Crunchy Beef Casserole recipe
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.
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:
- 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
Here is the Season All.
What is Season All?
It is some lovely seasoned salt.
Cook pasta according to directions. Drain when done.
In large mixing bowl place cream of mushroom soup, tomatoes…
Add seasoned salt..
Cheese…
(“…” is my best friend ya know)
Add green peppers and ground beef that has been cooked and drained.
Toss in your drained pasta
Give it a good stir.
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 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 thirty minutes, remove from oven and remove foil.
Top with onions and return to oven for five more minutes.
Serve hot. Oh yum.
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
You may also enjoy these easy casserole recipes:
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.
Do you mean for the time to say “3 hours” besides the minutes? Also the link with the story about Morton’s is not working. Thank you for sharing your recipes and stories!
We enjoyed this recipe very much! And will add it to our favorites.
so glad to hear that! THank you for letting me know 🙂
RinSe, not rinCe.
When I clicked on the link for your “Handy Dandy Casserole chart by clicking here”, I got this message-This site can’t be reached
Check if there is a typo in wsouthernplatecom.bigscoots-staging.com.
If spelling is correct, try running Connectivity Diagnostics.
Maybe this can be fixed?
All fixed, somewhere along the way the link was broken so really appreciate feedback like this so I can go in and fix it. Hope you love the recipe and find the chart useful!
Mmm I make a Taco pasta that is similar , with taco seasoning instead of Season All. Topped with tortilla chips of course. Casseroles are my favorite. Can’t wait to try!
Looks tummy, I don’t have rotini but can get some tomorrow so will give it a go.
I hope you enjoy it Eva!!
Hey there, just want to take a minute and thank you for doing all this. I love your website and it has such great recipes I can go to anytime I need to put together something good!
Thanks again for all you do!