Cheeseburger Casserole – (One Pot!)
This Cheeseburger Casserole takes just 30 minutes to make in a single skillet! Your family will love this homemade hamburger helper!
Be sure to try my Broccoli Cheddar Chicken and Rice Casserole next!
I think my family has been eating this cheesy, beefy macaroni at least every two weeks ever since I started making Instant Pot Hamburger Helper. But now that I can make this Cheeseburger Casserole in just one pot, I’m even more hooked.
PLUS, this is a perfect freezer meal. Read on for everything you need to know about this fabulous recipe.
⭐Do not miss my first PRO tip in this post, it will make you a better cook for life! ⭐
How to Make it
Note: This is an overview. See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
Cook and crumble the ground beef and the onions. Add the minced garlic, Worcestershire sauce, and tomato paste and stir until combined. Add the beef broth and uncooked macaroni. Stir to combine.
Cover and heat for 5 minutes. Uncover, stir, then cover again and cook for 5 more minutes, until just al dente.
Stir in the sour cream and half of the milk. Only add the remaining milk if desired it for consistency purposes. Reduce the heat to low. Sprinkle on 2 + 1/2 cups of the shredded cheese. Let the cheese melt and the sauce become creamy. Top with remaining cheese and parsley. Serve!
Pro Tips
- Refrain from adding cold ingredients into warm pasta when you prepare it. This includes the cheese, sour cream, and milk. (Otherwise, ingredients can separate, milk can curdle, and the consistency may become grainy.)
- Shred the cheese yourself. Buy your cheese in blocks whenever possible and shred it at home. It will melt and taste much better. I use Heluva Good! Sharp Cheddar. It melts perfectly.
Make Ahead Method
- If you prefer to to the prep work for this casserole ahead of time, prepare the recipe as-instructed but cook the pasta covered for 7 minutes instead of 8.
- Stop at step #10, right before you top the casserole with additional cheese.
- Let the casserole cool down, then top it with cheese.
- Refrigerate for up to two days, then bake it in a 350 degree oven, covered, for 15 minutes.
- Remove the lid and cook for an additional 10 minutes. Top with parsley and serve!
Storing Leftovers
Refrigerator
- Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Try These Next!
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One Pot Cheeseburger Casserole
Ingredients
- 3 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese, at room temp. Separated.
- 1 lb. Ground Beef, 85% lean
- Salt/Pepper, to taste
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 Tablespoon tomato paste
- 4 cups beef broth
- 1 (16 oz.) box elbow macaroni, *uncooked*
- ¾ cup sour cream, at room temp
- ½ cup whole milk, at room temp
- Chopped Parsley, to garnish
Instructions
- Shred the cheese and set it aside. It should be at room temperature when added to the pasta later.
- Season the ground beef with desired amount of salt and pepper.
- In a large pot over medium heat, cook and crumble the ground beef along with the onions. Drain any excess grease.
- Add the minced garlic and cook for an additional minute.
- Add the Worcestershire sauce and the tomato paste and stir until well-combined.
- Add the beef broth and the uncooked macaroni, stir to combine. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium or medium/low.
- Cover the pot and heat for 5 minutes. Uncover, stir briefly, replace the cover, and heat for 5 more minutes, or until just al dente.
- Reduce the heat to low.
- Stir in the room temperature sour cream and half of the milk. Only add the other half if desired.
- Gradually sprinkle in 2 ½ cups of the shredded cheddar, stirring as you do so.
- Once the cheese is melted and you have a uniform consistency, top with the remaining cheese.
- Replace the lid and heat for an additional 2-3 minutes, until the cheese is melted.
- Top with parsley and serve!
Notes
- Whole milk is recommended for a creamier consistency, but a lower fat milk may also be used.
- A teaspoon of ketchup and yellow mustard can be added when the pasta is cooking to round out the cheeseburger flavors! A touch of dill pickle relish can also be added at the end.
Make-Ahead Method
- If you prefer to to the prep work for this casserole ahead of time, prepare the recipe as-instructed but cook the pasta covered for 7 minutes instead of 8.
- Stop at step #10, right before you top the casserole with additional cheese.
- Let the casserole cool down, then top it with cheese.
- Refrigerate for up to two days, then bake it in a 350 degree oven, covered, for 15 minutes.
- Remove the lid and cook for an additional 10 minutes. Top with parsley and serve!
Nutritional information is an estimate and is per serving. There are 5 servings in this recipe.
Nutrition
I made this tonight with just a few tweaks. I used fire roasted tomatoes and more garlic. It was SO good. Served it with warm French bread!!
Fire roasted tomatoes sound perfect, yummm! And a side of French Bread, even better! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review Amy!❤️
Fantastic! Even won over a super finicky 11yr old. Thank you!
Wahooo! I’m so happy it won over the picky 11 yr old, such a victory! Thanks so much for the great review❤️
I subbed cream cheese for the milk and sour cream because that’s what I had in hand and it was toddler approved!
Perfect, I’m so glad that your toddlers loved it Michelle! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review, you’re the best! 🙂 -Stephanie
Last month I found and followed your recipe and we LOVED it!
I forgot to save it or PIN it so it took some time to find it again. I have saved it and PIN’ed it and am now following you in Pinterest.
Looking forward to cooking this again tonight and trying out some of your other recipes this year!
Noel
Hey Noel! I’m so glad that you love this recipe and were able to find it again! 🙂 I’m excited for you to try some more of my recipes this year as well!! 🙂 Thank you so much for the review!
Very tasty! Perfect for a family meal.
I’m so happy that you loved it Sid!! Thank you so much!
I made this for my husband and he said it was the best thing I ever made for him. I used cream instead of milk and used velveeta cheese and it turned out really well.
What a wonderful compliment from your husband Allison, that is great! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review, I really appreciate it! -Stephanie 💗
I actually have a question. The nutritional facts, specifically the calorie part of it? Is that how many calories per serving or for the entire dish? And if it’s per serving how much is a serving?
Hi Christy, the nutritional information is per serving, there are 5 servings in this recipe.
I made the casserole and it was delicious, I added some ketchup and mustard.
Hey Alice! I am soo happy that you loved it! So funny that you mentioned the ketchup/mustard, I just created a Beefaroni recipe yesterday (to be published soon!), and I put a tsp of ketchup and mustard in that too!! YUM! 🙂 Thank you so much for the review! -Stephanie
So delicious and super quick to prepare! Perfect for a busy night.
Perfect!! I’m so glad that you loved it Samantha!! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review, I really appreciate it! -Stephanie 💗
We absolutely loved this and my toddler ate it up! We made just a few small adjustments that worked for us and helped to hide more vegetables in the dish. 1. Cooked down a mirapoix (added a chopped carrot and 3 chopped celery stalks to the onion) before adding in the beef. 2. Added 1/2 can of diced tomatoes after beef was browned. 3. Used gigli instead of macaroni 4. We added some of the cheddar to a bechamel and stirred that in with remaining cheddar
lol I’m all about hiding veggies in casseroles! I’m so happy it was a success, thanks for sharing your tweaks and for taking the time to leave a review!💖