Corny Pasta & Beef Casserole
Submitted by Deane2
Ground beef and elbow macaroni simmered in tomato soup with cream-style corn, topped with melted cheddar and baked until bubbly. A kid-friendly one-dish casserole ready in an hour.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
30 minREADY
60 minThis is the casserole that feeds the whole family on a Tuesday night without breaking a sweat or the grocery budget.
Lean ground beef, onion, and garlic get browned in a skillet, then simmered with condensed tomato soup, water, and elbow macaroni until the pasta is just barely tender. Cream-style corn stirs in for sweetness and body, then the whole thing gets poured into a casserole dish, topped with cheddar, and baked until golden and bubbling.
The pasta finishes cooking in the oven, soaking up all that tomatoey, corny sauce. One dish, one hour, zero complaints from the picky eaters.
Kitchen Tips
- Cook the macaroni only until barely tender on the stovetop. It finishes in the oven and overcooked pasta turns to mush in the casserole.
- A pinch of cayenne gives it just enough warmth to keep adults interested without scaring the kids. Adjust to your family’s heat tolerance.
- Low-fat cheddar works fine here since it’s melting on top, but sharp cheddar will give you more flavor if you don’t mind the extra fat.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat oven to 350℉ (180℃).
In a large skillet, cook ground beef, onion, and garlic over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until beef is browned, about 5 minutes.
Drain off excess fat.
Stir in tomato soup, water, macaroni, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper.
Bring to a boil, stirring frequently.
Reduce heat to low, partially cover, and simmer until macaroni is barely tender, 6 to 8 minutes.
Stir in cream-style corn.
Pour into a lightly greased 1.5-quart casserole and cover tightly.
Bake 15 minutes.
Remove cover and sprinkle cheddar cheese evenly over the top.
Bake uncovered for 15 minutes more or until casserole is bubbling and cheese is melted.
Comments
