole and store it in the refrigerator or freezer to be baked just prior to serving at a later time.
Reserve any fresh garnishes just prior to serving so that they don’t spoil from storage.
What Do I Put on This Casserole?
- bacon – Another alternative to this easy casserole is to add chopped bacon to the top with the melted cheese to make it more of a bacon cheeseburger casserole.
- sour cream
- Ketchup
- Pickles
- shredded lettuce
- green onion – sprinkle sliced green onion on top of the casserole
What Can I Serve with Cheeseburger Casserole?
Enjoy a generous serving of cheeseburger casserole as is or alongside some of these side dish options:
- french Fries (regular potato or sweet potato fries);
- homemade dinner rolls or flaky biscuits;
- cornbread
- coleslaw
- simple side salad or our broccoli salad or cucumber salad.
- dill pickles
Can I Use American Cheese?
American cheese is a processed cheese that won’t melt properly in a casserole. While it’s great on an actual cheeseburger, I wouldn’t recommend it for this dish.
Tips and Suggestions
- Shredding a block of cheese is always going to provide a better tasting dish than store-bought pre-shredded cheese. Why? Well, the pre-shredded variety is coated with a waxy substance to help preserve the shelf life. This wax coating makes the cheese harder to melt and also doesn’t enhance the flavor of the cheese in any way!
- I’ve used a sharp cheddar cheese for this cheeseburger casserole but feel free to use any cheese that melts well that you enjoy the most.
- If you enjoy a kick of heat to your food, consider using Ro-Tel diced tomatoes, red chili flakes and/or cayenne pepper in your cheeseburger casserole.
- For added texture to the casserole and to bulk it up even more, consider adding in some partly cooked peas, corn, or other veggies like I added in my Hamburger Casserole recipe.
This is a great meal the whole family will love. It’s sure to become a family favorite.
Check out our Ground Beef Recipes ebook that contains our top recipes made with ground beef. These are great, easy, weeknight meals!
More Casserole Favorites To Try!
Cheeseburger Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 onion diced
- 1 green pepper chopped
- 28 oz. diced tomatoes
- 1 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 1/2 tsps salt
- 1/2 tsps pepper
- 8 oz elbow macaroni
- 3 cups sharp cheddar cheese grated
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350
- Spray a 9×13 baking dish and set aside.
- In a large skillet, cook the ground beef over medium heat, breaking beef up as if tooks. Drain off the fat and add the onion and the green pepper, and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.
- Add the can of diced tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, oregano, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to low. Simmer for 15 minutes.
- Cook the noodles according to the package directions, until al dente then drain.
- Add the noddles to the baking dish, and pour tomato mixture on top of noodles. Top with cheese.
- Bake for 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
Nutrition
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