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This ground beef casserole recipe is super easy to throw together and feeds a crowd! It’s comforting and uses simple ingredients.
Love casseroles? You may also like my Easy Tater Tot Casserole or Easy Chicken and Rice Casserole.
Why you’ll love it
This cheesy beef and pasta casserole is sure to be a hit with the kiddos. It’s also easily adaptable based on what you’ve got in the fridge/pantry/etc. You could throw in some extra veggies if you want. It’s very tasty for how few ingredients are in this budget-friendly meal.
I wasn’t sure whether to call this a casserole or ground beef pasta bake or what. Basically, you just boil up some penne, and while that’s cooking, you make a quick tomato and meat sauce. You then toss it together in a casserole dish, top it with cheese, and bake. It couldn’t be easier!
What you’ll need
- Penne – I like this shape because it’s sturdy and holds up great in casseroles with the sauce and cheese
- Onion and garlic – our tasty base aromatics. Sweet (Vidalia) onion is my go-to, but yellow works as well.
- Ground beef – I used extra lean hamburger meat here. Aim for 90% or more.
- Olive oil – for sautéing
- Marinara sauce – just grab a jar of your favorite brand that you enjoy the taste of since it’s a key ingredient
- Cheddar cheese – I grate my own from a block of cheddar for best taste and freshness
Pro tips
- The ingredient quantities don’t have to be exact. A bit more or less beef will be totally fine. Want to add more sauce? Go ahead. Same with the cheese. Many readers like to use the entire jar of marinara sauce. It’s all good! 🙂 This recipe definitely can be adapted based on what’s in your pantry.
- I recommend slightly undercooking any pasta/noodles so it doesn’t go mushy in the oven.
- This recipe can easily be halved if you need a smaller quantity and made in an 8×8 dish instead.
How to make this ground beef casserole
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Preheat your oven, and grease a baking dish. Boil the pasta for a minute less than package directions. Meanwhile, add the oil, onion, and beef to a skillet. Sauté until cooked, adding the garlic once it gets going. Spoon out any excess fat, then pour in the marinara and warm through. Taste and season with salt & pepper as needed.
Drain the pasta, and add it to the baking dish. Pour the beef mixture over top, and toss to combine. Spread everything in an even layer. Top with the cheddar cheese, and bake uncovered until melty. Broil if desired to brown the cheese, and enjoy right away.
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- You’ll need a 9×13 baking dish for this casserole.
- This is the garlic press I use to avoid the hassle of mincing garlic by hand, and I store the other half of the onion in the fridge in an onion saver for later.
- Break apart the meat as it’s browning with this meat chopper.
Substitutions and variations
- Any jarred tomato-based pasta sauce will work, or use a similar amount of tomato sauce or even a combo of tomato products such as diced tomatoes and tomato paste or crushed tomatoes. I’d then add in a bit of Italian seasoning or other herbs for more flavor.
- You can substitute the penne with whatever pasta you have on hand or (even use egg noodles like some casseroles do).
- Ground turkey or Italian sausage are other protein options instead of the beef, or you could do a mixture.
- If you want to put a Tex-Mex spin on this hamburger pasta casserole, add in some beans, Taco Seasoning, and use a Mexican cheese blend.
- For some veggie content, stir in some frozen mixed vegetables until thawed. Simply add to the skillet and cook for a couple minutes once the beef is browned.
Make ahead tips
- Up to 1 day ahead: assemble it, cover and refrigerate, and then bake as directed below, possibly adding a few more minutes onto the time to ensure it’s cooked all the way through if it’s cold from the fridge.
- Freezer instructions: assemble it, and then cover it tightly and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw for 24 hours in the refrigerator, then bake it as indicated. I would definitely recommend using more sauce for make-ahead methods.
- Baking from frozen: warm it up on the counter for a bit so that the casserole dish doesn’t crack. It will take a little longer, so bake covered with foil until the middle is hot, and then broil the cheese at the end, watching carefully.
What to serve with this ground beef casserole
- It’s pretty hearty, so I like to enjoy it with a side salad. Mixed greens with my Homemade Italian Dressing rounds out the meal, or go all out and make a Caesar salad with my popular 10 Minute Caesar Dressing and homemade Parmesan Croutons.
- Breadsticks, a dinner roll, or a slice of hot and bubbly Cheesy Garlic Bread are all good ideas as well.
Leftovers and storage
- Keep any leftovers of this beef casserole in a covered container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Reheat in a saucepan over a low heat until warmed through, or microwave in short intervals. Since the pasta will absorb sauce over time, feel free to add a splash more marinara when reheating.
- I generally don’t suggest freezing leftover pasta, but if you typically do that with success, go for it!
More tasty ground beef recipes
Let me know if you gave this easy ground beef pasta casserole recipe a try! Please leave me a star ratings and comment below. You can also find me on Instagram.
Simple Ground Beef Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 pound uncooked penne
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1/2 medium onion chopped
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1.5 cups marinara sauce
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 1.5 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400F and move the rack to the middle position. Grease a 9×13 baking dish (I use Pam spray).
- Boil a large, salted pot of water for the penne. Cook it for 10 minutes (it should be slightly underdone so it doesn't get mushy).
- Add the oil, beef, and onion to a skillet. Sauté over medium-high heat, breaking the meat up as you go along, for 10 minutes. Once it gets going, stir in the garlic. Spoon out excess fat if needed.
- Stir in the marinara sauce and warm through. Give it a taste and season with salt & pepper as needed.
- Drain the pasta and pour it into the baking dish. Pour the beef mixture over top and then toss until it's combined with the pasta. Top with an even layer of the cheese. If you want it extra cheesy, you can stir in an additional half cup of cheese prior to topping it with the rest of the cheese.
- Bake for 10 minutes, uncovered, until the cheese is nicely melted. I then broil it for a few minutes (optional) to brown the cheese up a bit. Serve immediately.
Notes
- This is a very flexible recipe where additions/substitutions/etc. are fine. I have some tips within the blog post.
- You can also find this recipe in chapter 6 of the Salt & Lavender: Everyday Essentials hardcover cookbook.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
© Salt & Lavender Inc. Content and photographs are copyrighted. Sharing this blog post is much appreciated, but copying and pasting full recipes without authorization to social media is strictly prohibited.
This recipe was originally published on April 17, 2020. It’s been updated with new photos and better instructions but is the same great recipe!
Isnt this called Baked Ziti??? Nothing new here…..
I removed your 1-star rating since you just came here to be rude and didn’t make the recipe. And, actually, no. It’s a baked pasta dish, but baked ziti uses ziti (shocking, I know), and the sauce is a bit different… it uses sausage (for one thing). What a weird comment to leave on a stranger’s website lol.
People are so rude sometimes!
Oh my…people are so rude!! Looking forward to making this! On my menu for the week and going to add squash after reading a few comments. Can’t wait! 🙂
Enjoy 🙂
No it’s not called backed ziti. Ziti is a different pasta, and a whole diffferent recipe, using ziti pasta, marinara or meat sauced, layered and baked with mozzarella, and ricotta. Different taste altogether. You should try it sometime!
Get a life you rude person!!!!!
Loved this & so easy to make
Thank you, Kim!!
Can I make this dish ahead of time, and does the cooking temp and time frame differ if so?
Yes, I believe some readers have done that. I would prep it up until the baking step then cover it tightly and it’ll keep in the fridge for a day or two. Baking time will be a bit longer since it’ll be cold, so I’d keep an eye on it. Might want to start it covered with foil and then uncover and broil to bubble up the cheese.
European here! I was trying to do something different with ground beef and this has entered “the favourite top 5” according to my 3 sons. It is so simple and yet so delicious.
Oh, yes…almost forgot..I added some button mushrooms once and it was still yummy.
Well that makes me so happy!! Thanks for letting me know, Katarina! 😀
Perfect meal for the young, and old alike. Accompany with a little Texas garlic bread. Bueno.
Thanks so much, Brody!
Can I use pizza sauce
That should be fine.
Like many others here, I was looking for something different to make with the ground meat I had out. Since we often make tacos at the house, I decided to take a taco spin on this. Rather than making a tomato sauce, I used the seasoning mix and sauce that is usually put in the beef for tacos. Stirred in some diced tomatoes and shredded lettuce before putting in the oven. Thanks for the inspiration!
Love that idea!! You’re welcome. Sounds delicious! 🙂
Like a recent reviewer, my husband and I were doing the “what are we having for dinner, I don’t know, what do you want, what do YOU want…” discussion. He had pulled a pound+ of ground beef from the freezer yesterday so I googled, “what can I make with hamburger meat for dinner” and your site popped up with this recipe. I was thrilled because I had a box of whole wheat penne, spaghetti sauce, onion and a fresh bag of shredded sharp cheddar cheese. I used a full jar of sauce, 1/2 can of tomato paste, added a packet of taco seasoning and used garlic powder (no fresh garlic at home). We put sour cream on it after it was served (hubs also put hot sauce on it). it was AMAZING. Next time, we’ll use marinara and 2 packets of taco seasoning for a little stronger flavor. Thanks for a very easy to follow recipe with ideas for variation. So happy I found your site and will be trying more recipes soon!!
Haha that’s excellent. I’m so glad that you enjoyed it, and I love your adaptations. It’s fun to see what readers do with this recipe!
Omg!! What a great and easy recipe . Made this tonight and my boyfriend and I absolutely fell in love with this meal. I love that it was quick and simple to make but tasted even better. Will definitely be adding this to the rotation 🙂 A++
I’m thrilled to hear that, Vanessa!! Thanks so much. 😀
I asked my husband what he wanted for dinner and again I got the famous phrase “I don’t know” and so I googled recipes for I don’t know and somewhere along the line I came across your recipe and I made it for dinner, it was delicious, just way too much for the two of us but will make it again and will be a big hit for my grandkids.
HAHAHA ok that’s hilarious. I’m so glad it worked out!