Crunchy Beef Casserole recipe

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This Crunchy Beef Casserole recipe came from Granny’s well worn files and got a handwritten rating of “very good”, her highest praise. It’s warm, soothing, filling, and delicious.

crunchy beef casserole

My mother didn’t start making casseroles until my early teens. She had been raised to cook the traditional Southern meal of “Meat and Three” which consisted of a meat, three vegetables, bread, and tea. At our table, dessert was served every night as well. Jealous? Me too. Sure do wish I could have meals like that cooked *for* me now!

My mother never thought to make a casserole because her mother and grandmother had never made them either. The first casserole I remember her making was Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli casserole. Why did she finally make one? Up until then, she’d never had a single casserole recipe!

Casseroles: A Cook’s Best Friend

In today’s busy world, rather than buying frozen family sized meals, homemade casseroles enable you to make your own “convenience” meal in one dish much more economically. Usually, you can double or even triple a recipe for just a few dollars more. I like to mix up several at once and freeze them for home cooked convenience.

How To Cook A Frozen Casserole

To cook a frozen casserole, simply place it in the oven while it preheats and add about ten minutes to the baking time. To develop your own signature casserole recipes, check out my Handy Dandy Casserole chart by clicking here. I developed it on a twelve hour drive back home from Disney World and it has been a great tool in my kitchen!

A Little Bit of Casserole History

Did you know the word ‘casserole’ comes from a french word that means sauce pan. Me neither!  This sauce pan is a large, deep dish used both in the oven and as a serving vessel.  Sound familiar?

The word casserole also doubles for the food in the “sauce pan” Casseroles came into fad in a big way in the sixties and seventies and with that a variety of colorful casserole dishes were introduced. Have I got you in the casserole mood yet?

We’re off to the races!

recipe ingredients for crunchy beef casserole

Recipe Ingredients:

  • French Fried Onions (you don’t need a can as big as the one I have pictured)
  • Rotini Pasta (can substitute other type if you like)
  • Cream Of Mushroom Soup
  • Can of Diced Tomatoes
  • Green Pepper
  • Ground Beef
  • Shredded Cheddar Cheese
  • Season All

 

season all seasoned salt

        Here is the Season All.  

What is Season All?

It is some lovely seasoned salt.

cook pasta according to directions

Cook pasta according to directions. Drain when done.

in a bowl put the cream of mushroom soup and tomatoes

In large mixing bowl place cream of mushroom soup, tomatoes…

add the season all

Add seasoned salt..

add cheese

Cheese…

(“…” is my best friend ya know)

add ground beef and onionAdd green peppers and ground beef that has been cooked and drained.

add pasta drained

Toss in your drained pasta

stir it up good

Give it a good stir.

spoon it into casserole dish

Spoon into casserole Dish.

This recipe says to bake in a 2 quart casserole, which is just slightly smaller than a 9×13 inch dish.

You could bake it in a 9×13 if you like, it just won’t be as deep.

cover with foil and bake at 350 for 25-30 mins

Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

As always, baking times vary by oven.

Obviously, I’m going to give you the baking times in the original recipes as these have always worked for me.

after it is out of oven top with crunchy onions

After thirty minutes, remove from oven and remove foil.

Top with onions and return to oven for five more minutes.

serve hot

Serve hot. Oh yum.

crunchy beef casserole

Crunchy Beef Casserole

Casseroles came into fad in a big way in the sixties and seventies and with that a variety of colorful casserole dishes were introduced. Most of y'all know I collect Pyrex dishes. They are from the era of my childhood and were made so well that any in my collection can still be used today. I collect, display, and use every one of them on a regular basis!
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: beef
Servings: 6
Calories: 483kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 Cups Corkscrew Macaroni Rotini
  • 1 can cream of mushroom soup
  • 3/4 C Shredded Cheddar Cheese
  • 3/4 tsp Seasoned Salt
  • 1 lb Ground Beef
  • 1 can 14 oz whole or diced tomatoes
  • 3/4 C Green Pepper optional - I leave it out for the kids
  • 1 can french fried onions

Instructions

  • Cook pasta as directed, rince and drain. Brown beef, drain fat. Combine all ingredients except french fried onions. Pour into greased 2 quart casserole. Cover and bake at 350 for thirty minutes. Uncover, top with french fried onions, and bake five minutes longer.

Nutrition

Calories: 483kcal
Tried this recipe?Mention @southernplate or tag #southernplate!

You may also enjoy these easy casserole recipes:

Deep Dish Pizza Casserole

Green Bean Casserole Rich, Creamy With The Perfect Crunch

Ham Egg and Cheese Casserole (Insta Pot or Oven!)

Thank you so much for reading Southern Plate. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate each and every one of you!

Gratefully,

Christy:)

For those who wish to sing, there is always a song

~on a sign hanging in my kitchen.

To submit your positive or motivational quote and read an awful lot of others, please click here.

 

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144 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I love cooking your amazing recipes, and I am looking forward to this one! I am confused about one thing: the recipe card says cook 3 hours 45 minutes, but you only bake the dish for 35 minutes. Boiling the pasta and browning the ground beef doesn’t take long, so can you help me understand the timing?

    1. Thank you so much for pointing that error out Jack. The total time would be 50 minutes with a cook time of 35 mins. Appreciate the feedback so I can find the little gremlins in the system and get rid of those critters 🙂 Hope you love it!!

  2. 5 stars
    My go-to casserole for meal train delivery to friends, family, and church members. Easy to make and wonderfully delicious.

    For small families, I split the recipe gifting half and saving half for hubby and I to enjoy. So happy I found your recipe!

  3. 5 stars
    Made this today for a friend who has Lymphoma and her family. It was incredibly easy to pull together, smelled wonderful cooking, and presented beautifully. It is definitely a casserole that will be placed in our family rotation.

  4. Made this casserole for dinner last night -it was great! I added onions while browning the ground beef, also a can of drained corn to the mixture! Will be making this again!

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