Cheesy Ground Beef and Rice Casserole [+Video]

Web Admin 0 37 Article rating: No rating

Cheesy Ground Beef and Rice Casserole [+Video]

a photo of a round ceramic baking dish filled with a ground beef and rice casserole topped with melted cheese and a large serving spoon removing a scoop.

Picky eaters are going to love this Cheesy Ground Beef and Rice Casserole. Mom called it busy day casserole because it’s a quick and easy dinner.

Cheesy Ground Beef and Rice Casserole

Alright, this Cheesy Ground Beef and Rice Casserole recipe is definitely not my norm, but it is who I am and it happens to be a recipe that I get a crazy amount of emails about. I get loads of emails about our fabulous buttermilk pancakes too…have you tried those?! Total comfort food just like this casserole.

A long time ago (and seriously, check out the picture and you’ll laugh your heart out at how little I knew about food photography), I posted a recipe called Busy Day Casserole and it has been one of my top recipes for years now. It never disappears from the most viewed recipes. In fact, a lot of our hamburger recipe ideas are our top recipes. You can find them all here.

People love this cheesy ground beef and rice casserole, and while it’s totally simple I know why. This quick and easy dinner idea with ground beef and melted cheese is in fact the cure for all picky eaters. It’s very dependent on you for the seasoning so for picky eaters it’s perfect, but if you want more flavor season it well or add in more vegetables. If you wanted to try something similar, but with chicken, try this cheesy ranch chicken casserole!

read more: Looking for easy casserole recipes? Try our Pork Chop Casserole with Rice next!

What’s in This Ground Beef Casserole Recipe?

The ingredients you’ll need for this ground beef and rice recipe will vary depending on whether you want to make this casserole completely from scratch, semi-homemade, or if you’d rather throw together something really quickly (i.e. use a few shortcuts). 

If you have the time and energy, I highly recommend making this casserole recipe with ground beef from scratch. Don’t let the longer ingredients list fool you, I bet you already have most of them on hand already!

To make this cheesy beef and rice casserole completely from scratch, you’ll need some butter, onion, garlic, flour, cream, chicken broth, veggies, cheese, white rice, ground beef, and water. Oh, and salt and pepper, of course! 

If you’re look

My Favorite Lasagna Recipe

Web Admin 0 47 Article rating: No rating

My Favorite Lasagna Recipe

a photo of a serving of layered hearty meat lasagna on a white plate topped with melted cheese and chopped parsley

We have been long overdue for an update to this hearty meat lasagna recipe! I have been working on making it the BEST classic lasagna recipe ever, and this is finally it!

We layer this lasagna with our authentic bolognese meat sauce, a creamy bechamel sauce and 2 types of cheese all tucked between layers of lasagna noodles. You’re absolutely going to love this easy lasagna recipe!

It was 2009 when I first posted this recipe…2009…15 years! SO much has changed since then…we’ve expanded our family. We’ve moved (three times). We’ve progressed from toddlers and tantrums to teenagers and still tantrums 🤪. It seems natural that this lasagna recipe should change a little too. It’s now better and bolder and everything a homemade lasagna should be.

Ingredients for Hearty Meat Lasagna

I’m going to divide up the ingredients list between the three different parts of this recipe – the meat sauce, the bechamel sauce and the items needed to assemble the lasagna. Here is what you will need:

Meat Bolognese Sauce

  • Butter and Olive Oil
  • Vegetables: Carrots, Celery, Red Onion, Garlic
  • Proteins: Ground Beef and Italian Sausage
  • Tomatoes: Roasted Tomatoes, Tomato Sauce, Fire Roasted Tomatoes (canned)
  • Milk and Heavy Cream
  • Cooking Wine
  • Lemon Zest and Juice
  • Seasonings: Nutmeg, Bay Leaves, Salt and Pepper

Bechamel Sauce

  • Butter
  • Flour
  • Whole Milk
  • Nutmeg
  • Kosher Salt
  • Pepper

Lasagna Ingredients

  • Oven Ready Lasagna Noodles
  • Fresh Parmesan
  • Mozzarella Cheese

Don’t be alarmed! You did not read ricotta cheese in that ingredients list. We actually found that we preferred the lasagna without it! Keep scrolling to the end of the post for the measurements for each ingredient.

How to Make Homemade Meat Lasagna

To Make the Meat Sauce

  1. Prepare the bolognese sauce as instructed in that post and set aside.

For the Bechamel Sauce

  1. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
  2. Sprinkle in the flour continuously whisking it in until a paste forms and it bubbles a little.
  3. Add in the milk slowing still whisking constantly. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat and let the sauce simmer until it thickens.
  4. Whisk in the salt, pepper and nutmeg.

For the Lasagna

  1. Prehea

Cheesy Ground Beef and Potato Casserole [+Video]

Web Admin 0 48 Article rating: No rating

Cheesy Ground Beef and Potato Casserole [+Video]

a photo of a dinner plate with a serving of cheesy ground beef and potato casserole on with two forks sitting next to it

Casseroles are such a great dinner option! This cheesy ground beef and potato casserole is creamy, comforting and perfect for a busy day.

We had received so many messages about our readers making our mega viral busy day casserole with potatoes instead of rice that I just had to try it for myself. This casserole is full of creamy potatoes, seasoned ground beef and melted cheese for days.

We are giving you two versions of this recipe…a quick version with cream of mushroom soup and a totally made from scratch version where you make the creamy sauce yourself. You can choose whatever you have time for!

Now if you force me to choose between the rice version and the potato version of this casserole, I will have to give the slightest edge to the original rice version. It’s probably nostalgia for me, but I just like it a little better. This potato version is pure comfort food and it reminded me of camping and eating a tinfoil dinner. It tastes so similar!

What Ingredients Go in Cheesy Hamburger Potato Casserole?

For the quick version, you’ll only need 7 simple ingredients. For the homemade version, you’ll need a few more ingredients to make the cream of mushroom soup from scratch, but all the ingredients are easy to find. Here is what you will need for both versions:

Quick Version

  • Cream of Mushroom Soup, Russet Potatoes, Milk, Carrots, Ground Beef, Onion, and Cheese (Cheddar or Colby Jack)

From Scratch Version

  • Sauce: Butter, Onion, Garlic, Mushrooms, Flour, Cream, Chicken Broth, Pepper, Salt, and Milk
  • Casserole: Ground Beef, Salt, Garlic Powder, Onion, Carrots, Cheese (Cheddar or Colby Jack), and Russet Potatoes

PRO TIP: You can also make this recipe with frozen hash browns to make it even easier!

The measurements of all the ingredients can be found in the recipe card at the end of the post. Keep scrolling to see all the details!

What Potato is Best to Use?

We prefer Russet potatoes in this recipe. They are starchy and soak up a lot of the flavors of the ground beef, carrots and creamy sauce. You could honestly use any p

Best Chili Recipe

Web Admin 0 60 Article rating: No rating

Best Chili Recipe

A bowl of chili. The chili has ground beef, beans and a rich sauce. It is topped with sour cream and shredded cheese and a piece of cornbread is on the edge of the bowl.

The best chili recipe I have ever made! It’s packed with ground beef, bacon and 3 kinds of beans with just the right combination of spices for the perfect flavor! Top it off with a little sour cream and shredded cheese, Yum!

You all have been loving our award winning Instant Pot chili for quite some time now, but this one is better. I can’t believe I’m saying that because the Instant Pot version is the bomb, but this is THE BEST!

Now, I’ve actually never been a chili fan. Spicy is not my thing and growing up I didn’t like ground beef and wasn’t a huge bean fan so chili was definitely not my favorite. But then I became intrigued, and all from one story…

My sister once called me later at night and I was juuust about to go to sleep. I knew she’d just been on a date so I answered to hear the details. No. No this was not a, “best date ever” call, but a “you will not believe the awkwardness” call.

He had called last minute and asked if she could pick him up. “Oh sure” she replied, totally not worrying about it as they were nearing the end of college and maybe his car was out of luck. So she picks him up and he tells her he actually doesn’t have a car, or a job, nor is he actually in school. Instead he’s pursuing breakdancing.

Best Thing I’ve Ever Eaten

Which is fine, there’s probably some good ones out there, but as he later showed her, he wasn’t one of them. But I’m distracted. So this kind boy tells her, I’m taking you out for the very best thing I’ve ever eaten. “You’re going to love it,” he says. Right at the light, then head straight down main. Take a left at this light and straight again until it’s on the left hand side. Wendy’s.

Well again, she’s so kind and gives him a chance. They get inside and he orders two baked potatoes with chili. Whhhhhaaaaaa?

This is the BEST thing you’ve ever eaten?

That date didn’t end up going anywhere, haha, but it sure sparked something in me!

The Easiest Korean Ground Beef Recipe

Web Admin 0 55 Article rating: No rating

The Easiest Korean Ground Beef Recipe

a photo of a bowl of steamed white rice topped with korean ground beef and sliced green onions

This easy Korean ground beef recipe is a tasty dinner idea that is light on the budget but heavy on the bold Korean flavors! You’re family is going to love it!

So, you need an idea for ground beef that isn’t casserole, taco, or soup? Yeah, me too, so I set out to make something wonderful and delicious and then couldn’t help myself and made it a budget friendly dinner idea too!

I grew up with the same plate my entire life:

  • Meat
  • Veggie
  • Carb

And then I grew up and did the exact same thing with a few twists to our staple dinners that Mom had made:

But then I got to thinking, just because it isn’t 1999 doesn’t mean that mom’s don’t want quick, easy and cheap dinner ideas. It just means they need them with a modern twist! So, Korean Ground Beef was born. It’s a cheaper version of bulgogi, and we love bulgogi!!

I’ve made it with mushrooms, peas, peppers, and all sorts of additions but the truth is, it doesn’t need anything but ground beef, sauce and rice. It’s easy to make, even easier to freeze (both pre and post cooking) and all you have to serve is a little steamed veggie next to it.

Recommended Equipment

Before You Begin…

If you’re planning to serve this Korean ground beef over rice, then the first thing you will want to do is get your rice cooking. That way the rice will be ready when the beef is finished.

Ingredients for Korean Ground Beef

I mentioned that this recipe is budget-friendly so let me prove it now by listing out the ingredients you will need. Everything is easy to find at the grocery and might even be in your pantry already. Here is your shopping list:

  • Canola or Vegetable Oil: used to cook the ground beef and garlic
  • Ground Beef: You can also use ground chuck.
  • Garlic: adds flavor to the meat
  • Soy Sauce: adds Asian flavor and saltiness
  • Orange Juice: adds flavor and acidity
  • Brown Sugar: adds depth of flavor and sweetness
  • Sweet Chili Sauce: adds a little heat and sweetness
RSS
123