Cheeseburger Casserole is a one pot, 30 minute recipe that’s outrageously good. Beefy, cheesy and saucy, it tastes like cheeseburgers in pasta form. It’s a homemade Hamburger Helper – a tastier and much healthier version of the popular boxed pasta!
I love a good one pot recipe, and this one sits alongside reader favourites including Greek Chicken & Lemon Rice, Sausage Bake with Vegetables and Gravy, Baked Chicken with Garlic Butter Rice and the one skillet Asian Beef Noodles!
“It’s beefy, cheesy and saucy – Hamburger Helper tastes like cheeseburgers in pasta form!”
Cheeseburger Casserole
The first time I published this recipe, I said that I burnt my mouth taste testing this straight out of the pot.
And almost 3 years later, I’m saying the same thing – yet again, I burnt my mouth.
I took a small taste to check for seasoning. Had a swoon moment, then scooped up a huge spoonful and shovelled it in my mouth.
And totally scorched the entire roof of my mouth. OUCH.
Here’s an up close and personal look at the offender. Look at it. Can you blame me for my lack of self control??
Another ground beef recipe!
I’m a big fan of ground beef (mince) recipes because it’s economical, requires no chopping and it’s a terrific sponge for flavour.
So for those of you who put a packet of beef mince in your shopping basket this week, this Cheeseburger Casserole is for you! The key ingredients are fairly standard pantry items. And the items that are not can be substituted:
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carrot, celery and corn are optional. Feel free to add other chopped veg
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some subs available for the spices
The cheese is not optional. If you skip it, then this pretty much becomes a bolognese, hmm??
One pot! 20 minutes!
The beauty of this recipe is the speed at which it has to be cooked. You cannot cook the pasta for longer than 12 minutes, otherwise your sauce will disappear and you’ll end up with overly soft pasta.
It’s a 19 minute job on the stove:
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Onion, garlic, celery, carrot – 4 minutes
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Brown beef – 3 minutes
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Add the other stuff and stir – 2 minutes
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Cook – 8 minutes (no peeking!)
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Stir & Cheese – 1 minute
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Melt -2 minutes
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TOTAL 20 minutes
(PS I used to work in finance. This is the extent of the maths I do nowadays 🤓)
This Cheeseburger Casserole is a recipe from my good friend Jo from Jo Cooks. It’s one of many fabulous one pot recipes in her cookbook, 30 Minute One Pot Meals.
I originally shared this recipe back in 2016 to celebrate the release of her cookbook. It was fabulous then, and it’s just as fabulous now. ❤️
Sometimes, I reduce the amount of pasta (because I always have half packets 250g/8oz lying around!) and up the veg quota. Zucchini and red peppers /capsicum are ideal. Jo also suggests topping it with diced tomato which is a great topping.
If you do this, then you might not need a side salad. But if you do, try your garden salad or steamed vegetables with French Dressing, Balsamic Dressing or my favourite Italian Dressing. Or make a big batch of Broccoli Salad that will last you days and days! – Nagi x
PS And if you feel like a total carb blow out, add a side of Better-Than-Dominos Garlic Bread. *She swoons at the thought and her skinny jeans are cursing*
More One Pot Ground Beef / Mince recipes
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Chili Mac – mash up of Mac and Cheese with Chilli Con Carne, so good!
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Asian Beef and Ramen Noodles – one skillet, 15 minutes
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Taco Soup – don’t knock it until you’ve tried it, it’s amazing!
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Browse all One Pot recipes and Ground Beef / Mince recipes
Cheeseburger Casserole
Watch how to make it
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Cheeseburger Casserole (Homemade Hamburger Helper)
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 small carrot * , chopped (optional)
- 1 celery stalk * , chopped (optional)
- 500 g/ 1 lb ground beef (mince) , preferably lean
- 12 oz / 340g dried macaroni , uncooked
- 1/2 cup frozen corn * , optional
- 2 cups chicken broth/stock, low sodium
- 1 tbsp hot sauce or Sriracha sauce , adjust to taste
- 1 tsp American chili powder (Note 1)
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp garlic powder , or sub onion powder
- 800 g / 28 oz crushed tomato
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1.5 - 2 cups (150 - 200g) cheddar or tasty cheese, shredded (Note 3)
- 1 cup (100g) mozzarella cheese , for topping
Garnish (optional)
- 1 green onion , sliced
Instructions
- Heat oil in a dutch oven or large deep skillet over medium high heat.
- Add onion and garlic, cook 1 minute.
- Add celery and carrot, cook 3 minutes until soft.
- Increase heat to high and add beef. Cook, breaking it up as you go, until no longer pink - 3 minutes.
- Add remaining ingredients EXCEPT cheese. Stir to combine, add macaroni, then turn down to medium or medium low so it's simmering gently.
- Cover, cook 8 minutes. Pasta should be just about cooked, and still nice and saucy.
- Add cheddar cheese, stir. Top with mozzarella cheese.
- Cover with lid, cook for a further 2 minutes.
- Remove from stove. The pasta should now be cooked - tender but firm, not mushy, slick with sauce, not dried out.
- Serve immediately, garnished with green onions, if using.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer
This is the same Dozer photo I shared when I first published this recipe back in 2016 – Dozer looking at Jo’s cookbook instead of the food.
We all know I was holding a treat just out of frame to make him do that.
But she loves the photo so much anyway, I can’t change it!!
Thank you so much for doing this, Nagi! I’m so glad you’re liking the recipes from the book! Love the pictures but I think you know which one is my favorite! Love love love his face, too adorable!
Dozer is enjoying the recipes as much as me!! I made this again last night using turkey and Dozer just had some leftovers for dinner 🙂 Congrats again Jo, your cookbook really is INCREDIBLE!
I just knew you had to be bribing Dozer with something. He’s no fool — not when it comes to delicious food 🙂 I think I may have burned my mouth too if I had been in your shoes. The casserole looks so very yummy. Perfect for fall weather. But, hey, your spring will be coming up soon and then summer. Have a great day and thank you for the yummy recipe. BTW, I wish I could send you something I found on Facebook and shared. It was so funny and I thought of you when I shared. You would have gotten a big kick out of it 🙂
Send it to me!!! If you click on the date, you can then copy that URL and drop it in here!!
Comparing this to Hamburger Helper doesn’t help me – I think I’ve had HH once and didn’t care much for it, because of no flavor. This does sound good, though, so if my husband is interested, I’ll try it. It might become one of the recipes for my beach kitchen (electric skillet, blender, microwave).
Really? The boxed stuff had no flavour? I presumed it would come with a big bag of seasoning!
Wish I could remember. That was with the boyfriend I dumped about 8 years ago. Not much with him was positively memorable. The package probably does have seasoning, but he fixed it, so I don’t know what was in the package… And I will NOT go out and buy some to see what it’s like – I refuse! ?
“Not much with him was positively memorable” – I’m in a cafe and I burst out into laughter!!
” I’m very aware that I lean towards “ugly but yummy” brown / yellowy foods – ”
The comments you make, such as above, make following you as enjoyable as the great recipes and tips you present to us… I seldom finish an introduction to a recipe without a big smile or a downright laugh.. Adding Dozer to a post makes me check in most every day…
I swore many years ago that I would not purchase the packaged HB Helper I had to eat so often when younger.. Funny thing is that I kinda miss some of the dishes we made too frequently with the box..
This recipe inspires me to go for home made HB… Yayyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!
Glad to provide you with some light reading Ross!!! I figure rather than trying to disguise my “flaws” e.g. tendency towards ugly foods, I should celebrate it, right??!!! 🙂 N x
Totally agree with you, RossC! Love Nagi’s warm, funny post commentary almost as much as the recipes 🙂 Oh, and as for this dish. I want it. Now.
Awww, thanks Hannah! Thank you for reading and I’m glad you enjoy me mocking myself!!! 🙂 N x
You’ve totally sucked me in again . I am honestly sitting here drooling at the photos! Not only am I going to try this ASAP , but I’ve also just subscribed to Jo’s blog because I barely had to look at her recipes and and I knew… Oh yes this is where I belong ! And she’s a fellow Canadian to boot!
I’m so glad you like the look of this and I really hope you try it! So happy to hear you subscribed to Jo’s blog, she ROCKS! Her food is awesome 🙂 Plus she does more baking than me, things like cinnamon rolls and breads that I don’t do much of 🙂
Thanks Nagi, I love 1 pot meals.
I just wanted to add a suggestion for busy mom and cooks… When I find hamburger on sale, I buy…as much as I can afford. I then take it home, and cook it all up….salt, pepper, garlic and onions in the who thing. Once finished cooking, I drain any fat. I take a good portion, and put it back in the pot, and make taco meat. The rest, I let cool, and then the hubby measures portions and puts them in freezer bags (Foodsaver for us) and we freeze the cooked hamburger.
It sure makes it wonderfully easy with recipes like this, spaghetti, etc to grab a pre measured bag of cooked hamburger, quickly thaw, and make spaghetti, cheeseburger casserole (tomorrow night) and tacos, etc (from the taco meat).
Pre-cooking over the years has saved me hours and hours, AND it impressed my MIL when she was visiting, and I had a huge taco salad dinner for the family in less than 20 minutes after getting home from a long day at the beach!
Thank you again for all of your wonderful recipes! I share with many friends!
That’s so fabulous Rhonda, what a great idea!! I do similar with pork carnitas 🙂 I have bags and bags of it in the freezer! Love that you cook it up with seasoning, that’s really smart. N x
That is an outstanding tip… Thank you… :O)
Oooh this looks so great AND I’ll just put my gluten free pasta in there for family night (and have to eat it all at one time as the GF stuff does NOT do well as left overs). I’m sure there won’t be any left overs with the teenagers. Beautiful pics as always! Hope you are well!
Hiiiiii Christina! How are you? How’s your photography course going? Did you get my feedback? 🙂 N x
Hii!! I did not see your feedback – I just looked again. That sucks. I hate when software doesn’t work. I would love to know your feedback so I’m going to email you about. xo
This is a true American classic. We call this comfort food. Many of us grew up with the original and rarely eat it now. Every time I see it I think that would be so much fun to make and devour.
I am so tempted to being a pack back with me the next time I visit!! Just so I can say I’ve tried it!
Hi Nagi! I totally agree with Nancy, boxed hamburger is nasty and tuna helper is even worse in my opinion! I have never bought either and my kids never ask for it. However, making it from scratch is just fine! In fact you must have read my mind because I bought extra ground beef the other day for a meatloaf and to make a pot of chili mac (what I call this)! Now you’ve given me a recipe for it! 🙂
I still cannot believe there is such thing as Tuna Helper!!!
Hi Nagi! I would send you a box of tuna helper, but postage to AU is kinda high. Instead I will take you to the store when you are here and you can decide if you want it…NOT! 🙂
Ummm…..I can think of about 2 million other things I’d prefer to stash in my suitcase!!!! (Waffle maker!!)
I cringed at the thought of Hamburger Helper haha (it’s been a while since I subjected myself to that) and this homemade version looks infinitely better. It really truly can’t get better than this deliciousness in one pot and only 30 min. I’m saving this one!
I’ve never had it but I can imagine what it’s like! All I know is that THIS homemade version is incredibly delicious!!
This looks great…but as an American, there is nothing more disgusting than boxed Hamburger Helper!! Putting this one in the rotation!
Never tried it and I don’t need to to know it’s horrid!! Hope you do try this Nancy, this is really incredible, I made it again yesterday!
I think this might be tonight’s dinner 🙂
I haven’t tried it but I can just imagine!!!! Anything that comes in a box is never that nice…