Our delicious and super cheesy hamburger casserole is a classic ground beef family staple that's literally oozing with flavor and taste!
It's a simple one-pot meal that just needs a good-sized cast iron casserole dish for baking. Most of the ingredients you'll already find in your cupboards. If you love cooking up casseroles with ground beef, then you'll love this recipe.
Take your beef, onions, and vegetables, mix together with macaroni noodles, add our special hamburger sauce, and layer with plenty of cheese (edit: LOTS of cheese!). Leave to bake and watch with delight as the family wolf it down around the dinner table.
Our recipe below is good for 8 servings. You might find that's not enough for a hungry family, though...
Hamburger Casserole FAQ
So that's the recipe for our simple, delicious, and super cheesy hamburger casserole. If the whole family doesn't love it, then we don't know what else to suggest!
You might have a few more queries when it comes to preparing a delicious hamburger hotdish, similar beef casseroles, or ground beef recipes. We decided to write this short FAQ to help answer the most commonly asked questions.
Can I use frozen ground beef?
Yes, you can use frozen ground beef in this hamburger casserole. We know that families like to keep their ground beef frozen, and there's no reason not to use any stores you have backed up in your freezer!
Make sure you properly defrost the frozen ground beef before you start cooking with it. As a side note: we like to point out that fresh ground beef (in our opinion!) tends to be much tastier than frozen ground beef. You lose much of the flavor when you freeze and then defrost.
Do I have to use corn kernels?
Of course not! You don't have to use corn kernels if you're not a fan, or if you want to mix the recipe up. What we enjoy the most about this recipe is how you can get creative with it. In fact, the whole idea of a beef casserole is to use up all those ingredients in your cupboard that have been sitting there for a long time.
Instead of corn kernels, you can use cans of peas, you can throw in a bag of frozen mixed vegetables or chop up any other veggies that might need using up.
Can I only use cheddar cheese?
For this recipe, we love using cheddar cheese. We love the taste, and it's melting point is wonderfully suited for a casserole. But there are plenty more types of cheese you could add into the mix too!
Monterrey Jack cheese works just as well as cheddar. At the same time, another firm favorite is Colby Cheese (or a mix of Colby and Jack is delightful too).
How much cheese do I need?
We were quite vague when we were suggesting how much cheese is needed for the recipe. That's really up to you. We highly recommend that you grate enough cheese (whether it's cheddar or Monterrey Jack) to cover the top layer of the casserole when it's in the baking dish.
We love our hamburger casserole to be super cheesy, though, so we always grate in extra. You can even add multiple layers of cheese. For example, add one layer of casserole mix, then grate a layer of cheese, then add another layer of casserole mix, and another layer of cheese (and so on!). This will give you that oozy, comforting, cheesy casserole center that just can't be beaten!
How long will hamburger casseroles keep?
Let's be honest here. We'll be surprised if there are any leftovers to keep because hamburger casserole takes comfort food to the next level!
If there are leftovers though (or if you've made so much it's impossible to eat it all), then we suggest transferring them from the casserole dish to a container before storing it in the refrigerator. You can store it in the fridge for 3 days, but we wouldn't recommend any longer.
After all, the fresher, the better!
Can I prepare this dish in advance?
Short on time? You can also cook up your casserole in advance and store it in the refrigerator until dinner time. Just make sure you heat it up again properly before serving.
If you're preparing this recipe in advance, we recommend baking the main casserole (for 40 min in the oven) and then leaving it. When you're ready for dinner, add the cheese, and finish it off in the oven for the last 15 min before serving piping hot.
Can I freeze any leftover hamburger casserole?
Absolutely. You can even prepare and cook the casserole, let it cool, and freeze the whole meal. Transfer the casserole to a suitable container before freezing.
Plastic containers can work well. A hamburger casserole is also suited for freezing in freezer bags. You can divide the casserole up into suitable portion sizes before freezing. Make sure you label it, to remember what it is in the future!
What can I serve with hamburger casserole?
The fantastic thing about a hamburger casserole is that it's a one-pot meal. You really don't need to serve it with anything else for it to work, because it's a meal in itself.
If you do want some extras, though, we usually recommend preparing a salad to go alongside the casserole. It doesn't need to be fancy. You can prepare some lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, dressing, and you're good to go.
You could also oven-bake some vegetables to go with the casserole. Carrots, potatoes, broccoli, or cauliflower all make an excellent addition to the dinner table!
What if there's no macaroni in my cupboard?
It might seem like macaroni noodles are one of the prime ingredients of a hamburger casserole. Still, it's okay to get a little creative too. Traditional hamburger casserole makes use of macaroni, but you might start cooking up your dish and realize that you haven't got enough macaroni noodles!
If you have other types of noodles or pasta, then these can work just as well. You can make a hamburger casserole with penne, or even spaghetti if you really have to. The idea, after all, is to use up things in your cupboard, so don't stress too much about what you actually throw into the recipe, it's going to taste great anyway!
Is there a vegetarian version?
Definitely! More people than ever are deciding to make the switch from meat, and it's easy to turn this recipe into a totally vegetarian version. Instead of ground beef, simply use a vegetarian substitute instead (Quorn mince is a popular choice!).
You could even take it to the next level and create a vegan hamburger casserole. Simple switch out the cheddar cheese for a vegan, dairy-free cheese substitute.
This delicious yet straightforward hamburger casserole recipe will liven up your family dinner or give your friends the savory treat they've been craving!
If you are looking for some more casserole dishes, jump into our other recipes like sausage casserole and taco casserole.
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