This easy macaroni and ground beef casserole has tomato sauce and onion soup mix for a bold savory flavor. This recipe is from my grandma’s recipe box and is a great way to get dinner on the table for your family.
I’m back with another recipe from my grandma’s recipe box. This one is from a yellowed newspaper clipping.
The first recipe is this one, except it was named onion beef macaroni casserole. That seemed like a mouthful, not that macaroni ground beef casserole is much better!
It also included a recipe for pistachio salad. So, that will give you an idea of the time period this tasty meal came from.
In some ways, this casserole is like a baked American goulash. Except the packet of onion soup mix gives it a unique flavor that makes it something all its own.
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As written, the recipe is heavy on ground beef with just enough macaroni to make it a meal. You could easily adjust the ratios a bit if you need to stretch your grocery budget.
Either way, this vintage recipe is tasty and pretty economical. Plus it is easy to make, which is always a win!
You could also add some veggies if you want. Just sweat down some diced green peppers, onion and/or celery with the ground beef.
We served ours with some creamy parmesan zucchini. You could serve the casserole with a green salad or any veggie side dish and dinner is done.
Grandma’s Hamburger Macaroni Casserole
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds lean ground beef
- 1 envelope onion soup mix
- 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 8 ounce can tomato sauce
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup macaroni noodles
- ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400℉.
- Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add a large pinch of salt and the 1 cup macaroni noodles. Cook to al dente according to the package directions.
- While you are preparing the pasta, brown the 1½ pounds lean ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Drain any excess grease.
- Stir in the 1 envelope onion soup mix and 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour. Cook for a minute or two.
- Add 8 ounce can tomato sauce and 2 cups water. Let it start to bubble, then reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Stir in the drained pasta. Transfer to a greased casserole dish if desired, or leave it in the skillet if it is oven safe.
- Sprinkle with ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese then bake for 20 minutes. The casserole should be bubbly and the cheese melted.
- Allow to cool for a few minutes, then serve.
Video
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This ground beef macaroni casserole taste too much like onion soup. It’s edible, but not what I was hoping for.
You could try using half the packet next time if you want to.
Carlee, I made this recipe and enjoyed it very much. I did change the extra water to an additional can of tomato sauce. I think it would be great with additional parsley or chives before serving. Enjoying your posts!
Thank you so much! Yes, herbs would be a great addition.
I just made this and it reminded me of my youth when my mom made America Goulash. However, I didn’t have any tomato sauce on hand, so I substituted with crushed tomatoes. I found it to be on the sour side. Then I remembered my mom adding sugar to her stewed tomatoes. I added a generous amount of sugar to balance out the acidic taste of the crushed tomatoes and it did the trick. It was delicious.
That is a good tip to balance it out with sugar if it is tasting a bit sour. Tomato sauce is generally a bit sweeter than crushed tomatoes, but either can work fabulously.
Great flavor and easy to make!
Thank you!