The Cozy Cookbook is here! This Cheeseburger Casserole takes just 30 minutes to make in a single skillet! Your family will love this homemade hamburger helper!
Be sure to try my Broccoli Cheddar Chicken and Rice Casserole next!
I think my family has been eating this cheesy, beefy macaroni at least every two weeks ever since I started making Instant Pot Hamburger Helper. But now that I can make this Cheeseburger Casserole in just one pot, I’m even more hooked.
PLUS, this is a perfect freezer meal. Read on for everything you need to know about this fabulous recipe.
⭐Do not miss my first PRO tip in this post, it will make you a better cook for life! ⭐
How to Make it
Cook and crumble the ground beef and the onions. Drain any excess grease. Add the minced garlic, cook for 1 minuet. Add the Worcestershire sauce, and tomato paste and stir until combined.
Add the beef broth and uncooked macaroni. Stir to combine.
Cover and heat for 5 minutes. Uncover, stir, then cover again and cook for 5 more minutes, until just al dente.
Stir in the room-temperature sour cream and half of the milk. Only add the remaining milk if you desire it for consistency purposes.
Reduce the heat to low. Sprinkle on 2 + 1/2 cups of the shredded cheese.
Let the cheese melt and the sauce become creamy. Top with remaining cheese and parsley. Serve!
PRO Tips For This Recipe
–Refrain from adding cold ingredients into warm pasta when you prepare it. This includes the cheese, sour cream, and milk. The consistency will be super creamy if you follow this instruction.
…Otherwise, ingredients can separate, milk can curdle, and the consistency may become grainy.
–Shred the cheese yourself. Buy your cheese in blocks whenever possible and shred it at home. It will taste better, and it will definitely melt better.
-Refrain from using extra sharp cheddar or aged cheeses. Mild cheddar or sharp orange cheddar works well. I use Heluva Good! Sharp Cheddar. It melts perfectly.
Best Pastas to Use
Elbow Macaroni most closely resembles the Hamburger Helper that we all know and love.
Rotini or Mini Shells would also work well.
Elbow macaroni takes about 7 minutes to reach the al dente point when it’s at a strong boil, so check the instructions if you switch up the pastas to get an idea of how you may need to adjust the cooking time.
Make-Ahead Method
- If you prefer to to the prep work for this casserole ahead of time, prepare the recipe as-instructed but cook the pasta covered for 7 minutes instead of 8.
- Stop at step #10, right before you top the casserole with additional cheese.
- Let the casserole cool down, then top it with cheese.
- Refrigerate for up to two days, then bake it in a 350 degree oven, covered, for 15 minutes.
- Remove the lid and cook for an additional 10 minutes. Top with parsley and serve!
Storing Leftovers
Refrigerator
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Freezer
- Store in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
- Reheat in the microwave or in a 350° oven, the cooking time will vary based on portion sizes.
What to serve with Cheeseburger Casserole
- Garlic Bread with Cheese
- Cheddar Bay or Buttermilk Biscuits
- Copycat Texas Roadhouse Rolls
- Salad with homemade Italian or Caesar Dressing
- Roasted Broccoli or Carrots
Try These Next!
-
- Mushroom Chicken
-
- Chicken Spaghetti
-
- Crock Pot Roast
-
- Baked Spaghetti
-
- Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
-
- Broccoli Pasta
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One Pot Cheeseburger Casserole
Ingredients
- 3 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese, at room temp. Separated.
- 1 lb. Ground Beef, 85% lean
- Salt/Pepper, to taste
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 Tablespoon tomato paste
- 4 cups beef broth
- 1 (16 oz.) box elbow macaroni, *uncooked*
- ¾ cup sour cream, at room temp
- ½ cup whole milk, at room temp
- Chopped Parsley, to garnish
Instructions
- Shred the cheese and set it aside. It should be at room temperature when added to the pasta later.
- Season the ground beef with desired amount of salt and pepper.
- In a large pot over medium heat, cook and crumble the ground beef along with the onions. Drain any excess grease.
- Add the minced garlic and cook for an additional minute.
- Add the Worcestershire sauce and the tomato paste and stir until well-combined.
- Add the beef broth and the uncooked macaroni, stir to combine. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium or medium/low.
- Cover the pot and heat for 5 minutes. Uncover, stir briefly, replace the cover, and heat for 5 more minutes, or until just al dente.
- Reduce the heat to low.
- Stir in the room temperature sour cream and half of the milk. Only add the other half if desired.
- Gradually sprinkle in 2 ½ cups of the shredded cheddar, stirring as you do so.
- Once the cheese is melted and you have a uniform consistency, top with the remaining cheese.
- Replace the lid and heat for an additional 2-3 minutes, until the cheese is melted.
- Top with parsley and serve!
Notes
- Whole milk is recommended for a creamier consistency, but a lower fat milk may also be used.
- A teaspoon of ketchup and yellow mustard can be added when the pasta is cooking to round out the cheeseburger flavors! A touch of dill pickle relish can also be added at the end.
Make-Ahead Method
- If you prefer to to the prep work for this casserole ahead of time, prepare the recipe as-instructed but cook the pasta covered for 7 minutes instead of 8.
- Stop at step #10, right before you top the casserole with additional cheese.
- Let the casserole cool down, then top it with cheese.
- Refrigerate for up to two days, then bake it in a 350 degree oven, covered, for 15 minutes.
- Remove the lid and cook for an additional 10 minutes. Top with parsley and serve!
Nutrition
We absolutely loved this and my toddler ate it up! We made just a few small adjustments that worked for us and helped to hide more vegetables in the dish. 1. Cooked down a mirapoix (added a chopped carrot and 3 chopped celery stalks to the onion) before adding in the beef. 2. Added 1/2 can of diced tomatoes after beef was browned. 3. Used gigli instead of macaroni 4. We added some of the cheddar to a bechamel and stirred that in with remaining cheddar
lol I’m all about hiding veggies in casseroles! I’m so happy it was a success, thanks for sharing your tweaks and for taking the time to leave a review!💖
After freezing the meal then putting it into the oven. The whole casserole became dry. What should I have done to make it not so dry after it was taken out of the oven?
Hi Kelly? Did you freeze it from frozen or let it thaw completely first? How long did you bake it in the oven for and at what temp? Did you use a casserole dish that was much larger than the quantity you were reheating? (I apologize but there could be a few reasons for it being dry and I need more info.) Pasta noodles are going to absorb more moisture the longer that they sit as well. I like to reheat in a makeshift double oven or very slowly in the microwave.