This easy Hamburger Noodle Casserole is made the old-fashioned way with canned soup, ground beef, corn, egg noodles and lots of yummy cheese! This is the ultimate easy comfort food dinner the whole family will enjoy.
There’s nothing quite like a casserole for dinner! I love easy casseroles (and I did just share my favorite Chicken and Broccoli Casserole as well!), and this hamburger noodle bake is no different.
The one thing I really dislike about casseroles is when I have to make a million different things to assemble, like boil noodles and make a sauce and assemble a special topping. That’s why I love to boil the noodles right in the sauce for a noodle casserole (like a one pot pasta that then gets baked).
Doing the bake this way makes it really easy, and if you happen to have an oven-safe skillet you’ll only have one dish to wash, which is a real win to me! (I did use a casserole dish for the sake of these photos, but trust me, I normally bake straight in my cast iron pan, haha.)
Ingredients you’ll need
This is just an overview of the ingredients needed – scroll to the recipe card at the bottom for exact quantities and instructions.
Ingredient notes
- Noodles: I like wide egg noodles best in this recipe, but if you want to use different noodles with a totally different shape (like macaroni for example) you totally can, but you may need to use less broth or cut the sour cream in half (or use just one can of soup) because the whole dish just becomes very different. If you use a different noodle, I highly suggest using 3 cups of beef broth to start, and to gradually add the sour cream to the dish, and/or to use 1 can of soup at first.
- Beef broth: This is my favorite in this recipe, but you could also do water and 1-2 bouillon cubes. Chicken broth works as well, but beef does add the best flavor.
- Corn: Feel free to use frozen corn in place of the canned.
- Soups: So. The soups I like to use in this dish are VERY controversial, haha. People either love or hate the mushroom/tomato combo. I personally know the combination from childhood, so it’s a favorite for this reason. But please know that you can use pretty much ANY condensed, canned soups in this recipe. Cream of bacon or cheddar cheese are also really, really delish in this. So is cream of onion. Cream of chicken works as well. You can use a combination of two soups you like, or stick to a single flavor. The soups you choose will obviously affect the taste of the dish, but as long as you pick something your family enjoys, you’ll be good.
- Cheese: I usually do a mix of sharp cheddar and mozzarella because it makes the dish melty, but also adds flavor. You can use pretty much any hearty, shredded cheese that melts well.
How to make Hamburger Noodle Casserole
1. Start by browning the beef in a large, deep skillet with the seasoning. If your beef is very lean, you may need to add a dab of oil.
2. Once the beef is cooked, stir in 3 1/2 cups of beef broth. You’ll want to scrape any browned bits off the bottom of the pan, that’s all the flavor there.
brown beef add broth
3. Add the corn and the uncooked noodles to the pan. Stir well, then bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and then cook until the noodles are JUST done. You don’t want to overcook them. If the noodles look dry, gradually add another 1/2 cup of broth as they cook.
add noddles and corn cook until just done
4. Stir through the cheese, soups and sour cream (I forgot to add the cheese for the picture, I stirred it in later – oops). Then transfer the mixture to a large casserole dish (about 9×13 inches).
stir in sauce ingredients place in casserole dish
5. Top with some extra cheese and bake the casserole until bubbly, about 20-30 minutes!
top with cheese bake
I recommend letting it sit on the counter for 5-10 minutes before serving, to allow the sauce to thicken a little.
Recipe tips
- You can make this as “saucy” as you like. If you use the 4 cups beef broth, it turns out nicely saucy. If you’re not a fan of a lot of sauce, then you can start with 3 cups of broth and only add a little more, just as much as the noodles need to cook. You could also use less sour cream if you really only want a light coating of sauce, but make sure you don’t end up with a dry/stodgy casserole.
- You can add different vegetables to this, peas or carrots and peas are also popular with my kids. If you want to add something like broccoli, I recommend pre-cooking.
- Make sure you don’t overcook the noodles in the pan, or they’ll end up mushy once the casserole is baked.
- Use a skillet and also a casserole dish large enough to hold the volume of the dish (about 15 cup capacity is needed). Else you’re going to have a huge mess on your hands, and that’s just annoying when you need to get dinner on the table!
- I always let the dish sit on the counter for 5-10 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken, but then I serve it immediately. It does really taste best when it’s hot!
Freezer tips
You can freeze the unbaked casserole. Let it cool down on the counter for 30 minutes, then top with cheese. Wrap first in plastic wrap, then in aluminium foil. Label with the name and use-by date, then freeze for up to 3 months.
To heat, either defrost in the fridge overnight, then unwrap and allow to sit on the counter while the oven preheats. Bake as directed in the recipe (may need to add 5-10 minutes to the baking time to account for the lower temperature).
To reheat from frozen, remove from the freezer and unwrap. Loosely cover with aluminium foil, then bake for 50 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 10-20 minutes, or until casserole is heated all the way through and bubbly.
More easy casserole recipes
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Old-Fashioned Hamburger Noodle Casserole
This easy Hamburger Noodle Casserole is made the old-fashioned way with canned soup, ground beef, corn, egg noodles and lots of yummy cheese!
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds ground beef
- 3 tablespoons dried minced onion
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 3-4 cups beef broth
- 1 (12-oz) bag egg noodles
- 1 (15-oz) can corn, drained
- 2 (10.5-oz) cans condensed soup (I use one can tomato and one can cream of mushroom; see notes for tips)
- 1 (8-oz) container sour cream
- 2 cups shredded cheese, divided use
Instructions
- Heat oven to 375°F and lightly grease a 9x13 inch casserole dish.
- Cook beef with dried onion, garlic powder, salt and pepper in large, deep skillet over medium heat until browned; breaking it up as it cooks. Drain.
- Return skillet to medium-high heat. Stir in 3.5 cups beef broth, scraping any browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Add egg noodles and corn. Bring to a boil once, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 5-8 minutes, stirring from time to time, until noodles are just cooked (add up to 1/2 cup more broth if noodles seem too dry). Take off the heat once noodles are done (do not overcook!) and most of the broth is gone.
- Stir through both cans of soup, sour cream and 1 cup shredded cheese. Transfer to prepared casserole dish and top with remaining cheese.
- Bake casserole for 20-30 minutes, until bubbly and cheese has melted. Let cool on the counter for 5-10 minutes, then serve immediately.
Notes
Ingredient notes
Recipe tips
- You can add different vegetables to this, peas or carrots and peas are also popular with my kids. If you want to add something like broccoli, I recommend pre-cooking.
- Use a skillet and also a casserole dish large enough to hold the volume of the dish (about 15 cup capacity is needed).
You can make this as “saucy” as you like. If you use the 4 cups beef broth, it turns out very saucy. If you’re not a fan of a lot of sauce, then you can start with 3 cups of broth and only add a little more, just as much as the noodles need to cook. You could also use less sour cream if you really only want a light coating of sauce, but make sure you don’t end up with a dry/stodgy casserole.
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