This easy beef and noodle casserole is cheesy, beefy and makes a lot, allowing you to feed a crowd, or save a casserole for another night!
What You’ll Love This Beef and Noodle Casserole
If your family loves casseroles as much as we do, they’ll love super easy beefy dish filled with melted cheese and more – there are lots of reasons to love this recipe.
- Easy – This is such an easy to make casserole. Ingredients are easy to source and it allows for making your own sauce, using different pasta, etc.
- Convenient – This beef and noodle casserole is a convenient meal, it can be made ahead, refrigerated for up to 3 days and an extra casserole can be made and frozen for another meal.
- Budget Friendly – Pasta dishes are relatively inexpensive and this one is absolutely no exception.
- Versatile – This recipe is a great jumping off point and can absolutely be made your own way. Add veggies, change the sauce, try different herbs and seasonings, use turkey or chicken instead of beef…. you do you!
How to Make Cheesy Beef and Noodle Casserole
This recipe looks like it might be a lot of work, but it is definitely not. And you’re actually making two meals in one.
Start with gathering your ingredients:
- lean ground beef
- onion
- garlic clove
- spaghetti sauce
- stewed tomatoes
- medium pasta shells
- light sour cream
- provolone cheese
- Mozzarella cheese
- In a large skillet, cook the beef, onion and garlic over medium heat until it isn’t pink anymore; drain. Stir in the spaghetti sauce and stewed tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.
- In a large pot, cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and then rinse them with cold water. Grab two 9″x13″ casserole dishes and set them side by side. I do both casseroles at the same time, but it’s up to you if you want to fill one, and then fill the other.
- This is for 1 casserole: Spoon 1/4 of the shells into your casserole dish, spread them out. Next, top the shells with 1/4 of the meat sauce. Next spread a layer of the sour cream over the meat sauce. Don’t use too much because there is not only another layer, there is another casserole (it will also do some melting and blending on it’s own as it cooks). On top of the sour cream, place 4 slices of provolone cheese spread out. Now layer another 1/4 of the pasta, another 1/4 of the meat mixture, another layer of sour cream and top with 4 slices of Mozzarella cheese.
Cover the dish with a piece of tin foil and bake at 350 degrees for about 30-40 minutes.
- While that’s cooking, finish preparing the 2nd casserole, cover and pop in the freezer for a later meal. To serve the 2nd casserole, thaw the dish in the refrigerator overnight, remove from fridge and uncover about 45 minutes before cooking. Cook at 350 for 30-40 minutes.
What to Serve with Beef and Noodle Casserole
Anything you’d serve with pasta will pair well with this delicious casserole.
Pair this meal with this easy Garlic Bread with Fresh Herbs and these Creamy Garlic Green Beans.
If you’d like the perfect dessert, don’t mind the name of this decadent chocolate dessert – definitely just make this Easy Chocolate Camping Cake.
Storage, Make Ahead and Freezing
Casseroles are always easy to make ahead, store and freeze for another meal. This beef and noodle casserole is no different.
Make-Ahead: Make this ahead of time (up to three days) and refrigerate in an airtight container. Easily just reheat when ready. Approx. 20-25 minutes covered to heat back up in the oven.
Refrigerator: Store leftover casserole in the fridge for up to one week in an airtight container. Simply reheat in microwave.
Freezer: Freeze the extra casserole for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container or freezer bag.
More Great Casserole Recipes to Try
- Pepperoni Pizza Spaghetti Casserole
- Kielbasa Sausage Hashbrown Casserole
- Cheesy Ravioli Casserole
- Lasagna Penne Pasta Casserole
If you wanted to try your hand and making your own handmade pasta noodles, they are perfect in this recipe!
Easy, Cheesy, Beef & Noodle Casserole Recipe
Easy Cheesy Beef and Noodle Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1 medium onion
- 1 clove garlic
- 28 ounces spaghetti sauce (two jars)
- 29 ounces stewed tomatoes
- 16 ounces pasta shells
- 3 cups light sour cream
- 8 slices provolone cheese
- 8 slices mozarella cheese
Instructions
- In a large skillet, cook the beef, onion and garlic over medium heat until it isn’t pink anymore; drain. Stir in the spaghetti sauce and stewed tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.
- In a large pot, cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and then rinse them with cold water.
- Grab two 9″x13″ casserole dishes and set them side by side. I do both casseroles at the same time, but it’s up to you if you want to fill one, and then fill the other.
- FOR ONE CASSEROLE: Spoon 1/4 of the shells into your casserole dish, spread them out. Next, top the shells with 1/4 of the meat sauce. Next spread a layer of the sour cream over the meat sauce. On top of the sour cream, place 4 slices of provolone cheese spread out. Now layer another 1/4 of the pasta, another 1/4 of the meat mixture, another layer of sour cream and top with 4 slices of Mozzarella cheese.
- Cover the dish with a piece of tin foil and bake at 350 degrees for about 30-40 minutes.
- At 30-40 minutes remove tin foil and allow to continue cooking for about 5-10 minutes longer or until cheese is completely melted, turning golden and bubbly. Allow to sit on counter for about 5-10 minutes. Serve hot.
It’s wonderful that your kids are at the age where they can help out so much while you are laid up. It does sound like an amazing casserole.
I truly am blessed Kristen. It was a delicious casserole and great for a quick weeknight dinner!
This looks delicious, but I would consider it more of a Lasagna. I am going to try your recipe. The only thing is I will use grass fed beef because that’s the only kind of red meat I will eat.
Well, perhaps it could be looked at kinda like a Lasagna, but really it’s not. It has no ricotta cheese or cottage cheese which is almost essential for a true Lasagna.
It is however layered somewhat like a Lasagna, but without the big Lasagna noodles and I usually use shredded cheese on a Lasagna, not slices of cheese.
I would have named it Lasagna, but I already have a Lasagna recipe on here. 🙂