Even Grown Up Kids Like Cheesy Hamburger Casserole
Here’s a hamburger casserole for kids, picky eaters, or anyone who is a kid at heart and loves a plate full of gooey, cheesy pasta and hamburger.
This is comfort food at its finest, and you can make eight beautiful servings using a few basic pantry ingredients. That means there’s enough to take some for lunch at work tomorrow!
I have to say, when I first saw this recipe, it seemed a little boring, and I was not convinced it would deliver the flavor we’re used to eating, but I admit I was wrong, and it’s a pretty darn good casserole. It only uses four basic ingredients; pasta, Campbell’s tomato soup, hamburger, and cheese.
Campbell’s tomato soup has just enough sweetness to mimic the flavor of ketchup, making it perfect for a casserole that reminds you of a cheeseburger. Normally, I would grate cheese from a block of cheese because I think it tastes better, but there was an irresistible sale on bagged shredded cheese, so I caved this time.
Begin by cooking the pasta according to the directions on the package, then drain it. For this hamburger casserole, spray a 13″ by 9″ casserole dish and put the cooked pasta in first.
Here’s a little trick I picked up to ensure the cooked pasta doesn’t get all bloated when it soaks up the sauce in any casserole. Before adding sauce, drizzle the pasta with a small amount of olive oil and toss to coat. Your pasta will stay firm and nice.
Tip from my days in food service: You can cook any pasta ahead. Drain it, put it into a zipper storage bag and toss it with a small amount of olive oil to keep the pasta separated, and refrigerate it for 3-5 days, or freeze it for up to three months!
Betty Streff
When you’re ready to eat it, you can plunge it briefly into a pot of boiling water and when it gets hot, add the sauce. When you’re making a casserole or a salad, just add the rest of the ingredients to the cold pasta and go from there. This can be a great time saver!
Now brown the ground beef and season it as you do the way your family likes it. Add salt or seasoned salt, pepper, garlic, and onion if you like; leave out whatever you don’t want, and drain any excess fat.
Add the tomato soup, water, and HALF cheese. Stir until it’s all nice and melty, then pour the mixture over the pasta and stir until it is all coated with the yummy sauce.
Now spread the other half of the cheese evenly over the top of the hamburger casserole. For the life of me, I cannot resist adding some parsley for color to any soup or casserole. To me, it’s like green magic that makes things look better and makes me think they taste better!
Bake for about 20 minutes or until the cheese starts to get melty. If you want it to get a little more browned, pop it under the broiler for a few minutes but watch closely.
You can use any cheese you want in any combination for this hamburger casserole, but mozzarella makes such yummy, gooey strings of cheese I can’t imagine leaving it out. Unless I was out and didn’t want to make another trip to the store!😉
A tossed salad would go great with this, and so would some toasty garlic bread! We had some fresh green beans in the crisper that needed to be used, so that is the side we ate with this cozy casserole.
Casseroles are the perfect comfort food when the weather gets cold, and we love easy ones that don’t take a lot of time to make. Here are some of our favorites. Tuna Casserole, Reuben Casserole, Cheesy Chicken Tater Tot Casserole, Turkey Tetrazzini, One Pan Classic American Goulash.
Printable Recipe:
Cheesy Hamburger Casserole
Here’s a hamburger casserole for kids, picky eaters, or anyone who is a kid at heart and loves a plate full of gooey, cheesy pasta and hamburger.
Ingredients
- One 1 pound box of medium shell pasta
- One pound ground beef
- Two 10.75-ounce cans Campbell's tomato soup
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup water
- Seasonings to taste: garlic, onion, salt or seasoned salt and pepper
Instructions
- Spray or grease a 13" x 9" casserole dish.
- Cook and drain the pasta according to the package directions.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Put pasta in the casserole dish, drizzle with a small amount of olive oil, and toss to coat.
- Brown and break up the hamburger in a skillet and drain any excess fat.
- Add tomato soup, water, and half the cheese, and cook until everything is melted and blended.
- Pour the hamburger mixture over the pasta and stir to blend.
- Spread the rest of the cheese over the pasta mixture and bake for about 20 minutes, or until the cheese on top melts and begins to brown.
- If you want the cheese to be a little browner, pop the casserole under the broiler for a few minutes but watch carefully!
If you enjoyed this recipe, please share it on your social media! I would love for more people to try this delicious and easy-to-make dessert. If you have any questions or feedback, please feel free to leave a comment below. I would love to hear from you! Shhh… Join our secret foodie group on Facebook.
MORE OF OUR QUICK AND EASY FAMILY-STYLE RECIPES:
The Ultimate Bread and Butter Pickle Recipe
Danish Style Cucumber Salad
The Number 1 Practically Perfect Poppy Seed Bread
Cranberry Orange Quickbread
If you like these recipes, you are our people! You can check some related articles below or search via categories on the right. But be warned; you will be on here for hours. Enjoy!
That’s how my mom made hamburger casserole, except she used one can of tomato soup, and also added a can of peas. So good, and I still love it!
Such a good memory and I might add a can of peas! My husband would love that!!
This is our family golash but no cheese and 3 cans of tomato soup. Plus we add diced onion and garlic to the hamburger when frying. We serve it with applesauce on the side. The applesauce makes it, odd but true. Haha
Kelly- I think that sounds great and every family has the little combos we love! I also have an “American Goulash” recipe on yeyfood.com I bet it is more like yours! Have a great day!
What happens if you don’t have the soup cuz I don’t like tomato soup and I don’t buy it.
It looks good
I did a little research and here is a possible solution.
8 oz tomato sauce
1 – 2 Tablespoons sugar
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 tsp salt
If you search “what can I substitute for canned tomato soup” you might find more ideas. Good luck!