Ground Beef and Pasta Casserole Cooking Light

Ground Beef Casserole made with an aromatic blend of spices, beef, tomatoes and some good ole' cheese. A great meal that the whole family will rave about. Cheesy, meaty goodness that is super easy to make!

Sometimes you just want a quick and casual dinner. When that is the case, what is better than a casserole? You assemble, bake it and serve it right out of the dish you cooked it in. Nice, right?

You can use a baking dish or a cast iron skillet. Trust me, either way works absolutely fine!

This Ground Beef Casserole is definitely going to be one of your soon-to-be faves. I took this Trinidad Macaroni Pie here and give it a little twist. And if you love that one, you're going to go crazy for this one.

What's not to love? It is cheesy, meaty goodness with pasta! That combination is mouthwatering enough but baking it in the oven creates this golden brown topping making it even tastier. You can throw in some breadcrumbs too if you like. Or triple the amount of cheese. Yesss, more cheese! No judgement here. Whatever floats your boat!

Okay, the thing is, this recipe goes beyond pasta, meat, and cheese. It begins with an aromatic base of sautéed onions, garlic, thyme, which enhances the other ingredients and gives the casserole depth of flavor. And it ends in a golden brown cheesy goodness.

Oh boy!!! What more could you ask for?

As for what is in the middle, there is beef and pasta of course. In this recipe you do not have to use any cheese sauce. Just some evaporated milk.

With every bite, you'll get a nice beefy flavor paired with an addictively delicious note of cheese, some spice and vegetal hints throughout. Savor every bite!

Enjoy!!!

Watch How to Make It

Tips and Notes:

Try to slightly undercook the pasta since you will bake the casserole. Drain the pasta when it still has some bite because it will finish cooking in the oven.
You can easily switch the type of pasta to use in this recipe. Bowtie pasta, penne or elbow macaroni works fine.
Adjust the amount of jalapenos especially when you're sharing this with the little ones.
You can either use fresh diced tomatoes or canned.
Do not confuse evaporated milk with condensed milk. For 1 cup of evaporated milk, you can substitute it by simmering 2 1/4 cups of regular milk (any fat level would do) until it becomes 1 cup OR replace it with 3/4 cup whole milk and 1/4 cup half-and-half (blend of equal parts whole milk and light cream).
For those who have dairy intolerances, you may use almond milk as a substitute for evaporated milk.
You can throw in some breadcrumbs as toppings.

Prep: 10 mins

Cook: 50 mins

Total: 1 hr

Fusion

▢ 2 cups uncooked Fusilli or Macaroni (see notes)
▢ 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
▢ 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
▢ 2 Teaspoons Fresh thyme
▢ 1 tablespoon jalapenos pepper minced seeded
▢ 1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
▢ 1 cup finely diced onion
▢ 1 pound ground beef
▢ 2 tablespoons flour
▢ 1 1/2 cup diced tomatoes see notes 4
▢ 1 cup evaporated milk
▢ 4 ounce or more mozzarella cheese grated
▢ 4 ounce or more sharp cheddar cheese grated
▢ Salt Creole preferably(adjust to taste)
▢ 1/2 - 1 teaspoon white pepper (adjust to taste)
▢ 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper optional

Cook pasta according to package directions. Be sure to salt water before cooking.
Meanwhile, in a saucepan, sauté the garlic, thyme, Jalapeno pepper, smoked paprika for about 1 minute in 2 tablespoons butter.
Then add onions and continue cooking for about a minute more.
Add beef salt and pepper. Cook, stirring until the meat is no longer pink or red.
Sprinkle 2 tablespoons flour over the beef mixture and cook for a minute or two.
Add in the tomatoes and continue to cook for about 2-3 minutes. Throw in pasta and milk. Cook for another 1 or two until the ingredients have been fully incorporated. Adjust seasonings salt pepper
Stir in more than half of the cheese (leave the rest to sprinkle on top)
Transfer to a greased 2-quart baking dish or 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Sprinkle remaining cheese.
Bake, uncovered, at 350° F for about 20 -30 minutes or until casserole is heated through. And top is slightly brown.
Remove then let it rest for a few minutes and serve when it is still piping hot.

Course: Main

Cuisine: Fusion

Nutrition Facts

Ground Beef Casserole

Amount Per Serving

Calories 665 Calories from Fat 333

% Daily Value*

Fat 37g 57%

Saturated Fat 18g 113%

Cholesterol 127mg 42%

Sodium 409mg 18%

Potassium 686mg 20%

Carbohydrates 45g 15%

Fiber 2g 8%

Sugar 9g 10%

Protein 35g 70%

Vitamin A 1075IU 22%

Vitamin C 13.1mg 16%

Calcium 416mg 42%

Iron 3.5mg 19%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

How To Make Ground Beef Casserole

Cook pasta according to package directions. Be sure to salt water before cooking.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan, sauté the garlic, thyme, jalapeno pepper, smoked paprika for about 1 minute in 2 tablespoons butter. Then add onions and continue cooking for about a minute more. Add beef salt and pepper. Cook, stirring until the meat is no longer pink or red.

Sprinkle 2 tablespoons flour over the beef mixture and cook for a minute or two.

Add in the tomatoes and continue to cook for about 2-3 minutes.

Throw in the pasta followed by milk. Cook for another 1 or two until the ingredients have been fully incorporated. Adjust seasonings with salt pepper.

Stir in more than half of the cheese (leave the rest to sprinkle on top).

Transfer to a greased 2-quart baking dish or 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Sprinkle remaining cheese.

Bake, uncovered, at 350° F for about 20 -30 minutes or until casserole is heated through. And top is slightly brown. Remove then let it rest for a few minutes and serve when it is still piping hot.