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A family friendly dinner recipe that's quick and easy to make with just a few budget friendly ingredients including ground beef, pasta, cheese, and tomato soup.

Cheeseburger Pasta Casserole

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.

February 4, 2025 By Lilly

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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!

Close up view of a delicious cheesy hamburger and pasta dinner casserole. A kid friendly comfort food recipe that's easy for mom and dad to make on busy school nights!

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

Budget ingredients needed to make a yummy kid friendly hamburger dinner casserole including pasta, ground beef, tomato soup, and cheese.

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.

Pasta shells, ground beef, shredded cheese, and tomato soup in a pan ready to be mixed and placed into a large casserole dish for dinner.

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!

A mixture of ground beef, pasta, cheese, and tomato soup in a large casserole dish topped with lots of shredded cheese.

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!

Baked cheeseburger casserole just out of the oven. A close up view of this delicious kid friendly comfort food for dinner!

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?

Yummy comfort food for dinner tonight! This cheesy hamburger casserole is a family favorite and my picky eaters always go back for seconds.

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!

Cheeseburger pasta dinner served with broccoli for a yummy kid friendly weeknight meal.

Baked cheeseburger casserole just out of the oven. A close up view of this delicious kid friendly comfort food for dinner!
Print Recipe

Easy Cheeseburger Pasta Dinner Casserole

This easy family dinner recipe is quick to prepare with just a few budget ingredients! If you're looking for ground beef dinner ideas, add this recipe to your dinner menu. It tastes just like a cheeseburger in the form of a casserole. Even your picky kids are sure to go back for seconds!
Prep Time15 minutes mins
Cook Time30 minutes mins
Course: Main Course
Keyword: budget meals, comfort food, easy dinner ideas, few ingredients, ground beef, kid friendly
Servings: 7

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! 🙂

If you're searching for easy ground beef dinner ideas for your family, this cheesy hamburger pasta casserole is a huge hit with my picky eaters! It's so simple and cheap to make with just a few ingredients, making it perfect for busy weeknights. My kids always go back for seconds and love it leftover the next day.

This kid friendly dinner is perfect for all of you busy moms and dads on a budget. Ground beef, pasta, tomato soup, and lots of gooey cheese come together to make a yummy dinner casserole for your picky eaters. This cheesy comfort food is always on the dinner menu at my house. It's quick and easy, freezable, cheap to make, and yummy!

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Filed Under: 5 Ingredients or Less, Comfort Food, Quick & Easy Casseroles, Quick & Easy Dinner Recipes, Quick & Easy Ground Beef Recipes, Recipes Tagged With: budget friendly, easy dinner ideas, family meals, few ingredients, ground beef, kid friendly, pasta casseroles, picky eaters

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