Company Casserole (Ground Beef Pasta Casserole)

Company Casserole is a creamy Ground Beef and Pasta Casserole with sour cream, cottage cheese, and plenty of mozzarella!

Ground Beef Casseroles: A Love Language

Want to know the best part about having a baby? Casseroles.

Okay, maybe that’s not the best part. There are snuggles and baby smiles and belly raspberries and soft, tickly hair on your chin. But besides all that stuff, it’s totally the casseroles.

After our first son was born, friends and family flooded our home with food. For the first few weeks our counters were filled with crock pots and casserole dishes, tupperware and ziplock bags filled with Monster Cookies.

Despite my love for cooking, it was the last thing on my mind in those early days. Were it not for the generosity of our friends, we would’ve spent most nights scarfing down a bowl of soggy cereal or eating peanut butter straight from the jar.

Casseroles are my love language. I love to give them and receive them. Nothing says “I care about you” quite like a giant casserole dish and a blanket of cheese.

Company Casserole Recipe

I’ve loved a lot of cheesy casseroles over the years (looking at you, Tater Tot Casserole and Cheesy Pizza Casserole), but this Company Casserole might be my favorite.

I discovered this easy recipe in college while leafing through a church cookbook. I was desperate to eat something other than grilled cheese for dinner, and this seemed easy enough for even a novice cook to handle.

I had no idea my minimal efforts would reward me with such goodness. Ground beef and pasta is swimming in a creamy tomato sauce and smothered in melty cheese. It’s the kind of satisfying, hearty, comfort food meal that makes you feel loved from the belly out.

Creamy, Cheesy Company Casserole

Company Casserole gets it’s incredibly creamy texture from a trio of sour cream, cream cheese, and cottage cheese.

Yes, it’s a lot of dairy. Yes, it’s also totally worth it. The dairy in combination with jarred tomato sauce makes for a rich tomato cream sauce that’s reminiscent of lasagna but takes half the time to make.

Some of you might be raising an eyebrow at the mention of cottage cheese, but just like in my Cottage Cheese Lasagna, the cottage cheese melts right into the sauce. I promise you won’t even taste it!

While this is far, far from health food, we do like to sneak some veggies in to the casserole. We love Company Casserole with mushrooms, onions, and green pepper, but you can omit them or add extras if you’d like. 

Make Ahead Casserole for Company

Company Casserole is a great make ahead dish. Here are my tips for refrigerating or freezing:

1. Leave the noodles slightly undercooked. You want them just shy of al dente so they don’t get soggy sitting overnight or freezing.
2. After the casserole is assembled, seal it with saran wrap and refrigerate up to 24 hours. Place the dish in the oven as it preheats and add 10-15 minutes to the baking time.
3. You can also freeze the casserole for up to 3 months. To thaw, place it in the fridge overnight or bake it directly from frozen, adding 20-30 minutes to the baking time. I recommend using an aluminum pan if you plan to bake the casserole directly from the freezer.

More Ground Beef Casserole Recipes

Ground beef casseroles like this one are a staple of our meal plans. Here are a few more of our favorites:

• One Pot Cheeseburger Macaroni
• Skillet Ground Beef and Potatoes
• Taco Tater Tot Casserole
• Johnny Marzetti

For a full list of all our favorites, check out this collection of 30 Ground Beef Recipes as well as 60 Beef Recipes for Every Cut!

Company Casserole

Yield: 8

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

This cheesy Ground Beef Pasta Casserole is hearty and comforting...perfect for sharing with a crowd!

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Ingredients

• 8 ounces rotini pasta
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 small green pepper (optional)
• 4 ounces mushrooms, chopped (optional)
• 6 ounces cream cheese, cut into cubes
• 1 cup cottage cheese
• 14 ounces (1/2 large jar) your favorite spaghetti sauce
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions

1. Cook the pasta according to package directions, leaving it more on the al dente side since it will continue to cook a bit in the oven. Return the pasta to the pot and stir in sour cream. Set aside.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
3. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, fry the ground beef with the onions, peppers, and mushrooms until no pink remains. Drain off any excess grease. Stir in the cream cheese, cottage cheese, and spaghetti sauce. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring often, until cream cheese is melted and mixture is heated through. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Place the noodles in a greased 9 x 13 inch pan. Top with ground beef mixture. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. At this point, you can put a lid on the casserole and freeze or refrigerate until ready to bake. Otherwise, place the casserole in the preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until cheese is melted and edges are bubbling. If you're baking from the fridge, place the casserole dish in the oven while it preheats and increase the baking time to 35-40 minutes.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 474Total Fat: 26gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 92mgSodium: 1340mgCarbohydrates: 32gFiber: 5gSugar: 15gProtein: 28g

Please note nutritional information for my recipes is calculated by a third party service and provided as a courtesy to my readers. For the most accurate calculation, I always recommend running the numbers yourself with the specific products you use.

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