Description
Beef and pasta casserole brings comfort straight from grandma’s kitchen to your dinner table. Hearty layers of ground beef, pasta, and melted cheese create a delicious meal that friends and family will devour in minutes.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 2 pounds minced beef
- 1 packed penne pasta
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- ½ cup cream cheese
Supporting Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
Other Ingredients:
- Water (as required)
- ½ teaspoon canola oil
Instructions
- Fire up your oven to 400°F and grab a large skillet to brown 2 pounds of minced beef over medium-high heat until completely cooked through.
- While the meat sizzles, boil 1 packed penne pasta according to package directions, then carefully drain the water.
- Reduce skillet heat to low and fold in ½ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon chili powder, and ½ cup cream cheese into the cooked beef.
- Stir in ½ cup of shredded cheddar cheese to create a creamy beef sauce.
- Add the drained pasta directly into the skillet and gently mix until every noodle gets coated with the seasoned beef mixture.
- Transfer the entire skillet contents into a baking dish and sprinkle the remaining ½ cup cheddar cheese across the top.
- Slide the casserole into the preheated 400°F oven and bake for exactly 15-20 minutes until cheese melts completely and edges turn golden brown.
Notes
- Always brown the beef completely before adding other ingredients to develop deep, rich flavor.
- Cook pasta just until al dente, as it will continue cooking in the casserole and can become mushy if overcooked.
- For a lighter version, substitute ground turkey for beef and use low-fat cream cheese and reduced-fat cheddar.
- Experiment with different cheese blends like pepper jack or monterey jack to customize the dish’s flavor profile.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15-20 minutes
- Category: Casseroles
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 582 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 810 mg
- Fat: 34 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 17 g
- Trans Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 45 g
- Cholesterol: 110 mg