An easy family dinner recipe made with just a few common ingredients! The combination of ground beef, pasta, tomato soup, and gooey cheese is simple yet surprisingly delicious.
If you have a family with picky kids to feed, this quick and easy ground beef dinner is fast to prepare, budget friendly, and more importantly, CRAZY GOOD! The subtle sweetness of the tomato soup gives this cheesy pasta all of the flavors of a yummy cheeseburger in the kid-friendly form of a casserole.
If you have a large family to feed, this easy recipe will ensure everyone gets a belly full at little expense. Only feeding a few? No problem. Isn’t it awesome to have leftovers the next day? A night off from cooking. Sign me up!
Add this kid friendly casserole to your dinner menu for easy weeknight meals!
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 pound box pasta shells
- 2 cans tomato soup
- 3 cups shredded cheese (I used cheddar & mozzarella)
- 1/2 cup water
- salt, pepper & garlic powder to taste
To start this classic dinner casserole, simply cook the pasta according to the package instructions, drain, and set aside. While the pasta is cooking, brown the ground beef over medium heat in a large pan until no longer pink. Remove any excess grease and season to your liking with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, etc.
In the same pan that you cooked the beef, toss in the cooked pasta, both cans of soup, 1/2 cup of water, and HALF of the cheese. At this point everything is already cooked so I like to do a taste test. Add more seasoning if you’d prefer.
Spread the ground beef mixture into a 9×13 greased baking dish and then sprinkle the remaining cheese over top. You can use any cheese that you’d prefer, but I definitely recommend cheddar or a combination of cheeses. Use whatever you have on hand!
Now, cover the dish with foil and pop it into a 375° F oven for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese on top starts to brown. I just LOVE that toasty cheese flavor!
The last step in this recipe is to sit back and watch as your family licks their plates clean. Even your picky eaters will want a second helping! When it comes to this cheesy comfort food, can you really blame them?
Every dinner recipe should include some sort of healthy side dish, and we’ve decided that this cheesy dinner pairs best with broccoli or green beans, but any seasonal veggie is a good option. Even easier, a side of salad that can be prepared ahead of time!
Easy Cheeseburger Pasta Dinner Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 (1lb) box small pasta shells
- 2 (10.5oz) cans tomato soup
- 1/2 cup water
- 3 cups shredded cheese (cheddar or a combination)
- seasoning to taste (I use salt, pepper, & garlic powder)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375° F and grease a 9x13 baking dish.
- Cook the pasta according to the package instructions, drain, and set aside.
- While the pasta is cooking, brown the beef in a large pan over medium heat until no longer pink. Remove any excess grease and season the meat with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, etc.
- Add the cooked pasta, both cans of soup, 1/2 cup water, and HALF of the shredded cheese to the pan and combine well with the ground beef. At this point, you can do a taste test and see if you'd like to add more seasoning.
- Spread the mixture out into your prepared baking dish and then top with the rest of the shredded cheese.
- Cover with foil and bake in the center rack of your oven for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese starts to brown.
Notes
- You can freeze this casserole for up to 6 months in a tin casserole dish covered tightly with foil. No need to bake before freezing! When ready to eat, allow it to thaw in the fridge for at least 24 hours, then bake as instructed. Because it's going into the oven cold instead of warm, add an extra 5-10 minutes of cook time with the foil on.
- Looking for side dish ideas? We love this casserole served with broccoli or green beans. A crisp, green salad is also a quick choice that can be made ahead of time.
- If you're looking for similar ground beef dinner ideas, check out this Cheesy Beef & Potato Casserole or Chili Mac & Cheese.
Don’t forget to pin and save this easy dinner casserole for later! 🙂
