Easy Ground Beef and Egg Noodle Casserole Recipe
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If you are looking for a quick and easy recipe that will satisfy even the picky eater in your family, look no further than this easy ground beef and egg noodle casserole recipe. This recipe is perfect for a busy weeknight and makes for great leftovers too.
This recipe is a Dined and Dashed Level 2 recipe, which means it takes 30 minutes or less to prepare and isn’t a challenge for an average weekday.
It’s no secret that I am not actually someone who likes to cook. Sure, sometimes I get motivated to do it and try some different things. My family’s survival does hinge, in part, on them actually eating food. But there are plenty of reasonably nutrition options that don’t require a whole lot from me.
I think it’s my attention span, or lack thereof, that I really struggle with when it comes to cooking. I just don’t have the patience. But on those rare occasions when I do cook something, no matter how simple, and my family actually enjoys it, well, I am inspired to get into the kitchen more.
Hah, that’s a lie.
I still have no more desire to cook than I did before, but at least I can share said recipe with others who may or may not actually enjoy cooking but are interested in their family not starving.
There isn’t a lot of prep needed for this ground beef egg noodle casserole recipe, but you will need to defrost the ground beef if it’s frozen. If you want to jump right to the recipe card, use the menu just above (click ‘contents’ to expand it), otherwise read on for some frequently asked questions before we get into the nitty gritty of this beef noodle casserole recipe.
​Do you cook meat before putting it into a casserole?
Yes, you absolutely want to cook meat before putting it into a casserole. If you don’t, you risk uncooked meat or meat juices contaminating the casserole. If you don’t cook it long enough or on high enough heat, you risk it remaining undercooked, or in an attempt to ensure it is fully cooked, the rest of the ingredients could end up overcooked.
Do you cook noodles before adding them to a casserole?
For best results, you do want to cook noodles to al dente before adding them to the casserole. Much like the meat, you would likely over-cook the rest of the ingredients in order to fully cook the noodles. And if your casserole isn’t moist enough, they may never actually fully cook.
Do I bake a casserole covered or uncovered?
The question of whether or not to bake a casserole covered or uncovered really varies based on the ingredients and the length of time the casserole needs to cook. The longer it needs to cook, the better off you are covering it, at least part of the time, to keep the top from burning.
In most cases, you will want to cook the casserole for at least 10 minutes uncovered at the end of the cooking cycle to brown the top. Some casserole recipes use uncooked ingredients like rice, and in those cases, you definitely want to cover them at least part of the time.
What you need to make this easy ground beef and egg noodle casserole:
A lot of these simple ingredients you might already have at home! This is classic comfort food. Not complicated, but filling and something the entire family will like. Paired with a vegetable or salad, this makes a delicious meal that is perfect for a weeknight family dinner when time is scarce. It’s also the perfect casserole for even the pickiest of eaters.
- ground beef
- tomato sauce
- wide egg noodles
- sour cream
- cheddar cheese
- salt
- pepper
- garlic powder
- onion powder
- Worcestershire sauce
You will also need a large bowl, a baking dish, a large pot to boil the noodles in and a large skillet to brown the ground beef. You can actually eliminate the need for the bowl by mixing the pasta mixture in the pasta pot, and the meat mixture in the skillet.
I do think you could make this recipe with jarred meat sauce in order to save some time, but it won’t quite have as much meat in it as the original recipe, but still would be really good. I like Mid’s Meat Bolognese. It’s amazing!
How to make this ground beef and egg noodle casserole:
​This isn’t a difficult recipe, though it does take 20 minutes or so to prep. But you can clean up while the casserole is baking which is super helpful.
- Brown the ground beef then drain the grease
- Cook egg noodles per the package directions and then drain
- Add the tomato sauce and spices to the ground beef
- Add the sour cream to the cooked noodles
- Layer the two mixtures in a casserole dish, adding shredded cheese in between each layer and on top of the casserole
Then bake and enjoy!
This egg noodle casserole will please the whole family and can be paired with any number of side dishes.
You could make this ahead of time and put it in the fridge to cook later in the day or the next day, but you will need to increase the cook time, because a refrigerated casserole will take more time to cook than one that is warm or at room temperature.
Ground Beef and Egg Noodle Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 lb ground beef
- 2 cans tomato sauce 15 ounces each
- 16 ounce bag egg noodles wide or personal preference
- 1 1/2 cups sour cream
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Boil the egg noodles per package instructions.
- While waiting for noodles to boil, brown the ground beef.
- Drain the beef and the noodles, add each one to a separate large bowl, or return them to the pan they were cooked in.
- Add the tomato sauce, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and Worcestershire sauce to the ground beef and stir until combined.
- Add the sour cream to the egg noodles and gently blend into the noodles.
- Add a small amount of the beef mixture to the bottom of the casserole dish and spread it out so it covers the entire bottom.
- Add half of the pasta mixture to the dish.
- Add half of the remaining meat mixture on top of the pasta.
- Add half of the shredded cheese on top of the meat mixture.
- Repeat the layering one more time – add the remaining pasta mixture, then the remaining meat mixture, and finally add the rest of the shredded cheese on top.
- Bake for 30 minutes until cooked through and browned on top.
Notes
Nutrition
This delicious casserole is sure to become a family favorite!
