What are the 5 ingredient casseroles with ground beef?

A simple 5 ingredient ground beef casserole typically combines beef, pasta, a canned soup, cheese, and one vegetable for a quick dinner with ground beef. Recipes like this trade depth of flavor for speed, skipping the longer simmer this Ground Beef Casserole dish uses. This version uses more ingredients specifically to build a richer sauce within roughly the same amount of hands-on time.

What is Dolly Parton casserole?

Dolly Parton casserole is a layered ground beef and pasta bake associated with the singer's home-style recipes, often built around ground beef, pasta, and a creamy sauce. It shares the same comfort-food approach as this hamburger casserole recipe, layering meat, starch, and cheese in one dish. Ingredient lists vary by source.

What is a good casserole to make with ground beef?

A good casserole to make with ground beef balances a well-seasoned meat and vegetable base with a starch like pasta, rice, or potatoes and a layer of melted cheese. This recipe checks each of those boxes with bow-tie pasta, a tomato-based sauce, and Cheddar on top. Other reliable options among casseroles include tater tot and rice-based versions, such as our tater tot casserole .

What is Dolly Parton's 5 layer casserole?

Dolly Parton's 5 layer casserole is typically built with ground beef, beans, rice, corn, and cheese stacked in distinct layers before baking. It differs from this recipe's approach of mixing the beef into a tomato sauce rather than keeping each component separate. Both styles fall under the same family of hearty casserole recipes for dinner.

Can I make this casserole ahead of time?

Yes, assemble the full casserole up to a day in advance and refrigerate it unbaked, covered tightly with foil. Add about 10 extra minutes to the bake time if the dish goes into the oven cold from the refrigerator. This makes it convenient for meal prep earlier in the week.

Can I freeze this Casserole?

Yes, this Casserole freezes well either before or after baking for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator before reheating to keep the pasta from turning mushy. Baked portions reheat best covered with foil in a 350-degree oven.

What pasta works best instead of bow-tie?

Penne, rotini, and shell pasta all work well in place of bow-tie pasta since they hold the sauce in their ridges and pockets. Avoid very thin pasta shapes like angel hair, which overcook quickly during the second round of baking. Stick to a sturdy short pasta shape for the best texture.

How do I keep the Casserole from drying out when reheating?

Cover the dish with foil before reheating in the oven, which traps steam and keeps the pasta from drying out. A splash of beef broth or water stirred in before reheating also helps restore moisture. Microwave reheating works best in short intervals with stirring in between.

Easy Ground Beef Casserole Recipe: Best Weeknight Dinners (2 hours)

Description

This ground beef casserole layers seasoned beef, sautéed onion, bell pepper, and carrot in a slow-simmered tomato sauce, then bakes over bow-tie pasta and cream of mushroom soup under a blanket of melted Cheddar cheese. It serves six, reheats well, and ranks among the easiest dinner with ground beef options for a busy week.

Ingredients

Scale

1 ½ pounds ground beef
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
½ cup chopped yellow onion
¼ cup chopped green bell pepper
¼ cup chopped carrot
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (8 ounce) can sliced mushrooms, drained
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 (8 ounce) package bow-tie pasta (farfalle)
1 (10.75 ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
¼ pound shredded Cheddar cheese

Instructions

Brown the Beef: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir beef, salt, and black pepper until browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes; drain and discard grease.
Cook the Vegetables: Add onion, bell pepper, carrot, and garlic to the beef; cook and stir until the onion is lightly browned, about 15 minutes.
Build the Sauce: Mix in tomatoes, tomato sauce, mushrooms, Worcestershire sauce, and brown sugar; season with salt and pepper. Simmer on low until liquid is reduced and flavors blend, about 45 minutes.
Preheat and Boil Pasta: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Boil the bow-tie pasta in salted water until firm to the bite, about 12 minutes. Drain and transfer to a 9×13-inch casserole dish.
Layer the Casserole: Spoon cream of mushroom soup over the pasta; top with the beef and vegetable mixture, then sprinkle Cheddar cheese over the top.
Bake: Bake in the preheated oven until bubbling and the cheese is melted, about 45 minutes. Rest 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

Undercook the pasta slightly since it continues to soften in the oven. Drain the beef thoroughly to avoid a greasy sauce. Let the casserole rest for 5 minutes after baking so the layers set before slicing.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours 5 minutes
Category: Main Dish
Method: Stovetop and Oven
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 serving (1/6th of dish)
Calories: 546
Sugar: 10g
Sodium: 1028mg
Fat: 28g
Saturated Fat: 12g
Unsaturated Fat: 16g
Trans Fat: 0g
Carbohydrates: 43g
Fiber: 4g
Protein: 31g
Cholesterol: 89mg

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