Ridiculously Easy Hamburger Casserole (No Boiling! No Browning!)
My Hamburger Casserole is full of the comfort-food flavors and textures I dream about: tender pasta, rich marinara sauce, savory ground beef, and melty cheese. Let's go!
Servings: 8
Ingredients
For pasta base
- 1 lb uncooked short pasta macaroni, penne, rotini, or rigatoni
- 1 24- oz jar marinara sauce 3 cups
- 3 cups boiling water see notes
- 2 tsp kosher salt
For the beef topping:
- 1 lb ground beef
- ¾ tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning or oregano
- ½ tsp crushed red pepper
For the top:
- 1½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese plus a bit more as chunks for a gooey cheese pull
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450ºF (with convection, if you have it).
- Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
Mix the base:
- In the dish, stir together: uncooked pasta, marinara sauce, boiling water, and salt. Make sure the pasta is just covered in liquid.
Season the beef:
- Break up the beef into small pieces and scatter evenly across the top of the pasta. Do not stir it in. Leave beef on top so it browns as it bakes.
- Sprinkle the ground beef evenly with the salt, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano (or Italian seasoning) and red pepper flakes.
- Bake uncovered for 25 minutes, then cover tightly with foil and bake for 25 minutes more. Stir the beef into the casserole, then top with cheese and bake until golden, about 5 minutes.
Video
Nutrition
Calories: 443kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 57mg | Sodium: 1401mg | Potassium: 572mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 569IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 151mg | Iron: 3mg