Cheesy Ground Beef And Rice Casserole
This cheesy ground beef and rice casserole is a quick and easy, comforting weeknight meal. This cozy casserole is studded with kid friendly veggies and a creamy, cheesy topping. It’s a kid approved meal that any busy parent will love serving up!
I have to hand it to casseroles.
Not only were they some of the first dishes that I started cooking, but they are fantastic for busy families on a budget.
They are a serious lifesaver on chaotic weeknights when I am trying to make sure homework gets done and kids get where they need to go.
Plus almost every casserole has some room for tweaking built right in so you can make it your own.
And this cheesy ground beef and rice casserole is a winner.
It’s cheesy and cozy and sneaks in some peas, but you could sneak other veggies in or skip them altogether depending on your preferences.
And it’s a hot, hearty dinner on the table the kids will eat.
Ingredients
To make this you’ll need:
- Ground beef– Go for leaner beef so the casserole isn’t too greasy.
- Butter– To saute the onions in
- Garlic– Minced
- Tomato sauce– A 14 ounce can
- Rice– Any kind cooked.
- Chicken broth– You could sub beef broth if that’s what you have.
- Sour cream– You could sub plain Greek yogurt
- Cheese– Shredded cheddar
- Spices– Salt, pepper, and oregano to taste.
- Frozen peas
How to Make
This cheesy ground beef and rice casserole is very easy to prep!
Just melt the butter in a large skillet over medium high heat.
When the butter is melted, saute the onions in the butter, stirring often, until they’re translucent.
Then add the ground beef and garlic to the pain with the onions.
Brown the ground beef completely, drain any excess fat off, and return it to the skillet.
At this point turn the heat down to medium and season the beef with salt, pepper, and oregano to taste.
Stir in the rice, peas, tomato sauce, broth, and 1 cup of cheese.
Let everything simmer for 3 minutes.
Then pour the mixture into a 9×13 baking dish sprayed with nonstick spray.
Bake the casserole at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.
While it bakes, stir together the sour cream or yogurt with the remaining cheese.
After 15 minutes, remove the casserole from the oven and spread the cream/cheese mixture evenly over top.
Put the casserole back in the oven and bake it for an additional 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes or when the cheese is melted and bubbly, remove the casserole from the oven.
Let it set for a few minutes on the counter prior to serving.
Serve and enjoy!
Storing Leftovers
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Reheat the leftovers in the microwave until warmed through.
Variations
There are so many ways you can make this beef and rice casserole your own!
Some ideas include:
- Adding extra veggies! Chopped bell peppers or even a blend of peas and carrots would both be nice.
- Change up the cheese to use your favorite cheese.
- Substitute the ground beef with ground chicken or ground turkey instead.
- Add your favorite spices.
Tips and Tricks
- Make sure to spray the casserole dish before baking for easy clean up!
- Don’t skip letting the casserole rest prior to serving. It gives the cheesy topping a chance to thicken and set a little.
- If you are using Greek yogurt instead of sour cream, make sure you are using plain Greek yogurt and not flavored!
Other Easy Casseroles
This cheesy ground beef and rice casserole is a real life saver on busy weeknights.
Make it and enjoy!
Looking for other easy casserole recipes?
Try these:
- Chicken Rice Pilaf Casserole
- Loaded Baked Potato Casserole
- Slow Cooker Taco Potato Casserole
- Meatball Sub Casserole
If you’ve tried this CHEESY GROUND BEEF AND RICE CASSEROLE, or any other recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!
Cheesy Ground Beef And Rice Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 large onion diced
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- 1 14 oz can of tomato sauce
- 1 cup of rice cooked
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
- 2 cups cheddar cheese shredded
- salt pepper, oregano, to taste
- 1 cup frozen peas
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the onions and, stirring often, saute for a few minutes- until they’ve become tender and translucent.1 tbsp butter, 1 large onion
- Add the ground beef and garlic. Brown the ground beef completely, drain, and return to the skillet.1 lb ground beef, 2 tsp minced garlic
- Turn the heat down to medium and spice the beef with salt, pepper, and oregano to taste.salt
- Stir in the rice, peas, tomato sauce, broth, and 1 cup of cheese. Let simmer for 3 minutes.1 14 oz can of tomato sauce, 1 cup of rice, 1 cup chicken broth, 1 cup frozen peas
- Transfer everything to a 9×13 baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, combine the sour cream, or yogurt, with the remaining cup of cheese.1 cup sour cream, 2 cups cheddar cheese
- After 15 minutes, remove the casserole from the oven and spread the cream/cheese mixture evenly over top.
- Return to the oven and bake for an additional 15 minutes.
Notes
- Make sure to spray the casserole dish before baking for easy clean up!
- Don’t skip letting the casserole rest prior to serving. It gives the cheesy topping a chance to thicken and set a little.
- If you are using Greek yogurt instead of sour cream, make sure you are using plain Greek yogurt and not flavored!
Nutrition
Pictures Updated 1/15/2017
Casseroles really are great! Looks good!
Mmmm casseroles are the best! I wouldn’t have thought to put in sour cream or Greek yogurt, but it sounds like a great idea. Must try it!
This was delicious! I threw in a handful of diced bell pepper as well just for added flavor. My family loved it!
Diced bell pepper would be a perfect addition. Thanks for sharing with everyone, Acacia!
Another dish I know my boys will love, I’m seeing a pattern here lol. Anything with meat, cheese and sauce = happy boys! Thanks and have a great day:)
You’ve pretty much nailed down my formula for fuss-free dinners, lol :)
Can this be frozen??
I haven’t ever frozen it, because I didn’t think it would freeze well. I have made it ahead of time and refrigerated overnight before though with success. If you do end up trying it Tracy- let me know how it turns out!
This is by far one of the best one-dish meals I have tried. The cheese sauce was awesome I added crunched up French’s fried onions with the sour cream and cheese!
This was soooo good! We are going to try it with corn instead of peas next time!
Oh, that’s a great idea! I’ll have to give it a go next time around. I can taste it now…
What kind of rice did you use?
Traditional ‘white rice’ never turns out for me when I’m just cooking simple rice by itself, so the only rice I ever keep on hand is either jasmine or basmati. Although any of the three should work just fine in this recipe!
Not my favorite. The sour cream curdled with the cheddar and came out grainy. Maybe leave out the sour cream next time.
Oooooooh la aweeeeeeee
That’s gooooooooooooo stuff!!
Thank u so much😋😋
just made this today it’s freaking delicious and everyone loves it! Just added a couple more veggies kept everything else the same. 4-28-19
So glad everyone loved it, Mimi. You can never really go wrong with extra veggies!
Delicious!!!
Thanks, Crystal. So glad you enjoyed it!
This was good. I mixed in Campbell’s Cauliflower Soup 1/2 into beef mixture 1/2 into Sour Cream /Cheese for topping. Fried Onions on top last 5min. The peas were best, plus I added sautéd diced carrots. Omitted the tomato sauce as the soup had tomato puree in it.
The casserole was excellent. I did make modifications though. I used cauliflower rice instead, reduced the tomato sauce to half the can, and used chicken bouillon cube instead of broth. Delicious:)
Thank you, Anne for sharing your changes! Love the idea of subbing cauli rice for regular to reduce the carbs.
We’re gonna try this this week. Looks great!
Is it one cup of cooked rice or one cup of dry rice that you cook (and then end up with about 3 cups of cooked rice in the casserole)?
It’s one cup of cooked white rice. I usually use basmati or jasmine (because they cook quickly, which is convenient) but regular cooked white rice will work too.
bake covered or uncovered
Uncovered!