Beef and Three Cheese Noodle Casserole
on Oct 27, 2019, Updated Mar 10, 2025
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Easy, make ahead, and total comfort food (this dish is sometimes called Johnny Marzetti!).
YES, this is another recipe with beef and cheese and pasta. But you’re looking at it, so clearly, you like this combo as much as my family does, so it’s almost like we’re related! No judgments here, right?
I have a group of boys in my house who happily like a lot of different foods. But in the end, if I want to have a money-back guarantee that dinner will make everyone happy, three words always add up to a perfect meal: ground beef, pasta, and cheese. Hey, I didn’t say these were three groundbreaking words, I just said they were three words.
In the Midwest, this type of pasta casserole might be called Johnny Marzetti, which is kind of awesome.
Beef and Three Cheese Noodle Casserole: Easy, make ahead, and total comfort food (this dish is sometimes called Johnny Marzetti!).
An all-time favorite is One Skillet Cheesy Beef and Macaroni. We just call it “Cheesy Beefy” for short. This beef and cheese noodle casserole is perfect with a Celery Salad, Escarole Salad, or a Spinach Salad with Roasted Fennel.
Table of Contents
Ingredients
- Egg noodles – Egg noodles pair so nicely with the ground beef and melty cheese.
- Unsalted butter – For sauteing.
- Ground beef
- Leeks – Use only the white and light green parts. The dark green layers are very tough and not great for eating.
- Sundried tomatoes – Sundried tomatoes have a sweeter and more concentrated flavor. Pick ones that are pliable, not all dried out, or make sure to drain them well if they were packed in oil.
- Diced tomatoes – Provides a bit of freshness and acidity.
- Dried oregano and thyme
- Sour cream – Adds rich creaminess.
- Cheddar cheese – Sharp and melty.
- Monterey Jack or mozzarella – For a soft flavor and creamy meltiness.
- Parmesan – For nutty and slightly tangy flavor.
Variations
Play around with the ingredients in this beef noodle casserole. I have made this with ground beef and also a meatloaf mix, and I will definitely try it with ground turkey.
You can switch up the cheeses as you like—Colby, different sharpness-es of cheddar cheese, Havarti, any melting cheese you like will be a nice option.
No leeks? Use a cup of chopped onions or shallots (they are stronger, so you want to use less).
How to Make Beef and Three Cheese Noodle Casserole
- Cook the noodles: Cook the noodles in salted water according to package directions, drain, and toss with 1 tablespoon of the butter.
- Cook the beef: In large skillet sauté the beef over medium heat until browned and crumbly. Drain the beef and wipe out the skillet.
- Cook the vegetables: In the same skillet melt the remaining butter over medium-low heat and sauté the leeks until tender. Stir in the sundried tomatoes, diced tomatoes, oregano, thyme, the drained beef, and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes.
- Make the cheese mixture: Mix together the sour cream, 1 cup of cheddar, Monterey Jack, and Parmesan in a large bowl.
- Combine and cook: Add the warm buttered noodles to the cheese mixture and toss until well combined. Add the sauce and toss. Turn into the prepared baking pan and top with the remaining cup of cheddar. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes at 400ºF.
Make Ahead
Things you might do to get dinner on the table faster:
- You could brown the meat ahead of time.
- You could toss the noodles with the sour cream mixture ahead of time.
- Think about making the sauce ahead of time.
- You can also make and assemble the casserole a day ahead of time and either bring it to room temperature and then bake, or just bake it straight from the fridge and add 5 to 10 minutes of extra cooking time.
Storage
Store the casserole in an airtight container in the refrigerator, or just pop the lid back on your casserole dish, if it has one. The casserole will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.
What to Serve with Beef and Three Cheese Noodle Casserole
More Family-Friendly Casserole Recipes:
- Cheesy Jambalaya and Cajun Sausage Bake
- Spring Chicken and Vegetable Potpie Casserole
- One-Skillet Beefy Enchilada Casserole
- Chicken Parmesan Baked Ziti
- Easy Ground Beef Enchiladas
Also of possible interest: 10 Things To Make With Leftover Ground Beef!
Pin this now to find it later
Pin It
Beef and Three Cheese Noodle Casserole
Ingredients
- 12 ounces egg noodles
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
- 1 pound ground beef
- 2 cups sliced leeks white and light green parts only
- ½ cup chopped cup oil-packed sundried tomatoes blotted dry
- 1 14 ½-ounce can diced tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 cups grated sharp cheddar divided
- 1 cup grated Monterey Jack or mozzarella
- ½ cup grated Parmesan
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly oil a 9 x 13-inch pan, or a shallow 2-quart baking dish, or spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- Cook the noodles according to package directions, just until tender, and then drain and toss in a large bowl with 1 tablespoon of the butter.
- While the noodles are cooking, spray a large skillet with nonstick cooking spray, then sauté the beef over medium heat until browned and crumbly, about 5 minutes. Drain the beef and wipe out the skillet.
- In the same skillet melt the remaining tablespoon butter over medium low heat and sauté the leeks for about 12 minutes until tender. Stir in the sundried tomatoes, diced tomatoes, oregano, thyme, and season with salt and pepper. Add the drained beef, bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes.
- While the sauce is cooking (there won’t be a lot of liquid, mostly vegetables), mix together the sour cream, 1 cup cheddar, Monterey Jack, and Parmesan in a large bowl. Add the warm buttered noodles and toss until well combined – the sour cream mixture is thick; just keep gently tossing until the sour cream mixture coats the noodles.
- Turn the sauce into the bowl with the sour cream coated noodles and toss until just combined. Turn into the prepared baking pan and sprinkle over the remaining cup of cheddar. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the top is melted and everything is hot and bubbly. Let sit for 5 minutes and then serve.
Notes
Make Ahead
Things you might do to get dinner on the table faster:- You could brown the meat ahead of time.
- You could toss the noodles with the sour cream mixture ahead of time.
- Think about making the sauce ahead of time.
- You can also make and assemble the casserole a day ahead of time and either bring it to room temperature and then bake, or just bake it straight from the fridge and add 5 to 10 minutes of extra cooking time.
This pasta dish is uber phenomenal! My family enjoyed it over rest of thanksgiving weekend as they were ‘tired’ of leftover turkey! Love the different flavors within it – Thanks for so many wonderful recipes…this one is definitely a winner/keeper!!
Thank you Zolah….we’re gonna try it this wk for supper!!
I’m looking forward to making this tomorrow evening. Would it be okay to freeze half for later?
yes, should be fine!
I made this for a community potluck and it was a hit! I got questions about the onion flavor and introduced my neighbors to the joy of leeks, soooo tasty.
Delicious! Your website has been a god send. Thank you for solving so many dinners
thank you!!