Homemade beefaroni is the perfect alternative to the usual casserole dish for busy weeknights. It's one of our favorite low-cost meals for the entire family.
Using just 3 main-ingredients, I'm going to show you how to make this childhood classic in just 15 minutes.
What is this?
Homemade beefaroni is one of my favorite things to eat and it holds a special connection to me. It comes from my Grandmother and when I was growing up we visited my Grandma's house all the time. We were lucky because she only lived down the street from us..
Our kids love this meal. As a bonus, every time they make this recipe, it's almost like my long-departed grandma is giving them a great big hug. It can't get any better than that.
Grandma Zub, Lottie was her first name, but we always referred to her by her last name. She was a very loving person who provided us with many things, one of which was great meals.
I always thought of her as a gourmet chef and one of my favorite meals that she made, she called beefaroni. If we were ever at her house and knew she was making this meal, we would always invite ourselves to stay for diner. Grandma never said no.
This is the same beefaroni my grandma made for me.
This beefaroni recipe is a lot like the lady my grandma was. Simple, comforting, and as delicious as she was loving.
The recipe I am sharing with you is simple with just three ingredients. Again, like the lady behind it, you can dress it up with some additions if you like. Either way, it is a surprisingly good meal. Many people who first see this recipe discount it as a kids' meal. It's true that kids love this recipe but I think you'll be surprised at how much you will like it too!
Ingredients
(See the full recipe is in the recipe at the end of this post.)
- Egg noodles
- Egg noodles are the base for this beefaroni recipe. A lot of folks use elbow macaroni instead, and that is fine. I like the way the egg noodles hold the sauce and besides, this is what Grandma used!
- Ground Beef
- We use ground beef for this beefaroni but you can use ground turkey as well.
- I prefer an 80/20 (Lean/fat) ground beef for a little extra flavor.
Cooking Tip
- When you brown the ground beef for this beefaroni, let it sear a bit in the skillet. This will give the meat some caramelization and add a nice beefy flavor to the finished recipe!
- Cream of Tomato Soup
- I have found that Campbell's cream of tomato soup tastes the best in this beefaroni.
How to make it
Unfortunately, my Grandma passed away many years ago, and this meal was lost to me, until one day when I wanted to make it for our kids. So, I called my mother and asked her if she remembered when Grandma used to make this for us.
She of course remembered and asked why I was wondering. I told her that I wanted to try and make it and asked her how to make beefaroni. I was ready with a pencil and paper ready to take down every ingredient. Mom laughed at the idea that I was so excited about this recipe.
I was hoping that I could recreate my childhood memories for my children. She took a deep breath and began the list. "One pound of ground beef," she said. Quickly I jotted this down.
"OK," I responded as if I was a reporter of a newspaper getting an exclusive story. "Next," she said, "One family-sized can of Campbell's tomato soup." "Interesting," I responded. "What next?" I asked.
"That's it," she stated. "That's it?" I responded, puzzled.
Step 1
Start by preparing a 12-ounce bag of egg noodles.
Step 2:
Brown 1 pound of hamburger. Don't use the leanest blend or it will be too dry. We like to use a blend of 80% lean and 20% fat.
Step 3:
Add a family size can of Campbell's Cream of Tomato Soup. If you don't have a family size can you can use two regular-sized cans.
Step 4:
Return the drained egg noodles tot the pan ground beef and tomato soup mixture and stir it up!
I learned from my mom that Grandmother cooked for convenience. That gourmet chef was more like Rachel Ray before Rachel Ray was even born. Grandma liked to make easy family meals.
She had eight children to care for. The last thing that she wanted to do was to spend the entire day in the kitchen. So, this quick family recipe was created for this purpose.
Dress it up!
If you want to add a little flair to this easy family recipe, toss in some of the following!
- Diced tomatoes
- Shredded cheese
- Diced onion
- Diced bell pepper
- Italian seasoning
- Fresh basil
Baked Beefaroni
You can also finish this off in the oven, for a beefaroni casserole. Just place it in an oven-safe skillet or casserole dish, then bake it at 350° for 30 minutes.
This simple meal idea may sound like a kids recipe to you but adults love it as well. Do you self a favor one of these evenings and try it. I can't wait to hear how you like it!
More of our ground beef recipes
- The Patty Melt
- Hamburger meat, sweet onions, and Swiss cheese sandwiched between toasted skillet-toasted rye bread.
- Slow Cooker Italian Hamburger Soup
- Ground beef that is slow-cooked in a simple savory broth.
- Slow Cooker Salisbury Burgers
- Crock-pot hamburgers, cooked in broth, sour cream, cream of mushroom soup, and a cup of your favorite red.
- Costa Rica Hamburgers
- Easy and delicious burger recipe
Have you made this Beefaroni from Platter Talk? If so, please let us know your thoughts in the comments below. We love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW US on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, and PINTEREST to see what we have cooking!
📖 Recipe
Beefaroni
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 26 oz Tomato soup 1 family size can
- 12 oz Egg noodles
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Brown ground beef in a skillet, season to taste with salt and pepper, and drain excess grease from pan.
- Add can of tomato soup to the cooked ground beef.
- In a pot boil water and cook egg noodles according to directions on packaging.
- Drain egg noodles when cooked and add to beef and tomato soup mixture.
- Stir to combine.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
Video
Notes
- Serve with a vegetable of choice, our kids like corn or green beans with this.
- Sprinkle with grated mozzarella cheese.
- Serve some dinner rolls with this.
- You can cook them in the oven at the same time you are putting together the beef-a-Roni.
Nutrition
Updated from the original post of January 20, 2014
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Natalie
Easy dinners that can feed a hungry family during weekdays are my favorite. That's why I love this recipe and I'm saving it to try. We all love good pasta and this looks absolutely amazing.
Tammy
Surely a childhood classic! It always seems the simplest dishes are the best, right?! I remember growing up a favorite of mine was just plain spaghetti with butter and grated cheese. It's still a favorite of mine tbh! I've never had beefroni but I'm so inspired now to try this. Perfect to make in a pinch when days are long and nights are busy! 🙂
Marisa Franca
That is such a cute story -- it kinda reminds me of my Mother-in-law's famous Girl Scout Stew. She had 7 in the family and a big house to take care of. Girl Scout Stew? I large can of Campbell's vegetable soup, 1 pound hamburger, elbow macaroni. Very similar. And I did make it a long time ago for my kiddos. I think Campbells must have been putting out those recipes until they got gourmet with their "Cream of..." Then the dishes got fancy.
Mahy Elamin
Wow, which is a simple recipe. I like the fact that the list of ingredients is simple and easy. Interesting idea! Deliciously. This recipe is perfect for me and my family. I'm sure it is very tasty!
Veena Azmanov
This is so simple and easy. I love having beef roni. Love how simple and easy this is. Saving it for later.
Vanessa Price
Doesn't get easier than this! I'm sure any kid would eat this without a fuss.
Gloria
I love the homemade version of this. Perfect for busy mom's to whip up any night of the week.
Pavani
That sure is a quick and easy recipe to make. Looks so hearty, comforting and delicious. Kids I'm sure will LOVE it.
Claudia Lamascolo
awe what an great inspiration to make this recipe. So awesome. My four year old grandson would love this dish he is a big pasta lover! thanks