Easy Ground Beef Casserole (Video)

Easy Ground Beef Casserole - This ground beef casserole is beefy, cheesy, saucy, and so easy to make! It's a great easy and budget-friendly way to feed a crowd and can be made ahead and reheated after a long day or served for a family-friendly meal on a cozy weekend!

This ground beef casserole has a bit of a Mexican flare! I love the addition of green chilis, chili powder, and kidney beans, along with the Monterey Jack cheese. It reminds me of every beefy, cheesy, Mexican-inspired recipe my family loves, with the simplicity and comfort of a classic casserole!

It's made with macaroni, ground beef, sun dried tomatoes, green chilis, diced tomatoes, and plenty of seasoning. Of course, it's loaded with melty cheese which is then all baked until it's ready to serve.

Delicious and easy casseroles like this ground beef and pasta casserole are the epitome of hearty, wholesome, and satisfying. It's a complete meal all in one dish which means you don't need anything other than a simple salad or a slice of bread on the side!

Ingredients Needed for Ground Beef Casserole

Uncooked Macaroni: I like using elbow macaroni for this ground beef casserole recipe, but any small pasta noodle will do. Cook them according to package directions until al dente. They will continue to cook in the oven.

• Ground Beef: I tend to use lean ground beef for most recipes unless the extra fat is needed for flavor. In this casserole, there is a ton of flavor coming from the seasoning that is lean (80/20).
• Onion & Garlic: Helps to flavor the meat with a beautiful combination of aromatic flavors.
• Diced Tomatoes, undrained: The juices from the canned tomatoes not only give the entire casserole flavor but also help to continue cooking the pasta as it absorbs the liquid.
• Kidney Beans rinsed and drained: The combination of beef, kidney beans, and green chilis gives this dish the feel of a Mexican ground beef casserole!
• Tomato Paste: Provides a more intense tomato flavor without the extra liquid that tomato sauce would give. It’s thicker and more concentrated and isn’t as runny.
• Chopped Green Chilis: For a tasty kick!
• Seasoning: Chili powder, steak spice, salt, and pepper. If you don’t have any steak seasoning, taco seasoning would be just as good.
• Monterrey Jack Cheese: Every good ground beef casserole needs melty cheese!
• Chopped Chives: For garnish.

How to Make a Casserole with Ground Beef

Step 1: Cook the pasta according to package directions to al dente. Drain it and set it aside.

Step 2: In a large skillet, cook the ground beef and onion over medium heat until the beef is no longer pink. Crumble the meat with a meat masher or wooden spoon as it cooks for about 8-10 minutes.

Step 3: Add the garlic and cook it for about 1 minute, stirring a few times to avoid burning. Then, drain the liquid from the beef.

Step 4: Next, add the diced tomatoes, kidney beans, tomato paste, green chilis, chili powder, steak spice, salt, and pepper. Stir everything to combine and bring it to a boil.

Step 5: Once it boils, reduce the heat and leave it to simmer for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Step 6: Stir in cooked pasta and then transfer the entire mixture to a prepared baking dish. Sprinkle cheese over top.

Step 7: Cover the casserole dish with foil and bake in a preheated 375 oven for 30 minutes. Uncover it and bake for 10 minutes more until the cheese is golden brown and the casserole is bubbling up the sides.

Garnish with fresh chopped chives and enjoy!

Recipe Tips & Substitutions

• Swap the ground beef for ground chicken or ground turkey if you’re looking for something a little lighter.
• Ground sausage would also be delicious.
• If you prefer to use a different cheese, cheddar, Colby Jack or a Mexican cheese blend would also be great.
• Remember to only cook your pasta al dente, otherwise, it will turn out mushy!
• Use penne, bow tie pasta, or fusilli in place of the elbow macaroni.
• Add some extra veggies if you’d like. Diced red bell pepper, mushrooms, or corn can be added.
• If pasta sauce is what you have, go ahead and use it. Just be sure to drain the tomatoes (or skip them altogether) and there’s also no need for tomato paste.
• Double the recipe to make two casseroles! Serve one of them and freeze the other for later. Or fill the freezer of a loved one!
• You can also halve the recipe if you don’t need one so big.

Recipe FAQs

Other Beef Recipes

• Guinness Beef Stew 
• Easy Shepherd’s Pie
• Beef Rice Pilaf
• Best Homemade Nachos With Ground Beef
• Beef Pho
• Bulgarian Beef Stew

When YOU make this Easy Ground Beef Casserole dish tag us on @munchkintimeblog on Instagram, we would LOVE to see your creation! 

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