Loaded Cheeseburger Casserole

Cheeseburger Casserole is easy to make, filling, and delicious. It is loaded with cheddar cheese, flavorful beef, juicy tomatoes, and pasta. This is the perfect weeknight meal that also makes delicious leftovers.

Casseroles are one of my favorite comfort foods to make because they are so easy to prepare. You toss everything in one dish, and it feeds the whole family. As the name says, this one is loaded with juicy and perfectly seasoned ground beef, rotini pasta to hold all the sauce, and chunks of tomatoes and bell peppers, giving you a mouthful of flavors in every bite. On top is a gooey layer of melted cheddar.

Loaded Cheeseburger Casserole is covered in delicious, melty cheese, and has the classic cheeseburger toppings. Just like a huge burger, but made with less effort and without even turning on the grill. This is a quick homemade hamburger helper dish that is perfect for busy weekdays, and a great dinner to enjoy with your family. 

Also, this dish consists of layers of perfectly cooked pasta, cheese, veggies, and juicy ground beef. It is such a filling, delicious, affordable, and easy meal to make, that it will be a hit with everyone. You can make this full meal ready in less than an hour even though it may look and taste like you have been working hard at it all day. T

Since it is so easy to make, double up the ingredients and use two casserole dishes and you can freeze one for later, this is the perfect freezer meal! You can even freeze it for several months in a freezer-safe container. Put it in single-serve containers or freezer bags for individual meals or after-school snacks for the kids. 

Casserole recipes are a staple around here, they are easy to prepare and usually make enough leftovers so you don’t have to worry about cooking dinner the next day. My other favorites are Cheesy Crack Chicken Casserole and White Pizza Casserole.

Why you will love this recipe

• Feeds a crowd: Double it to feed a crowd or to serve doubles.
• Easy to make: It only takes a few minutes to prepare!
• Leftovers freeze well: If you do have leftovers, you can freeze them for months.
• It is inexpensive: You can make it for just a fraction of what you would pay if you go out.

What you’ll need to make cheeseburger casserole

Special items:

• Saucepan – For cooking the pasta.
• Skillet – To cook the beef and sauce.
• Casserole dish – For baking the casserole.
• Utensils

Ingredients:

• Pasta – I prefer rotini, but you can use a different pasta shape.
• Ground beef – It is best to use lean ground beef (85/15) for less grease.
• Onion – I use one large white onion roughly chopped.
• Garlic – Freshly minced garlic cloves will give you the best taste without the bitterness.
• Bell pepper – I recommend green bell pepper, chopped into small pieces.
• Tomatoes – For convenience, I use a can of diced tomatoes. I prefer San Marzano.
• Tomato paste – The tomato paste I use is also San Marzano. It has the best tomato flavor.
• Worcestershire sauce – For an umami taste that is salty, sweet, savory, and tangy.
• Parsley – A little bit peppery with a touch of earthiness and a clean grassy background.
• Oregano – Adds a real taste of Italy with that authentic smell that reminds you of good food.
• Mustard powder – Gives your casserole an extra bit of tanginess.
• Cheddar cheese – Lots of freshly shredded cheddar cheese for ooey-gooey melted creaminess.
• Salt
• Pepper
• Pickles – Chopped up and served on the side. 
• Tomatoes – Freshly chopped tomatoes served on the side.
• Lettuce – Shredded lettuce served on the side.

Substitute for Worcestershire sauce:

You can find Worcestershire sauce in pretty much any grocery store. However, if you are looking for a substitute, here are some suggestions:

• Balsamic vinegar: It is actually one of the largest ingredients in Worcestershire, so this is a simple way to replace it.
• Red wine vinegar
• Soy sauce + sugar: Use 1 tablespoon of soy sauce plus a bit of brown sugar to provide sweetness. 
• BBQ sauce
• Soy sauce + ketchup: The proportion should be about 1 to 1. 

How do you make cheeseburger casserole?

This easy recipe requires a few simple steps described below. Also, watch the recipe video attached and see how easy this dish is!

1. Brown the Beef: Start by browning the beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat. 
2. Cook the Pasta: In the meantime, to save time, cook the pasta per package directions in a large pot. Cook it al dente since it will continue cooking in the oven. Therefore, you do not want to overcook it. 
3. Add the Veggies: Next, add the onion to the meat mixture along with the rest of the veggies. Season and cook until green pepper is tender.
4. Add the tomato sauce: Pour in the tomato mixture, and bring the mixture to a boil, and simmer for 15 minutes to reduce the liquid content.
5. Combine: Combine the beef mixture with the cooked pasta and transfer the whole pasta mixture to a casserole dish or a 9×13 baking dish. Then, sprinkle with cheese on top.
6. Bake: Lastly, bake the casserole until golden brown and the cheese is melted on top. Once cooked, top with chopped tomatoes and lettuce. Serve immediately.

Expert tip

Making the best casserole

There are keys to making the perfect casserole. I do not pretend to know them all, but I see a lot of them. First of all, make sure you choose the right baking dish. Shallow dishes cook faster and have more surface area. Ceramic heats slower than metal or glass and may affect the cooking time. Also, always undercook your pasta. Nobody likes mushy pasta. Make sure you drain the meat well—no matter what kind of meat you are cooking. Drain the grease. If it is extra greasy, let it drain on paper towels and wipe the pan dry, too.

Certain veggies get too mushy for casseroles that cook for a long time. They should be added at the end. Some of these are spinach, chard, and certain squash. Also, some cheeses are not good for casseroles. For example, Feta and blue cheese are not melting cheeses, but they taste good. Also, do not use pre-shredded cheese. It does not melt well.

Finally, always offer toppings on the side. This recipe calls for toppings. If you are serving your family or people you know well, serving them on the casserole is okay if you know they like them. However, if you do not know if everyone will appreciate the toppings, serve them on the side. Just set them in bowls on the table and let everyone help themselves.

Recipe variations and add-ins:

• Other meat: I love this with ground pork sausage. It adds so much extra flavor.
• Less fat: You could switch the beef to ground chicken or turkey for less fat and fewer calories.
• More vegetables: You can add flavor and more vitamins and bulk by chopping up and tossing in some more veggies like celery, carrots, mushrooms, spinach, and zucchini.
• Spicy: Add heat with chopped jalapenos, red pepper flakes, and hot sauce.
• Extra cheese: Cheeseburgers can always have a little cheese. Toss in some mozzarella, pepper jack, and shredded parmesan.
• Bacon burgers: Remember the bacon! My husband loves it when I add crumbled bacon on top.

Serving suggestions:

Here are some fun ideas on how to serve this delicious comfort food.

• You have to have some French fries! Try these crispy but tender and fluffy garlic roasted potatoes or baked sweet potato fries.
• If you would rather have tater tots, don’t worry. I have a recipe for crispy homemade tater tots too!
• Make sure you don’t skip the toppings, this dish is all about the fun toppings. Pickles, shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, and a drizzle of Thousand island dressing.
• Get more veggies with your dinner and serve this hearty meal with some steamed broccoli and a crunchy Mexican salad on the side.
• I love this with any dessert, but my favorite is vanilla cake with lemon frosting. The mellow vanilla and tangy lemon flavors accentuate the mixture of tastes in the casserole.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use a different pasta for this recipe?

You can use any pasta you like for this casserole dish. I chose rotini because it holds in so much of the sauce and the chunks of tomatoes and peppers as well as the pieces of garlic, onions, beef, and cheese. Ziti is another good choice because it is hollow with slanted edges to let all the sauce and ingredients inside. The outside is ridged to hold even more sauce and little pieces of garlic and herbs. Other good choices include fusilli, rigatoni, elbow macaroni, shells, farfalle, gemelli, orecchiette, and cavatappi.

Why is my pasta so mushy?

Rotini should only be cooked for eight minutes to get to al dente. So, if you boil it for eight minutes and then bake it for 20 minutes, you will end up with mushy pasta. However, you do need to boil them first, or they will be gummy and stick together. I cook mine for six minutes before adding it to the sauce and baking it in the oven. You don’t want it to be done all the way, but you don’t want it crunchy.

What is the best ground beef for this recipe?

If you get regular 75/25 ground beef that some people use for cooking, you will lose a lot of it down the drain or wherever you pour your grease. I never buy beef that is high in fat because it just gets tossed out. Instead, get 80/20 or 85/15. I prefer the latter because it still has plenty of flavor, but you hardly have to dump any of it. I hate wasting anything. Why buy ground beef if you are going to pour it out?

What are the five basic components of a casserole?

Every casserole has five ingredients: protein, sauce, some kind of starch, vegetables, and toppings. For example, in this one, ground beef is the protein, tomato sauce is the starch, pasta is the starch, peppers, and tomatoes are the vegetables, and several toppings are included. Many casseroles also include crunchy toppings like crackers or breadcrumbs. You could use some crumbled chunks of sesame seed buns for this cheeseburger casserole.

How to store leftovers:

• Refrigerate: After they cool, leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container, where they will stay fresh for up to three days.   
• Freezing: You can also freeze your leftovers in a freezer bag or another freezer-safe container for up to three months.   
• Defrost: For the best flavor and texture, you should thaw frozen leftovers overnight.
• Reheating: To reheat, put it in the oven for 15 minutes or in the microwave for one to three minutes.   

More easy casserole recipes:

Recipe tips:

• Let your casserole rest for at least 15 minutes before serving.
• Use high-quality grass-fed organic beef. It has the best flavor and no added fillers.
• To make this gluten-free, all you have to do is use gluten-free pasta. They sell it at just about any supermarket.
• Wait to boil your pasta too long before baking it. Otherwise, it will end up too soft and mushy.
• Using beef with too much fat will produce too much grease, which you will have to dump out. It is better to get lean ground beef that is 85/15 or higher so you are using your money effectively.
• Any kind of pasta will work for this, but the best ones are those that will hold the sauce and chunks, such as corkscrew, shells, ziti, penne, rigatoni, macaroni, and cavatappi.
• Serve toppings on the side if you are serving people you serve infrequently.

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