This cheeseburger casserole recipe is so dang delicious. This big, hearty casserole is easy to make, serve, and store, making it a perfect family dinner.
What is cheeseburger casserole?
Cheeseburger casserole is made with ingredients essential for any cheeseburger.
We're talking hamburger meat, mustard, tomatoes, onions, cheese, pickles—the works! Instead of a bun, we use pasta as the vehicle to serve all the cheeseburger madness. The ingredients are combined and baked in a casserole dish so the end product is a big, hearty casserole.
This cheeseburger casserole recipe will serve a large family, or you and a roommate all week long.
Cheeseburger casserole recipe
I didn't grow up on cheeseburger casserole. In fact, I never tried it until I made this recipe! I have been on a casserole kick recently and someone requested me to make this.
I'm so glad I did because this meal is so dang good.
If you love cheeseburgers, you will love this cheeseburger casserole recipe! It's packed with all the cheeseburger essentials. If there's another ingredient that's missing from this recipe that you need on your burger like a different kind of cheese, bacon, etc. -- feel free to add it!
Make this recipe for your family, kiddos, and friends, and enjoy this ultimate American comfort food in cheeseburger casserole form.
What ingredients do I need?
To make cheeseburger casserole, you'll need the ingredients essential for any cheeseburger, plus a few extra.
Here's the list:
- Elbow noodles - To make this a casserole, we skip the buns and use pasta. I like to use elbow noodles, but you can use whatever noodle you like best.
- Ground beef - This is the classic ingredient for any burger. If you want a leaner meat, feel free to use ground turkey or chicken instead.
- Red or white onion - I like burgers with red and white onion, so truly you can use whatever kind you like best. If you don't like onion at all, you can skip this ingredient!
- Diced tomatoes - You'll need one can of diced tomatoes for this recipe. The liquid is important for helping the noodles finish cooking in the oven.
- Garlic - Who doesn't love some extra garlic flavor!?
- Pickles - I love spicy pickles, so I chopped ½ cup for this recipe. You can use whatever kind of pickles you like best, or even relish.
- Broth - This will be added to the casserole for baking to keep the noodles from drying out.
- Mozzarella cheese - You might not immediately think of mozzarella when you think of a cheeseburger, but having two kinds of cheese is great for this recipe!
- Cheddar cheese - This is one of the most important ingredients! A cheeseburger is a cheeseburger because of the cheese. Don't skimp on this!
- Ketchup - This will add great flavor to our casserole. If you have tomato paste, you can use a little of that as well.
- Mustard - This is another classic ingredient. I like to use yellow mustard but really you can use whatever kind you like best.
- Worcestershire sauce - A little bit of this sauce will add SO much flavor to the casserole. If you don't have Worcestershire sauce around, you can opt for soy sauce with a little extra ketchup.
- Salt and pepper - Use these as much as you prefer!
What substitutions can I make?
The beautiful thing about casseroles is that there isn't one right way to make them! This recipe is packed with many cheeseburger essentials, but there are so many swaps you can make.
If you prefer one ingredient over another, switch them! If you like something on your cheeseburger that is missing from this recipe (think another cheese, bacon, etc.), add it.
You can use my recipe as a base, but make it your own!
What equipment do I need for this recipe?
The main piece of equipment you’ll need for this recipe is a casserole dish. A 9 x 13 dish will work great! You'll also need a pot and skillet for preparing some of the ingredients before they enter the casserole dish.
What is the process?
This recipe is easy! Here's what you'll need to do:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Spray casserole dish with cooking oil and set aside.
- Heat a large skillet. Add ground beef, onion, and garlic to the skillet and cook. (It’s okay if there’s still some pink.)
- Add a large pot filled with water and a little salt to the stovetop. Heat until water is boiling and add noodles. Partially cook the noodles, about 5-7 minutes.)
- Combine the meat mixture, noodles, and remaining ingredients (only ½ of the cheese) to a large bowl. Mix well.
- Pour mixture into a casserole dish. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
- Bake at 375 for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted.
How do I store it?
This cheeseburger casserole is so tasty right when it comes out of the oven! If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container. Keep it in the fridge and use between 4-5 days.
Can I reheat it?
You can reheat this pasta bake in the microwave or oven.
- For the microwave: Cook 2-3 minutes.
- For the oven: Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes.
I like to add some extra cheese when I’m reheating this dish, and then a few more toppings once it is warmed up!
Looking for more recipes?
If you're looking for more hearty dinner recipes, try these:
Want the recipe?
If you try this recipe and love it, please rate it and me know your thoughts! I hope you enjoy this cheeseburger casserole recipe.
Cheeseburger Casserole
Equipment
- casserole dish (11 x 14 pan)
- oven
Ingredients
- 16 oz elbow noodles
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 medium onion chopped red or white
- 15 oz diced tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon garlic
- ½ cup chopped pickles
- 1 cup broth
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup cheddar cheese
- 2 tablespoon ketchup
- 2 tablespoon mustard
- 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Spray casserole dish with cooking oil and set aside.
- Heat a large skillet. Add ground beef, onion, and garlic to the skillet and cook. (It’s okay if there’s still some pink.)
- Add a large pot filled with water and a little salt to the stovetop. Heat until water is boiling and add noodles. Partially cook the noodles, about 5-7 minutes.)
- Combine the meat mixture, noodles, and remaining ingredients (only ½ of the cheese) to a large bowl. Mix well.
- Pour mixture into a casserole dish. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
- Bake at 375 for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted.
Paula says
I added about 4 ounces of chopped green chile and it was great!
Jordan Smith says
I love the addition of green chiles for an extra kick! Try a little hot sauce, too.
Lori says
Delish!!! So easy to make and perfect for meal prep.
Dawn Barnes says
This dish was tastier and tastier the more I made it. It was so easy to make and I had plenty of leftovers for my husband and me for the week. It was a nice change from the typical casseroles I tend to make. I will definitely be adding this to my rotation!
Jordan Smith says
I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed this meal & it'll be in your rotation! Enjoy!
Allie says
Made this for dinners last week and had to make it again for lunches 🙂 so good! Used ground turkey instead of beef and banza for more protein- just as tasty!!
Nunya says
Can you use water instead of broth?
Jordan Smith says
Yes, you can use water instead of broth.
Devon says
Is 16oz pasta correct? Seems like a lot!!?? I have done another recipe with 1lb of meat and it called for 6oz 😄
Jordan Smith says
Hi Devon, yes, 16 oz of pasta is correct. You can adjust and use 6 oz if that is your preference!
Caroline says
This was a huge hit! I took a chance and made it for our friends and all the kids loved it at first bite. One kid didn't like pickles but it was easy enough to take them out. As expected, tastes even better the next day. We don't eat meat and it worked great with impossible ground.
Elizabeth says
This recipe is great! Tastes just like a cheeseburger!! Loved the taste the pickles add.
Kait Lanthier says
Love this recipe! Feeds my family of four with enough for lunchtime leftovers the next day. We love using this with Banza pasta, and have found we can reduce the cheese volume if it helps with macros.
Jordan Smith says
This recipe works well with swaps! I've made with Banza too and really love it. So happy to hear you and your family enjoy!
Jamee says
5 STARS!
Made this tonight and it was delicious. I used 1.5 lbs of ground beef and I should have upped the mustard, ketchup and pickles. Lots of leftovers for lunches after the three of us even had seconds for dinner!
Megan says
This is so good, the family loved it! My one year old kept wanting more
Ian says
This looks sensational & I want to cook it but not for a couple of days.
I tried to save it on Pinterest but a drop down says there is no content to save, I have tried several times.
What seems to be the problem ?
Jordan Smith says
Hi Ian, I'm so glad the recipe looks appealing to you! It's one of our favorites. To save to Pinterest: If you go on the blog post & click the red circle "Pinterest" button at the top of the page, it should let you pick a Pinterest board to save the recipe to. It worked for me when I just saved that way — does it work for you? So sorry for the trouble!
Jaclyn says
Followed this recipe exactly and it turned out so good! I used Banza chickpea noodles for a little extra protein. So excited to have this for meal prep this week. Definitely will be making again! Thanks for a great and EASY recipe to follow!
Jordan Smith says
So glad you enjoyed this recipe, Jaclyn! Thanks for sharing your swaps too — I also like to make with chickpea pasta for some extra protein. Enjoy!!
Susan Lucas says
Have you tried this is a slow cooker?
Jordan Smith says
I haven't! I'll have to test a slow cooker version because it sounds delicious. Let me know if you try something and it works!
Becky says
How would I freeze this to be able to give to friend who just had baby
Jordan Smith says
Hi Becky! This was one of my freezer meals when I was postpartum 🙂 I made the recipe as, but omitted the final step of baking in the oven and instead froze. You could either freezer all together as 1 casserole or split into smaller servings. Either way, freeze without baking then all she needs to do is bake straight from the freezer!
Jordan Smith says
I have a postpartum meal prep guide on my website and I have recipe in it that talks about how I prep and froze it!
Molly says
I made some modifications and still worked great! Cooked the meat first and then added the pasta uncooked and added a bit more broth. Turned it into a one skillet meal and cooked it in that one pot instead of putting in the oven. So good! Have also made it with dill relish instead of dicing pickles. One of my go to meals!
Jordan Smith says
Thank you for sharing your modifications! I love hearing about swaps people make to make the recipe work better for them. So happy you enjoyed this one!