Easy Cheeseburger Casserole – One Pot!
Easy Cheeseburger Casserole made with lean ground beef and pasta simmered in broth, tomato sauce, and spices, topped with cheese and ready in 30 minutes!
This EASY Cheeseburger Casserole is the cheeseburger version of homemade hamburger helper. It only takes 30 minutes, one pot, and common pantry ingredients, making this the perfect weeknight dinner!
I’m making it with gluten free pasta and lean ground beef with onions and peppers in tomato puree, beef broth, and mozzarella cheese, topped with more cheese and broiled until golden and bubbly. This is also great to meal prep lunches for the week!
If you loved this recipe, you may also love my Stuffed Pepper Casserole, or my Cheesy Hamburger Potato Casserole!
Table of contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Customizable – This recipe is really easy to change around to suit your taste! Check out my recipe variations section for more ideas.
Easy to Make – Everything comes together in one pan in 30 minutes! Plus you only have to wash one dish when you’re done.
Comfort Food – This dish is warm, cheesy, and ultimately satisfying! It’s perfect for a busy weeknight.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Ground Beef. I like to use 93% lean ground beef, because it doesn’t create as much grease to drain off.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil. This helps keep the onion and pepper from sticking to the pan. You can also use butter, canola oil, or avocado oil.
Veggies. I like to use onion and poblano peppers for flavor. Other veggies would work in this, too. Try adding some carrot, celery, or spinach.
Cheese. I like to mix shredded mozzarella cheese in for a creamy texture, and sharp shredded cheddar cheese on top to really give it a cheeseburger flavor.
Tomatoes. I’m using both diced tomatoes and tomato sauce. If you don’t have tomato sauce, you can use a few tablespoons of tomato paste. The pasta will soak up all of the great flavor from the tomatoes.
Beef Broth. We’re looking for a cheeseburger flavor here, so beef broth is the way to go! If you don’t have broth, you can also use water, it just won’t have as much flavor.
Worcestershire Sauce. This can vary by brand, so make sure the one you buy is gluten free. This adds a really nice savory flavor that goes great in beef dishes!
Spices. I like to add a spice mixture of garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, and smoked paprika for flavor. Add kosher salt and black pepper to taste.
Gluten Free Pasta. I like to make this using rotini, but elbow macaroni or other small pasta shells will also work. Make sure you only cook the pasta until it’s al dente, because it will finish cooking as the dish finishes in the broiler.
This recipe works for regular pasta if you’re not gluten free.
Kitchen Tools
For this gluten free cheeseburger casserole, you’ll need a large oven-safe skillet with high sides.
If you don’t have an oven-safe skillet, just skip the broiling step, or transfer to an oven-safe casserole dish before broiling.
How to Make Homemade Cheeseburger Casserole
In a large skillet over medium heat, add olive oil, onions, and poblano pepper. Saute until the onions become translucent, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the beef and cook until browned, breaking it up as it cooks, and drain off the grease.
Stir the seasoning and Worcestershire sauce into the beef. Add the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, broth, and pasta to the skillet and stir everything together.
Use the spoon to spread the pasta evenly so it’s in the broth.
Bring to a simmer and cook for 8-10 minutes, or until the pasta is al dente, stirring halfway through. Mix in the mozzarella, and top everything with the cheddar cheese.
Place the skillet in the oven and broil for 2-3 minutes, or until the cheese becomes bubbly and golden brown. Top with green onions or fresh parsley and serve.
Recipe Variations
- Make a bacon cheeseburger casserole by topping with crumbled crispy bacon pieces.
- Try adding a drizzle of burger sauce or pickle slices on top for more flavor!
- Make this cheeseburger flavored hamburger helper spicy with some hot sauce, red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, or pickled jalapeños.
- Make a BBQ cheeseburger casserole with some gluten free BBQ sauce and crispy pieces of bacon.
- Try adding more veggies like baby spinach, green onion, mushrooms, zucchini, or asparagus.
- Make this creamy with a dash of heavy cream, sour cream, cream cheese, or half and half.
- Make this lighter by using ground turkey and fat free shredded cheddar cheese.
- Try using other types of cheese like gruyere, Monterey jack, or Swiss cheese.
Recipe Tip! Don’t forget to drain the grease after browning the ground beef. This will keep the final dish from becoming greasy.
Frequently Asked Questions
These dishes are really similar, but we’re adding a few extra ingredients to make this taste more like a cheeseburger. I like to add peppers, diced tomatoes, and seasonings that aren’t in a typical hamburger helper. Plus hamburger helper usually has heavy cream to make the sauce more creamy, and we’re omitting that to make this more like a cheeseburger.
Recipe Tip! Watch the pasta closely, because we only want it to get to al dente. It will finish cooking with the heat that remains in the dish, and it won’t turn mushy when it’s under the broiler.
More Casserole Recipes
- Broccoli Cauliflower Casserole
- Cheesy Spaghetti Squash Casserole
- Loaded Baked Potato Casserole
- Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole
Storage
Refrigerate leftover cheeseburger casserole for 3-4 days in an airtight container.
Freeze for 2-3 months in a freezer-safe container. The pasta might break apart more easily after being frozen and reheated, so this is best made fresh.
Cooking Tips
- I recommend buying a block of cheese and shredding it yourself. Pre-shredded cheese has anti-caking ingredients, which prevent it from melting as well as it would if you shredded it yourself.
- Watch the broiler really closely, because the cheese can burn really fast if it’s left too long.
- You could also make this in a dutch oven or casserole dish. Brown the ground beef, mix everything together, then put everything into the baking dish and bake until the pasta is cooked through.
- You can substitute the tomato sauce with tomato paste. If you do, try to cook the tomato paste in the skillet for a minute or two before mixing everything together.
Tried this recipe? ⭐ Leave a review and share what worked best for you—your tips help other home cooks get the same delicious results!
Easy Cheeseburger Casserole – One Pot!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium Vidalia onion, chopped
- 1 medium poblano pepper, seeded, chopped
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, gluten free
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
- 8 ounces tomato sauce, (1 small can)
- 4 cups beef broth, gluten free
- 14 ounces diced tomatoes, (1 can)
- 12 ounces gluten free pasta, Rotini or elbow macaroni
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
Equipment
- 1 oven-safe skillet with high sides (a deep skillet)
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium heat, add olive oil, onion, and poblano pepper. Saute until the onions become translucent, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the beef and cook until browned, breaking it up as it cooks, and drain off the grease.
- Stir the seasoning and Worcestershire sauce into the beef. Add the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, broth, and pasta to the skillet and stir everything together. Use the spoon to spread the pasta evenly so it’s in the broth.
- Bring to a simmer and cook for 8-10 minutes, or until the pasta is al dente, stirring halfway through. Mix in the mozzarella, and top everything with the cheddar cheese.
- Place the skillet in the oven and broil for 2-3 minutes, or until the cheese becomes bubbly and golden brown. Top with green onions or fresh parsley and serve.
Notes
- I recommend buying a block of cheese and shredding it yourself. Pre-shredded cheese has anti-caking ingredients, which prevent it from melting as well as it would if you shredded it yourself.
- Watch the broiler really closely, because the cheese can burn really fast if it’s left too long.
- You could also make this in a dutch oven or casserole dish. Brown the ground beef, mix everything together, then put everything into the baking dish and bake until the pasta is cooked through.
- You can substitute the tomato sauce with tomato paste. If you do, try to cook the tomato paste in the skillet for a minute or two before mixing everything together.
Nutrition
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