You're gonna need a bigger pan! This hefty casserole is layered with noodles, ground beef sauce, mushrooms, sour cream sauce, spinach, and cheese. It's perfect if you're feeding a crowd or for potlucks, and it freezes well!
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More details about the recipe
We love casseroles. They're easy to make (usually), they're versatile, and most of them freeze well. There are two basic construction methods for casseroles: mix everything together and bake, and layer the ingredients and bake. They're both great, but I really like the layered style. The visual appearance is better, and you can taste the individual layers.
A typical layered casserole will have layers of carbs (potatoes or paste), a meat sauce, vegetables, a dairy sauce (sour cream, ricotta, or cream cheese), and a cheese topping. Here's something you may not have thought of as a layered casserole: Lasagna!
This is a Large Recipe!
This casserole fills a 2 ½ inch deep 9x13 pan to the top! If you're not feeding an army, or don't want to store leftovers, you may want to cut the recipe in half. Or for a "quick fix", use 8 ounces of noodles instead of 16.
Ingredients You'll Need
- wide egg noodles
- ground beef
- onion
- garlic
- tomato sauce
- dried parsley
- dried basil
- dried oregano
- hot sauce
- salt and black pepper
- olive oil
- mushrooms
- sour cream
- milk
- cream cheese
- frozen spinach
- Cheddar cheese
- Colby Jack cheese
Make the Recipe
Here are the ingredients for the meat sauce: ground beef, tomato sauce, onions, hot sauce, garlic, and spices (parsley, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper). (The mushrooms are a separate layer, but they fit better in this picture!)
For a recipe this size I used 1 teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of black pepper.
And here are the ingredients for the rest of the layers: spinach, cream cheese, sour cream, milk, Cheddar cheese, and Colby Jack cheese.
I've found that the easiest way to strain spinach is with a French Press! Find out how!
Preheat the oven 350°F. Cook the noodles to al dente according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.
Add the ground beef, onions, and garlic to a skillet over medium heat and cook until the meat is browned and the onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add the tomato sauce, parsley, basil, oregano, hot sauce, salt, and pepper. Stir well and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.
While the beef is simmering, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in another pan. Add the mushrooms and saute until they're cooked down, about 5 minutes.
Mix the sour cream, milk, and cream cheese in a bowl. An electric hand mixer works best for this. Mix to just combine the ingredients, you don't want a "fluffy" mixture!
Spread the noodles in a 9x13 baking pan.
Layer with the beef mixture...
Mushrooms...
Sour cream mixture...
And spinach. See how much it fills the pan? Top of the pan, Ma!
Sprinkle the Cheddar cheese and Colby Jack Cheese on top.
Bake for 45 minutes. Let the casserole rest out of the oven for 10 minutes, then serve.
Just look at those layers! You can't see the mushrooms, but they're in there!
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📖 Recipe Card
Beef and Spinach Casserole
Special Equipment Needed
- 1 Hand mixer
- 2 Large skillet
- 1 9x13 baking dish at least 2 ½ inches deep
Ingredients
- 1 (16-ounce) package wide egg noodles
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 (15-ounce) cans tomato sauce
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons hot sauce
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 16 ounces mushrooms sliced
- 1 cup sour cream
- ½ cup milk
- 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese
- 2 (10-ounce) packages frozen spinach thawed and strained
- 1 cup Cheddar cheese shredded
- 1 cup Colby Jack cheese shredded
Instructions
- Preheat the oven 350°F. Cook the noodles to al dente according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.1 (16-ounce) package wide egg noodles
- Add the ground beef, onions, and garlic to a skillet over medium heat and cook until the meat is browned and the onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.2 pounds ground beef, 1 medium onion, 2 cloves garlic
- Add the tomato sauce, parsley, basil, oregano, hot sauce, salt, and pepper. Stir well and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.2 (15-ounce) cans tomato sauce, 2 teaspoons dried parsley, 2 teaspoons dried basil, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 2 teaspoons hot sauce, Salt and black pepper
- While the beef is simmering, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in another skillet . Add the mushrooms and sauté until they're cooked down, about 5 minutes.1 tablespoon olive oil, 16 ounces mushrooms
- Mix the sour cream, milk, and cream cheese in a bowl.1 cup sour cream, ½ cup milk, 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese
- Spread the noodles in a 9x13 baking pan. Layer with the beef mixture, mushrooms, sour cream mixture, and spinach. Sprinkle the Cheddar and Colby Jack Cheeses on top.2 (10-ounce) packages frozen spinach, 1 cup Cheddar cheese, 1 cup Colby Jack cheese
- Bake for 45 minutes. Let the casserole rest out of the oven for 10 minutes, then serve.
Nutrition Estimate
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