How many times have you heard of an overnight casserole? This style of casserole recipe isn't too popular, but we're hoping to change that. This overnight cheeseburger casserole is an absolute must-try for any family.
While the name may have you thinking otherwise, this casserole will actually need to chill for a full 24 hours in the refrigerator. It's important to remember this, since if you're expecting this to be a recipe you can make in the evening and have the following afternoon you're mistaken.
When you're ready to finish this casserole and it's chilled for a sufficient amount of time, you'll bake it in the oven for a little over an hour. While this casserole bakes, you can prepare the side dishes or complete other chores. One of the nice things about recipes that take a while to cook is that they give you time to do other things.
While this recipe may seem like a casserole with extra steps, it really is worth trying. Once you do, you'll see why this method of preparing a casserole is worth more popularity than it currently has. This is a recipe to keep for when you want to do something different for family dinner, but you don't want to make something too unusual or complicated.
Overnight Cheeseburger Casserole
Ingredients:
1 pound ground round
1 cup chopped onion
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 8-ounce package presliced mushrooms
6 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
⅓ cup all-purpose flour (about 1½ ounces)
2½ cups 2% reduced-fat milk
1 cup (4 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
¾ cup (3 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
4 cups uncooked penne*
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
Directions:
1. Combine first 3 ingredients in a large nonstick skillet, and cook over medium-high heat until browned, stirring to crumble. Add mushrooms; cook 5 minutes or until tender. Add tomato paste and next 5 ingredients; stir well. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, 20 minutes. Remove from heat.
2. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Place flour in a medium saucepan. Gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until blended. Place over medium heat; cook 10 minutes or until thick, stirring constantly. Stir in cheeses; cook 3 minutes or until cheeses melt, stirring constantly. Reserve ½ cup cheese sauce; set aside. Pour remaining sauce, beef mixture, and pasta in a 13×9-inch baking dish; stir gently. Drizzle reserved cheese sauce over pasta mixture. Cover and refrigerate 24 hours.
3. Preheat oven to 350°F.
4. Bake at 350°F, covered for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Sprinkle with fresh parsley if desired.
*If you want to make the casserole same day, cook the pasta before adding it to the other ingredients.
Nutritional Information
Serves 8
Serving size: 1½ cups
Per serving
Calories: 412 (23% from fat)
Total Fat: 10.8g
Sat: 5.5g
Mono: 3.2g
Poly: 0.9g
Protein: 27.5g
Carb: 51.1g
Fiber: 3.2g
Cholesterol: 60mg
Iron: 4.9mg
Sodium: 448mg
Calcium: 286g