Home » Easy Casserole Recipes » Beef and Noodles Casserole

Beef and Noodles Casserole

This cheesy Beef and Noodles Casserole is easy enough for a weekday meal yet tasty enough for entertaining. It’s filled with tender egg noodles smothered with a meaty and flavorful homemade sauce.  Serve it with a crisp fresh salad and a side of garlic bread and enjoy.

Beef and Noodles Casserole

Easy Beef and Noodles Casserole Recipe

Pasta is not only inexpensive but, it’s filling and not complicated to prepare. Italian inspired sauces and casseroles are ideal for assembling in advance and the flavors seem to become even more robust as they sit. My family never turns down pasta in any form, whether it’s as simple as Double Cheddar Macaroni and Cheese, Slow Cooked Lasagna or cheesy Baked Spaghetti  it fills them up in a hurry. How to make easy Beef and Noodles:

  • Beef – Use a good quality lean ground beef, ground chuck or ground sirloin.
  • Noodles – Medium or large egg noodles.
  • Sauce – The sauce is a combination of canned diced tomatoes, tomato sauce and it’s thickened with tomato paste.
  • Cheese – Chive and onion cream cheese is used in place of classic ricotta in this dish. Also shredded mozzarella or an Italian blend of cheese of your choosing.
  • Pepperoni – Sliced pepperoni adds another dimension of flavor to the casserole overall.
Italian spaghetti sauce and egg noodles in a bowl

How to Make the Best Beef and Noodles Casserole Recipe

  • Ingredients you’ll need to make homemade Beef and Noodles Casserole: Lean ground beef, olive oil, diced onion, canned diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, garlic, dry Italian seasoning, salt, black pepper, crushed red pepper flakes, pepperoni, chopped Italian parsley, softened chive and onion cream cheese, half and half, shredded mozzarella cheese and grated Parmesan cheese.
  • Kitchen tools you’ll need: A pasta pot, large skillet, measuring cups and spoons, sharp knife and cutting board, large spoon, rubber spatula or spoon for mixing everything together and a 13 x 9 inch deep baking dish.
  • The sauce for this beef and noodle casserole is not difficult to make,  much like my recipe for homemade Pizza Sauce. The sauce begins with seasoned tomatoes and tomato sauce available in most every market. It’s ideal for making Italian-inspired sauces from scratch.
  • Tomato paste is used for thickening the sauce. The sauce is meant to be thick. You can’t go wrong, if you follow the amount in the recipe.
  • I used ground beef for this casserole, but a mix of ground beef and Italian sausage or all Italian sausage could also be used in the same amount.
  • When cooking the egg noodles, make an effort not to overcook them initially, and they’ll turn out perfectly after baking in the sauce.
  • This entire casserole can be assembled one day in advance, covered and chilled. Allow it to sit on the counter for 20-30 minutes prior to baking to warm to room temperature and also be mindful that you may need to lengthen the baking time as needed.
  • Store baked Beef and Noodles Casserole chilled in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in single serving portions in the microwave.
Beef and Noodles Casserole

More Easy Casserole Recipes to Make

Beef and Noodles Casserole

Thanks for visiting come back soon!

Disclosure ~ If  a purchase is made using one of the affiliate links on this website we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you!

Helpful Kitchen Items:

Beef Noodle Casserole

Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Stand time10 minutes
Total Time1 hour 5 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: beef-and-noodle-casserole, beef-and-noodles, ground-beef-recipes
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 631kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 12 oz package medium egg noodles cooked to al dente
  • 1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef
  • 1 medium sweet onion diced
  • olive oil
  • 1 14.5 oz can petite diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano
  • 3 8 oz can tomato sauce with basil, garlic and oregano (OR one 28 oz Italian seasoned Crushed tomatoes)
  • 1 6 oz can tomato paste
  • 1 Tbsp dry Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp garlic or plain table salt more or less to taste
  • 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes more or less to taste
  • 30 pepperoni slices quartered
  • 1 8 oz onion and chive cream cheese softened
  • 1 cup half and half
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 3 cups shredded Mozzarella or Italian cheese blend divided
  • 1 Tbsp chopped Italian parsley for garnishing

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 13 x 9 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
  • In a large skillet cook ground beef and onion in a few drizzles of olive oil over medium-high heat. Cook until beef is browned and no pink remains. Drain excess fat from pan.
  • To the beef add tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper flakes. Simmer on medium-low, uncovered for 10 minutes then remove from heat and stir in pepperoni.
  • Meanwhile, cook noodles in salted water per package directions. Drain well.
  • Return noodles to pot and onto burner with heat off. To the noodles add cream cheese and half and half. Mix until cream cheese has melted. Add Parmesan, mix well.
  • To assemble: Layer 1/2 noodles on bottom of baking dish. Top with 1/2 sauce and 1/2 cheese. Repeat ending with cheese.
  • Bake for 35-45 minutes or until bubbly and cheese is lightly browned.
  • Let stand for 10 minutes. Garnish with chopped parsley just before serving.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 631kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 39g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 37g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 108mg | Sodium: 1055mg | Potassium: 750mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 870IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 315mg | Iron: 3mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @melissassk or tag #melissassk!

 

6 Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating