Stretching a pound of ground beef to feed your family on a budget is practically an art form. There are infinite recipes that fit the bill out there, but none are as hearty, comforting, and beloved as casseroles.
Next time you’re wondering what to do with that ground beef in your freezer (that you absolutely got on sale!), try one of these delicious, easy, and family-friendly casserole recipes.
Grandma’s Hamburger Casserole
This is a classic and basic egg noodle casserole recipe. Brown ground beef, add some tomato sauce, and layer it with noodles and a creamy mixture of cream cheese and sour cream. There’s plenty of cheese on top, of course.
Recipe: AllRecipes
Tater Tot Casserole
There are all kinds of tater tot casserole recipes out there, but this one is great because it’s similar to green bean casserole that everyone loves. The worcestershire sauce is an easy way to amp up the flavor. If you prefer other veggies in your hot dish, feel free to add them.
Recipe: Mom on Timeout
Burrito Bake
Instead of using tortillas as the carbs in the Tex-Mex casserole, this one uses canned crescent roll dough as a kind of buttery bottom crust. Canned refried beans really up the protein and fiber content for cheap. Don’t skip the fresh toppings, like lettuce and tomatoes, since this is a hefty dish.
Recipe: Taste of Home
Million Dollar Spaghetti
Million dollar spaghetti is kind of an internet favorite recipe, with good reason. A simple Italian meat sauce is made with ground beef and your favorite marinara, and then layered with a creamy cheese mixture. Once it’s baked, it’s like an easy weeknight lasagna.
Recipe: Yellow Bliss Road
Unstuffed Cabbage Roll Casserole
Stuffed cabbage rolls are some serious comfort food for a lot of people, but they’re also a ton of work. You can turn the whole dish into a casserole for the same flavor without the fuss. Beef, rice, tomato sauce, and chopped cabbage make up the bulk of this dish.
Recipe: Spend With Pennies
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Beefy Baked Ravioli
Baked ravioli is sometimes called lazy lasagna because it creates a similar layered effect with little effort. Use your favorite frozen ravioli, and feel free to add some veggies. Mushrooms, zucchini, and spinach are all good additions and will help stretch the recipe.
Recipe: AllRecipes
Tamale Pie
Tamale pie is a Tex-Mex casserole of beef filling underneath a cornbread crust. This recipe uses canned enchilada sauce and green chiles, plus boxed corn muffin mix for the topping. You cook it and bake it all in one cast iron (or other oven-safe) skillet so you have fewer dishes to wash.
Recipe: Pillsbury
Sloppy Joe Casserole
Sloppy joes and pasta? Sure, why not. This homemade sloppy joe mixture is made with bell peppers and plenty of seasonings, but you can use a can of Manwich in a pinch — or your own favorite sloppy joe recipe.
Recipe: AllRecipes
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Shepherd’s Pie
This is a simple, pared down shepherd’s pie recipe that you’ll be able to make on a weeknight. The ground beef filling is speckled with frozen mixed vegetables. While the recipe calls for a simple homemade mashed potato topping, you can use store bought or instant potatoes for an even easier dish.
Recipe: AllRecipes
Johnny Marzetti Casserole
Johnny Marzetti is the name of an Italian-American casserole dish from the Columbus, Ohio region. It’s made with ground beef, a little Italian sausage, mushrooms, a slightly sweet tomato sauce, and rotini or other small noodles. Naturally, there’s plenty of cheese on top.
Recipe: The Kitchen Magpie
Beef and Bean Taco Casserole
Beans and jarred salsa are simmered along with ground beef and spices in this taco-inspired casserole. It’s all placed on top of tortilla chips in the casserole dish to make a layered dish with a crunchy chip topping.
Recipe: Food Network
Retro Ground Beef Casserole with Biscuits
“Retro” in the name of this casserole is probably right, since it’s graced the table of many families since the ‘50s. Ground beef and vegetables are cooked in a creamy gravy with onions and garlic, then baked with Bisquik biscuits on top. Feel free to use canned biscuits if you prefer.
Recipe: AllRecipes
Unstuffed Peppers
Just like you can turn stuffed cabbage into a casserole, you can casserole stuffed peppers, too. Keep the bell pepper pieces large so that you notice it when you get a bite, just like you would in stuffed peppers. Breadcrumbs make a unique topping, but you can just use cheese if you prefer.
Recipe: Taste of Home
Taco Rice Casserole
Just how many taco-inspired beef casseroles are there? Tons. This variation uses rice as a base for a mixture of taco-seasoned beef, beans, corn, and tomatoes. Bonus: This recipe is written to make two 9 by 13 casseroles, so you can freeze one for later.
Recipe: Eating on a Dime
Homestyle Ground Beef Casserole
This old fashioned casserole is full of egg noodles and quick tomato-based meat mixture. The egg noodles are coated in a creamy blend of sour cream and cream cheese, then layered with the beef. Plus, there’s three kinds of cheese on top: cheddar, parmesan, and mozzarella.
Recipe: Southern Living
5-Ingredient Ground Beef Casserole
This simple casserole is for all the meat-and-potato lovers out there, since it includes frozen cubed potatoes. It’s kept to just five ingredients thanks to shortcuts like canned cream soup. Though it calls for two pounds of ground beef, you can stretch one pound instead by using more potatoes and adding other vegetables like canned corn.
Recipe: Back to My Southern Roots
Pepperoni Pizza Casserole
Pizza casserole would make any kid’s day. This is a simple recipe of rotini pasta in ground beef spaghetti sauce, topped with cheese and pepperoni. Though it calls for two pounds of beef, it makes two casseroles — or you can just use one pound of beef and fit it all in one large casserole dish.
Recipe: Taste of Home
