If you’re a cheeseburger lover then this cheeseburger pasta casserole is for you. It’s just like a big juicy cheeseburger right in a bowl. Loaded with ground beef, cheese, pasta, and pickles, all the flavors of a burger in a comforting pasta dish!
Oh boy, I don’t even know where to begin with this cheeseburger casserole. Okay, one word.. yummilious! yeah I know it’s not a real word but that’s the only word I can think of that can possibly explain how amazing this cheeseburger casserole is.
I love making casseroles because they’re always easier to store and serve the entire family. It’s basically the whole meal in a big casserole dish. Grab some in a bowl and you are good to go!
How to Make Cheeseburger Pasta Bake
This casserole is fairly easy to make and can be cooked and reheated as needed.
The base is made with a beef and tomato mixture, combined with a layer of pasta (any kind will work fine) then topped with mild cheddar cheese and diced pickles (YUM!).
Time-Saving Tips:
- Bake the casserole in the same pan: you cook the meat mixture in. After cooking down the meat mixture, add the pasta and cheese to the same skillet and bake! Just be sure it’s oven safe.
- Prep the casserole the night before: Cook down the meat and add the cooked pasta then top with cheese. After this step place, cool down the pasta and place it in the fridge for up to 24 hours or freeze for up to 2 months. To cook, Simply pop in the oven until cooked through and bubbly!
How to Store Leftover Pasta
Store the leftover pasta for the rest of the week or meal-prep it and enjoy it at work!
To store: you can place the cooked pasta dish in the fridge for up to three days. You can freeze the meal for up to three months if you need to save it for longer than three days.
Cheeseburger Pasta Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 cups 6 oz uncooked rotelle pasta (any kind will work fine)
- 1 lb lean ground beef, 90% lean
- 1 cup onions, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp tomato paste, or 1 cup marinara sauce
- 28 oz diced tomatoes, or 1 cup fresh diced tomatoes
- 2 tsp oil
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp Dijon Mustard
- 2 cups reduced fat grated cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup chopped dill pickles
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta according to the package directions for al dente (about 5-7 minutes) and drain well.
- In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-low heat. Add the onions and cook until lightly golden and soft, about 4-5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in the beef and cook until browned; season with salt and pepper. Stir in the tomato paste or marinara sauce and tomatoes and mustard. Allow to cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes.
- After the pasta and meat are cooked Toss the meat mixture with the pasta and spread it into the prepared dish. Top with the cheddar cheese and bake for 10-12 minutes or until the cheesy is fully melted and the casserole is boiling in the edges. Remove from oven and Sprinkle the chopped pickles over the top and serve.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Made this tonight for kids loved it however u have to add pickles if they like for flavor AND I added Great Value WALMART Secret Sauce (BIG MAC SAUCE) $1.54 to it !! LOVED IT!
Can ground chicken be used instead of ground
Beef?
I liked the idea, but the flavor didn’t quite turn out. There were maybe too many tomatoes or dijon making it sour. I would also use more noodles next time.
Looks delicious! Can this be frozen? How do you recommend freezing and then cooking later?
I haven’t tried freezing it but I would freeze it either before baking after it’s been assembled or after it has baked and reheat in the oven to serve.
I like to use a good quality golden egg pappardelle or othe other flat egg noodle. Also I like to use deli style DILL pickle relish, which gives you the flavor of dill pickles without the hassle of dicing them. I tend to also add extra Dijon mustard.
This is my 4 year olds FAV meal she requests it and only daddy can cook it one of the only nights she gets seconds!! Been making it for about 6-8 months my 4 and 6 year old like it better w bread and butter pickles too (mommy prefers it that way)
So glad to hear that she enjoyed it!!
Our kitchen literally smelled like a BK double bacon cheeseburger!! We added, cooked bacon pieces AND diced zucchini, fresh from the garden and used grape tomatoes as that’s what we had on hand. I think using canned tomatoes would have resulted in a more tomato-y flavor. Also used dill relish, would suggest dicing actual pickles. Easy to follow instructions! Flavorful dish!
This is my new favorite dinner!!
My apologies if this posts twice, but I just commented and it disappeared! This recipe was delish! And it was easy to make, even for a novice cook such as myself lol. My boyfriend and I both loved it. 😋 💛
That’s okay, Lauren! I’m happy you guys liked it 🙂
I am a somewhat novice cook, and this recipe was easy and so good! My boyfriend and I loved it! Thank u!! : ) I always feel like the casserole version of any food is better than the original lol. 😜
Do you know the nutritional value on this food? I have a newly diagnosed Type I diabetic that I sometimes cook for but I need to know the amount of carbohydrates (not net but total) in this dish per serving.
Thank you!
Just added the macros! Enjoy <3
Delish
Loved the pickles on top! I substituted ketchup for tomatoes to suit my FAMILy and would probably double the meat next time, but overall it was a hit and exactly what I needed for a last minute dinner!
Happy the family enjoyed the dish! Thanks for stopping by, Katherine 🙂
Looks good i just made it
my family loved this quick and easy recip. I hope you dotoo!
I am making this casserole for dinner! it looks really, really good I used penne pasta because I didn’t have any other kind and I’m just now waiting for the cheese to melt!
It it looks awesome
Don’t you mean 1Can of 14.5 oz of tomatoes = 1 cup of fresh diced tomatoes. 28 oz would be twice as much. Also do you drain the canned tomatoes?
Does any know if this can be frozen and reheated later??
I haven’t tried freezing it but I don’t see why not!
Just made this as A nostAlgia item frim childhood. Omg its good. The recipe is perfect. I did sub out about 5 TBSP OF KETCHUP FOR TOMATO PASTE. It was fine.
If you’re making this for a friend, and they won’t be eating it right after it’s made, what is recommended for reheating? And would they keep it in the refrigerator or freezer side ?
you’re good to go.
Would this freeze well?
Sounds good. The 2 cups of pasta (6 oz ) should that be 16 oz?
I really want to try this – it looks so good, although I have to ask. Do the onions really need cooking for 45 minutes? XD
Oh no! It’s not 45 minutes. You need to cook them for 4-5 minutes. I must have forgotten the dash. Will fix that now, thanks for pointing it out Laila! 🙂
I love the cheesiness of this casserole!! 🙂 I bet it tastes amazing!
Awww … this looks amazingly oozy and tasty. Love the idea of adding the pickles to make it taste even more cheeseburger-y. You are making me hungry!
This is like a wayyyy better version of the hamburger helper my mom always made us eat as kids!! haha It looks delicious!
I am so hungry right now. This is FABULOUS!
Glad you liked it Dorothy!
Comfort food to the max! Hamburger helper needs to step down now that this casserole is in town!
haha yes sir! homemade from scratch is always better and more comforting especially when it comes to family style meals.
This looks amazing Layla, perfect comfort food.
Thanks Cheri! 🙂
Hearty-mighty-delicious! This one will feed many.
ela
oh my god that CHEESE. I seriously just floated to heaven
You know how much I love cheese! 😀