29 Favorite Old-Fashioned Hamburger Casserole Recipes

If you're in the mood for comfort food that fills up the whole family—even picky eaters—hamburger casseroles are the answer! With loads of flavor and hardly any prep, everyone enjoys these hearty meals.

And they're often inexpensive, too.

Serving of casserole being lifted from the dish.

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Perfect comfort food for busy weeknights

The easy recipes in this collection go something like this: brown some lean ground beef, add flavorful sauce, toss in extra goodies, and top with plenty of cheese.

They're often a complete meal cooked all in one dish.

Old-fashioned hamburger casserole is great when you want to whip something up on busy weeknights—but don't want to head to the grocery store.

They're made with simple ingredients and so easy to customize for your family.

Plus, easy casseroles are fabulous make-ahead meals and a great way to share food with friends or family.

Hamburger casserole is an all-around delicious meal that makes simple family dinners feel relaxing and enjoyable.

Stuffed pepper skillet casserole

Closeup of ground beef . tomatoes, peppers, and rice casserole in an iron skillet with a wooden spoon.

Stuffed pepper skillet is a casserole-style dish that's made entirely on the stove in just one large skillet. It gives you all the zingy flavor of stuffed peppers but goes from start to dinner table in less than a half hour.

Hobo casserole

Overhead view of the casserole in a skillet with a serving removed.

Fried onions and tender potatoes make hobo casserole a family favorite—especially on chilly evenings. The creamy sauce is hearty, and the savory flavors taste like old-fashioned goodness.

Cheesy chili mac casserole

Overhead view of a spoonful of casserole.

This cheesy chili mac casserole combines tender pasta noodles and sharp cheddar cheese into an irresistibly delicious casserole. It also has beans, peppers, and tomatoes for mouthwatering flavor in every bite.

Salisbury steak casserole

Closeup of a serving spoon filled with the casserole for the recipe's feature image.

If you loved this cafeteria combo as a kid, you'll adore salisbury steak casserole topped with mashed potatoes. It only takes 30 minutes and a handful of simple ingredients—for a quick meal, it's packed with good, old-fashioned flavor.

Slow cooker cheeseburger mac casserole

This slow cooker mac cheeseburger casserole recipe simmers all day, so you can come home to a perfectly cooked meal the entire family will enjoy. It's homemade "hamburger helper," and, trust me when I say, so much better than the boxed stuff.

Meat lovers pizza tater tot casserole

Feature image for Pizza Tater Tot Casserole

Both kids and adults get excited when they hear that pizza tater tot casserole is on the menu. It's loaded up with your favorite meats and cooked with tater tots. This is one cheesy casserole that fills up the hungriest eaters!

Ground beef Dorito casserole

Dorito chips for dinner? Yes, please! Dorito casserole is made with lean hamburger meat and packed with Tex-Mex flavors for an ooey-gooey dinner everyone will crave. It's one of my favorite recipes, both to make and eat!

Beef enchilada casserole

Overhead view of the casserole with a wooden spoon next to it.

Beef enchilada casserole is an easy ground beef recipe that tastes like your favorite Mexican restaurant dish. Forget about Taco Tuesday, once your family tries this meal, they'll never look back!

Sloppy Joe Tater Tot casserole

Overhead view of the casserole with a serving removed.

Sloppy Joe tater tot casserole is a fun way to enjoy zingy flavors without the messy sandwiches. Plus, you can sneak in ground turkey, and no one will notice a difference!

Burrito casserole

Closeup of the top of the casserole showing melted cheese.

With refried beans, tender beef, and two types of cheese, burrito casserole hits the spot when the family is craving some Mexican food! This easy hamburger casserole recipe comes together in a pinch, even if you're a beginner cook.

John Wayne casserole

Closeup of the top of the casserole showing all of the cheesy goodness.

John Wayne casserole combines tender biscuits with gooey cheese and a ground beef mixture flavored with taco and ranch seasonings. This is one of those casserole dishes that's hearty enough for a true cowboy or cowgirl!

Hamburger noodle casserole

If you have thirty minutes, you can make this Amish country casserole. The egg noodles are nestled in a tomato sauce along with beef and plenty of cheese for a dinner that soothes the soul.

Ground beef pot pie

Closeup of a serving of pot pie for feature image.

When talking about ground beef casserole recipes, I'd be remiss to leave out this delicious ground beef pot pie. It only takes six cheap ingredients, and (spoiler alert) you don't have to make the crust yourself!

Cowboy spaghetti

An iron skillet filled with pasta and topped with bacon and green onions.

Cowboy spaghetti cooks in a large iron skillet, so it's perfect if you don't want to use the oven. It's a Southwest twist on a classic, pasta-based casserole—so unique, and everyone loves it.

Cowboy casserole

Casserole with a serving taken out showing the inside texture.

Tater tots make any dinner more fun, and Tex-Mex-flavored cowboy casserole is no exception. Out of all the ground beef casserole recipes, I guarantee this is one you'll revisit over and over again.

Lasagna

Can't leave out lasagna from this list of delicious hamburger casserole recipes. Tender ground beef, al dente pasta sheets, tomato sauce, ricotta cheese, and maybe a little Italian seasoning if you're feeling fancy, and dinner's done. Yum, yum, and yum.

Spanish rice

Spanish rice is a great way to use up leftover rice, and it comes together quickly when you're looking for new, easy dinner ideas. With ground beef, peppers, and tomatoes, it's the kind of casserole you don't need to serve with much else.

Crescent roll taco bake

Closeup of a serving of taco bake with cheese oozing out the side.

Easy crescent roll taco bake takes just about a half hour and is so satisfying on busy days. The zingy, Tex-Mex-flavored meat mixture tastes delicious underneath a sweet and tender golden-brown crescent roll topping.

More great hamburger casserole ideas

Need more great ideas? Here are some of my favorites from around the Internet.

Traditional cottage pie (Bowl Me Over) uses frozen vegetables and pre-made or leftover mashed potatoes for tons of homestyle flavor.
Texas hash (Everyday Eileen) is a spicy, rice-based skillet casserole that tastes fabulous with cornbread.
Hashbrown hamburger casserole (One Hot Oven) uses frozen, shredded hashbrown potatoes for effortless prep.
Firecracker casserole (Bowl Me Over) explodes with zingy flavor and creamy texture. It's just as good the next day!
Grandma's Goulash (Simply Stacie) combines beef, noodles, and tomato sauce for a dish that takes you back to your childhood.
Sloppy Joe casserole (Princess Pinky Girl) uses just a handful of ingredients, so this noodle-based recipe is super budget-friendly.
Frito Pie Casserole (Princess Pinky Girl) requires just three ingredients and one baking dish—it's pretty much effortless!
Big Mac casserole (Bowl Me Over) tastes like everyone's favorite drive-thru treat but is a much healthier, homemade version.
Cheeseburger casserole (Crayons and Cravings) is classic and delicious. If you like dill pickles, you'll love this one.
Cowboy cornbread casserole (Bowl Me Over) is just spicy enough and a little sweet, so it lights up your tastebuds with flavor.

Casserole times and temps

Sometimes you need to bake your casseroles at a different temperature or from frozen. This table is a guideline you can use.

These times are only an estimate. Be sure to check your casserole often. It's done when an instant-read thermometer registers 165F when stuck in the middle of the casserole.

Temperature	Time	Time From Frozen
300F	add 25 minutes	add 25 minutes and multiply by 2
325F	add 20 minutes	add 20 minutes and multiply by 2
350F	30 minutes	multiply by 2
375F	subtract 5 minutes	subtract 5 minutes and multiply by 2
400F	subtract 10 minutes	subtract 10 minutes and multiply by 2

💭 Tips for success

You can generally use any kind of ground meat in place of or in addition to beef. Ground chicken, turkey, and pork are great options.
Potato casseroles can take the longest to bake. Speed it up by using canned, frozen, or shredded potatoes.
Spoon leftovers into an airtight container or cover the casserole dish with plastic wrap. Most recipes keep in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Always let a glass casserole dish come to room temperature before putting it into a cold fridge or a hot oven.
Wondering what to serve with hamburger casserole? You can't go wrong with a simple green salad and some rolls.
Reheat casseroles covered with aluminum foil in the oven. It'll take about 20-30 minutes at 350 degrees F.
I like to serve spicy casseroles with a hefty dollop of sour cream. This helps make it taste milder for younger kids or picky eaters.

Now, you just need a side dish or two!