Easy Hamburger Casserole

Warm and delicious, tomato soup is the perfect complement to ground beef, cheddar cheese and noodles in our easy Hamburger Casserole recipe.

My mom created this one dish meal years ago to use the beef that we raise on the farm. This casserole is simple enough for every one in the family to enjoy and only takes 15 minutes to mix up.

Another great meal for picky eaters you may enjoy is mixing a plain Juicy Chicken Breast into a simple Chop Salad.

Easy Ground Beef Casserole Recipe

My mom has so many excellent recipes with ground beef from her Famous Meatloaf to this Chili with Tomato Juice. Her best recipes blend beef and tomatoes as the base flavors. The mellow tomato soup flavor keeps this ground beef casserole moist and adds a nice sauciness to the ground beef and noodle combination.

This is a basic meal that’s perfect for kids and picky eaters, but can be spiced up by adding a few tablespoons of diced bell peppers, green chiles, chili sauce, or pimento. We prefer the taste of a plain, simple hamburger casserole. Another benefit is that using fewer ingredients means it is faster to make!

Cream cheese and cream soups make our Hamburger Noodle Casserole special. And tomato soup makes our Hamburger Cabbage Casserole more memorable. This hot dish highlights my favorite flavors in each of these recipes to make another easy family meal.

Hamburger Casserole Ingredients

• Hamburger – browned ground beef, we like to use 85% lean
• Tomato Soup – two cans provide just the right balance, we only add one cup of water
• Egg Noodles – we like to use dry egg noodles
• Onion – sweet, white or yellow – dice it up and add to the ground beef to enhance the flavor
• Cheddar Cheese – sharp cheddar adds more flavor, but about any yellow shredded cheese works fine
• Butter – helps brown those bread crumbs
• Bread Crumbs – adds another dimension to the top layer of the hamburger casserole

How to Make Hamburger Casserole with Tomato Soup

Brown the ground beef over medium high heat and drain any fat. Use a meat masher to help the beef cook evenly.

Add minced onions to the skillet and stir into the hamburger. Season with salt and pepper and stir well.

While beef is cooking in a stock pot cook the noodles according to the directions on the package.

Drain and return to the pan to stir in tomato soup and water.

This will prevent the noodles from sticking together.

When the beef and onion are cooked and drained add to the noodles and stir well.

Then mix in cheddar cheese.

Pour into a lightly greased 9 x 13″ casserole dish.

Melt butter and stir in bread crumbs. Sprinkle evenly over the top and bake in an oven preheated to 350℉ for 30 to 40 minutes until lightly golden brown on top.

Recipe Tips and Tricks

• We use a mini food processor to mince the onion. Very small pieces blend in with the beef easier and the kids won’t notice, but they are bothered by bigger chunks on onion.
• Prepare half in a smaller, square dish and freeze the other half to cook later on. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and then wrap with foil.
• Leftovers freeze and reheat very well.

More Easy Meal Ideas

Chicken and Noodle Casserole also has simple ingredients that our family enjoys.

Mushroom Swiss Burger Sliders create a unique meal with very little effort.

Sausage Jambalaya is a mix of flavorful meat and rice in just one pot.

Pasta with Peans and Bacon is a glowing combination of delicious foods!