Old Fashioned Hamburger Casserole Recipe

Old Fashioned Hamburger Casserole is a classic recipe that is creamy, rich and delicious. It is a family favorite that is loaded with flavor.

Want to save this?

Just enter your email and I’ll send it right to you, plus great new recipes weekly!

Email *

Save

Old Fashioned Hamburger Casserole Recipe:

Making casseroles have become a part of our weekly menu. They are easy to prepare with simple ingredients. That is why I love this easy hamburger casserole. This recipe is the ultimate comfort food.

The ingredients combined make this casserole rich, full of flavor and extra creamy. The layers include egg noodles, ground beef, tomato sauce and cheese. It is simple but delicious and a family favorite.

Casseroles are quick and easy and all the ingredients are combined in a one pan dish. Add a simple side and your meal is complete. This is the perfect weeknight meal. Hearty, tasty and budget friendly.

Ingredients: 

• Lean Ground Beef 
• White Onion, finely diced 
• Minced Garlic 
• Salt 
• Pepper 
• Tomato Sauce (8 oz each) 
• Sugar 
• Sour Cream 
• Egg Noodles (12 oz) 
• Shredded Cheddar Cheese, divided 

How to Make Hamburger Casserole with Noodles: 

• Prepare Oven and Casserole Dish – Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and spray a 9X13 casserole pan with a non-stick cooking spray. 

• Cook Noodles – Cook the noodles based on the package instructions to al dente. You want the noodles to still be firm. 

• Brown Ground Beef – Then brown the beef with the diced onion in a large skillet over medium high heat until the beef is browned.  Drain off any of the excess grease. 

• Combine other Ingredients – Then stir in the garlic, salt, pepper, tomato sauce and sugar.  Simmer on low for 10-15 minutes so that the flavors can combine.
  
• Remove pan from heat – Then remove the pan from the heat and allow the beef to come to room temperature. 

• Add Sour Cream and Noodles – Stir in the sour cream until combined.  Then gently stir in the cooked egg noodles and 1 cup of the shredded cheddar cheese, being careful not to break the noodles.  

• Pour into pan and top with cheese – Pour the mixture into the baking dish, top with the remaining shredded cheese and bake for 15 to 20 minutes until bubbly and the cheese has melted and the top of the casserole is browned slightly. 

• Rest, Serve and Enjoy – Let the casserole sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes.  Then it’s ready to serve and enjoy.

Old Fashioned Hamburger Noodles Casserole Tips:

• Tomato Sauce – If you don’t have tomato sauce, you use a marinara sauce. You can also mix in stew tomatoes.
• Crushed Tomatoes – Mix crushed tomatoes with some Italian seasoning for added flavor.
• Lean Ground Beef – When we make this casserole, we usually get the ground beef that is 90/10 so it is less grease.
• Noodles – When preparing your noodles for this casserole, don’t overcook them. They will continue to cook in the oven, so you don’t want to make the casserole mushy.
• More Cheese – If you prefer you can add more or less cheese on the casserole. One of my kids doesn’t like cheese, so only top half of the casserole with cheese.
• Grated Cheese – The pre-shredded cheese is easier to buy but it is more expensive and has added ingredients. Shred your own cheese as it taste better and melts perfectly.
• Casserole Size – This recipe makes enough for a 9×13 pan, but you can cut the recipe in half if your family is smaller. But it also stores perfectly, so you can eat it for leftovers.

Variations:

• Change the Cheese – I generally use cheddar cheese in this recipe but any of your favorite types of cheese would be delicious in this casserole. 
• Sour Cream Substitute – You can use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream if you prefer. You can also use sour cream and cream cheese for an extra creamy casserole.
• Change the Meat – Use ground turkey or ground chicken for a change in this recipe. You can also use half and half ground turkey and ground beef.
• Mix in Vegetables – For added flavor and texture, mix in some vegetables. We love adding in bell peppers, peas or zucchini. Black Olives would also be a great addition to this recipe.
• Mushrooms – If you like mushrooms, mix some in. We like to sauté some slice mushrooms for added flavor.
• Tex-Mex Option – For a tex-mex flavoring, add taco seasoning to the ground beef. This would be the perfect meal for taco Tuesday.
• Seasoning – We used simple seasoning when preparing this casserole. You can experiment with other seasoning and use what you prefer.
• Change the noodles – We used egg noodles in this recipe, but you can easily penne noodles or rigatoni noodles if you prefer.

How to Store:

Refrigerate any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days.  Cover the cooled ground beef casserole with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator. You can also place in individual containers for a quick lunch to go.

To reheat, place in a casserole dish covered with aluminum foil and heat in the oven at 300 degrees. If you are heating smaller portions, you can heat in the microwave.

How to Make Ahead:

This is the perfect casserole to prepare ahead of time. Prepare the casserole as indicated in the recipe. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator. Cook within 48 hours of assembling the casserole.

Top the casserole with cheese and cook for about 30 minutes since it has been in the fridge.

How to Freeze Hamburger Casserole:

We do not recommend freezing this casserole because of the sour cream that is mixed in. Plus the noodles would not hold up in the freezer. When it thawed the texture of the noodles would be very mushy.

Print Recipe here for Old Fashioned Hamburger Casserole:

Review Pin Print

Old Fashioned Hamburger Casserole

5 from 33 votes

Old Fashion Hamburger Casserole is a classic recipe that is creamy, rich and delicious. It is a family favorite that is loaded with flavor.

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Let Rest at Room Temperature 10 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Servings 6

Cuisine American

Course Main Course

Calories 574

Author Carrie Barnard

Ingredients

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 pound lean ground Beef
• ▢ 1/2 White Onion finely diced
• ▢ 1 Tbsp Minced Garlic
• ▢ 1 tsp Salt
• ▢ 1/2 tsp Pepper
• ▢ 2 cans Tomato Sauce 8 oz each
• ▢ 1 tsp Sugar
• ▢ 8 oz Sour Cream
• ▢ 1 pkg Egg Noodles 12 oz
• ▢ 1.5 cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese divided

Want to save this?

Just enter your email and I’ll send it right to you, plus great new recipes weekly.

Email *

Save

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and spray a 9X13 casserole pan with a non-stick cooking spray.
• Cook the noodles based on the package instructions to al dente. You want the noodles to still be firm.
• Then brown the beef with the diced onion in a large skillet over medium high heat until the beef is browned.  Drain off any of the excess grease.
• Then stir in the garlic, salt, pepper, tomato sauce and sugar.  Simmer on low for 10-15 minutes so that the flavors can combine. Then remove the pan from the heat and allow the beef to come to room temperature.
• Stir in the sour cream until combined.  Then gently stir in the egg noodles and 1 cup of the shredded cheddar cheese, being careful not to break the noodles.
• Pour the mixture into the casserole pan, top with the remaining shredded cheese and bake for 15-20 minutes until bubbly and the cheese has melted and the top of the casserole is browned slightly.
• Let the casserole sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes.  Then it’s ready to serve and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

Refrigerate any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days.  

You can use greek yogurt instead of sour cream if you prefer. 

Also, I generally use cheddar cheese in this recipe but any of your favorite types of cheese would be delicious in this casserole. 

Nutrition Facts

Calories 574kcal, Carbohydrates 57g, Protein 35g, Fat 24g, Saturated Fat 12g, Polyunsaturated Fat 2g, Monounsaturated Fat 6g, Trans Fat 1g, Cholesterol 145mg, Sodium 1721mg, Potassium 1163mg, Fiber 5g, Sugar 12g, Vitamin A 1536IU, Vitamin C 17mg, Calcium 302mg, Iron 5mg

Pin This Now to Remember It Later

Pin Recipe

More Easy Casserole Recipes:

• Easy Nacho Chicken Casserole Recipe
• Easy Doritos Casserole Recipe
• Crock Pot Tator Tot Casserole Recipe