French Onion Beef Casserole is made with ground beef and tender egg noodles saturated in a savory, creamy french onion sauce and topped with crispy fried onions. This flavorful casserole is the best comfort food.
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Why you'll love this recipe
This is my favorite comfort food. It's beefy, creamy, crispy, and tossed with tender pasta- how could it get any better than this?!
I love anything onion. If you're also a fan of savory french onion- you're going to love this hearty recipe too!
With prep only taking 20 minutes, french onion casserole is perfect for busy weeknight dinners. Serve this belly-warming dish with easy side dishes like garlic butter potatoes, honey skillet corn, or buttery garlic green beans.
Say hello to your new family favorite!
Ingredients
Here's what you'll need to make the best and most comforting casserole you've ever had:
- Wide egg noodles
- Ground beef
- White onion
- Lipton onion soup mix
- Cream cheese
- Cream of mushroom soup
- Milk
- French fried onions
- Salt
- Pepper
Step-by-step instructions
Begin this recipe by preheating your oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x13 casserole dish and set it aside.
In a stockpot, cook the wide egg noodles al dente according to the package directions. Drain the pasta and set it aside.
In the same pot, cook and crumble the ground beef over medium-high heat. Add the diced white onions and cook them for 2 to 3 minutes, or until translucent.
Stir in the onion soup mix, cream cheese, cream of mushroom soup, milk, salt, and pepper. Heat the savory onion and beef mixture until the cream cheese is melted and fully combined. Fold in the egg noodles.
Transfer this mixture to the prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle the french fried onions evenly over the top.
Bake this savory beef casserole for 20 to 25 minutes, or until heated through and the fried onions are crispy.
Make it ahead of time
Prepare beef and onion casserole up until Step 5 in the recipe card below. Transfer the prepared mixture into the casserole dish. Cover and refrigerate until you're ready to bake it.
When you're ready to make dinner, set the casserole on the counter for 30 minutes to get the chill off. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 15 minutes.
Remove the foil, stir it up, and add the french fried onions to the top. Bake until the casserole is hot and the onions are crispy.
Substitutions
- Use ground turkey or chicken instead of ground beef.
- Use sour cream instead of cream cheese.
- Skip the onion soup mix, cream cheese, and milk and use one 15-ounch jar of French Onion Dip instead.
Variations
Make French Onion Beef Casserole CHEESY! Add a handful (½ to ¾ cup) of shredded cheese to the creamy beef mixture (Step 4 below).
The best thing about casseroles is that you can use just about any kind of cheese that you want. Gruyere, provolone, mozzarella, and colby jack would all make great additions.
Tips & tricks
Drain the beef. To make french onion casserole, I used 90/10 hamburger meat. If you use beef with a higher fat content, you may want to drain it before adding in the onions.
Use softened cream cheese. Set the cream cheese out before beginning this recipe. The softer it is the easier (and faster) it will combine with the cream of mushroom soup and the other ingredients.
Don't overcook the noodles. Cook the egg noodles to al dente, according to the package directions. If they get cooked for too long, they may become mushy by the time the casserole is finished baking.
Recommended tools
- Baking Dish. These are a couple of my favorite casserole dishes. Not only is the larger the perfect size for this recipe, they're beautiful too!
- Stockpot. Easily boil the noodles, brown the beef, and combine the creamy filling in this large pot.
Storing
Refrigerator
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days. I often cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and store it in the fridge that way.
Freezer
Once the casserole has cooled, it can be transferred to an airtight container and stored in the freezer for up to two months.
Reheating
To reheat this casserole in the oven, let it sit at room temperature to take the chill off. Make sure the baking dish is covered with foil and bake at 350 degrees F for 10 to 20 minutes, or until heated through.
More casseroles
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Recipe
French Onion Beef Casserole
Ingredients
- 12 oz wide egg noodles
- 1 lb ground beef I use 90/10
- 1 small white onion diced
- 1 pkg Lipton onion soup mix
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- 2 10.5 oz cans cream of mushroom soup
- ½ c milk
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 6 oz French fried onions or to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9x13 casserole dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- In a stockpot, cook the wide egg noodles al dente according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
- In the same pot, cook and crumble the ground beef over medium-high heat. Add the diced onions and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until translucent.
- Stir in the onion soup mix, cream cheese, cream of mushroom soup, milk, salt, and pepper. Heat until the cream cheese is melted and fully combined. Fold in the egg noodles.
- Transfer the mixture into the prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle the French fried onions evenly over the top.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until heated through and the fried onions are crispy.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
The nutritional information provided is only an estimate. For accurate results, we recommend calculating the nutritional information based on the ingredients and brands you use.
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