Easy ground beef casserole with noodles that is way too good and incredibly cheesy! Layered with sour cream, fettucine, and green onions, each layer of this casserole is fully stuffed with all that amazing flavor!
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The perfect family dinner recipe right here with the best ground beef casserole with noodles recipe that is TOO SIMPLE!
This casserole takes basic ingredients and creates a cheesy, filling dish LARGE enough for the whole family. Be prepared for 2nd and even 3rd helpings!
Super easy to assemble as there is no right way to stuff each layer for the most delicious ground beef casserole with pasta!
This post will go over everything you need to know to create this ground beef casserole with noodles.
Recipe difficulty: Beginner to medium level as with any casserole recipe there is prep needed!
For this recipe for ground beef casserole with pasta, some tasty ingredients will be used such as a cheddar and parmesan cheese blend, ground beef, and even sour cream to develop the tangy sauce! The prep work of these ingredients will be super easy, and then layer away! Perfect for a family weeknight dinner!
Sam’s Pro Tips for this Ground Beef Casserole with Noodles
The Secret Ingredient
Drumroll please! I think what really sets this recipe for ground beef casserole apart is the CREAM CHEESE!
Using the cream cheese will give a cream, tangy taste to this delicious casserole. Plus, it’ll provide an extra fluffy layer for the noodles and ground beef.
Don’t worry about the cream cheese being too overpowerful in this recipe as it balances right out with the sour cream and green onion! Yum!
Room Temperature Ingredients
Super important tip right here! The cream cheese needs to be brought to room temperature for it to whip nicely with the sour cream.
If the cream cheese is still hard, it won’t whip properly so you can forget about obtaining fluffy peaks from this! We shared this tip in my 5-Minute Mock Devonshire Cream with Honey.
I usually leave my cream cheese out for about an hour and a half depending on the temperature of the day. For example, in the summer I find that an hour is perfect. This will depend on the climate you live in.
Don’t leave the cream cheese out too long as it cannot be fluffed if it’s already close to a melted state. Yikes!
Assembling the Layers
Seriously one of the easy ground beef casserole recipes with few ingredients out there! There is no wrong way to assemble the layers!
No need to measure each layer out, as literally you can just dump a large spoonful (or handful!) of each topping into the layers just like in my Beefy Filipino Style Lasagna That is Extremely Saucy.
The basic order is ground beef, noodles, cream cheese mixture, and cheese for the best ever beef noodle casserole! So easy!
Key Ingredients – Ground Beef Casserole with Noodles
Below are some key ingredients for this recipe:
- Fettucine noodles: I shared this tip in my Best Shrimp Scampi Recipe with Pasta, but make sure to cook the pasta with salt and olive oil in the water. Quick tip – The salt helps flavor the pasta and the olive oil prevents the noodles from sticking.
- Ground beef: Try to get a high lean content of ground beef like in our Filipino Beef Giniling to Warm the Soul | Meat Stew for the best flavor. It’s also a lot healthier, even if you don’t strain the oil from the meat!
- Tomato sauce: Tomato sauce is the base of this ground beef casserole with noodles full of that delicious sauce.
- Garlic: 3 cloves is needed for the best flavor! That’s right folks, 3 cloves!
- Cream cheese: For those creamy simple ground beef casserole recipes, the cream cheese will fluff with the sour cream for a rich, smooth texture. The secret ingredient right here!
- Sour cream: The use of sour cream mixes great with the cream cheese for a silky blend that looks perfect for dipping.
- Green onion: Chopped green onion will be added to the cream cheese and sour cream mixture for some added texture to this layer. As a bonus, the green onion will add a level of freshness and greenery.
- Shredded parmesan cheese: Parmesan cheese is a fave like in our Creamy Pappardelle with Italian Sausage and Roasted Tomatoes. Make sure to get the real stuff not from the can!
- Cheddar cheese: We love a mix of cheeses for the best ever beef noodle casserole. 1 cup of cheddar cheese and a ½ cup of parmesan cheese is mixed for the top layer in our casserole.
Seasoning
Here is the only seasoning you need in this ground beef casserole with noodles:
- Sugar
- Cayenne pepper
- Paprika (top the casserole off before baking!)
- Salt and pepper
More Variations to this Ground Beef Casserole with Noodles
There are a few ways you can variate this ground beef casserole with noodles. Here’s how:
- Change the cheese blend. If you would like to use a different blend of cheese like in any easy beef casserole recipes, try mixing cheddar cheese with Manchego or even Gruyere for a rich cheese layer in the casserole.
- Italian sausage: You can add to the ground beef mixture by incorporating chunks of Italian sausage for a spicy kick to this ground beef casserole with noodles. Adjust the seasoning and tomato sauce as needed.
- What can I pair with this dish? This ground beef casserole with pasta is a solid main dish and sure to be a family favorite! Make sure to save room for dessert with our Rich and Creamy Mango Cheesecake Instant Pot Recipe or Super Seed Peanut Butter Brownie Bites That is Way Too Addicting to finish the meal off the right way!
Looking for some awesome printables that are totally FREE? Our favorite! Check out our FREE LIBRARY for our Grocery Checklist or our Instant Pot Cooking Times Chart printables to help you on your cooking journey!
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Frequently Asked Questions
How long will a ground beef casserole with noodles last in the refrigerator?
This ground beef casserole with noodles can last 4-5 days in the refrigerator covered.
How long can cream cheese sit out to soften?
Depending on the temperature, cream cheese will usually soften in 45 minutes to an hour.
How do you know if cream cheese is room temperature?
If you place your finger on the cream cheese and it leaves a slight indent, it will be at room temperature and softened.
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