Like many of my favorite recipes, this Homemade Beefaroni has a special connection. It came 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.
This is the same beefaroni my grandma made for me.
Homemade Beefaroni
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 were great meals. I always thought of her as a gourmet chef. One of my favorite meals that she made, she called Beefaroni.
Ingredients for Beefaroni
- Egg noodles
- Ground Beef
- Cream of Tomato Soup
Step 1 To Make Beefaroni From Scratch:
Start by preparing a 12 ounce bag of egg noodles.
Use a 12 oz bag of egg noodles toe make this homemade beefaroni.
Step 2 For Homemade Beefaroni:
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.
Use an 80/20 blend of hamburger for this beefaroni.
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 remember and asked why. I told her that I wanted to try and make it and asked her for the recipe.
Step 3 For Making Beefaroni at Home:
Add a family size can of Campbell’s Cream of Tomato Soup. If you don’t have a family size can, use two regular sized cans.
We are all about using off brands if the quality is there but with this Beefaroni recipe, stick to using Campbell’s Cream of Tomato Soup. The rest just don’t stack up.
I was ready with a pencil and paper ready to take down every ingredient. Mom laughed at the idea that I was so excited for this recipe.
Step 4 To Make Beefaroni:
Return the drained egg noodles tot the pan ground beef and tomato soup mixture and stir it up!
Stir the three ingredients together for this easy to make beefaroni.
I was hoping that I could recreate my childhood memories for my children. She took a deep breath and began the list. “1 pound of ground beef” she said. Quickly I jotted this down. “OK” I said, 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.
This beefaroni recipe goes together in well under a half hour.
What I found out from my mom was that my Grandmother cooked for convenience. That gourmet chef was more like Rachel Ray before Rachel Ray was even born. Grandma liked to make easy meals for her family.
She had 8 children to care for. The last thing that she wanted to do was to spend the entire day in the kitchen. So this Beefaroni recipe was created for this purpose.
3 simple ingredients for this beefaroni
ground beef
tomato soup
egg noodles
Our boys can make this beefaroni recipe on their own now, it’s that simple to put together.
-Scott
PS: You may also like our Patty Melt recipe, another ground beef favorite in our house!
Step 5 For Homemade Beefaroni:
Be sure to make enough for leftovers!
Don’t fool yourself, kids aren’t the only ones who love this homemade beefaroni. Give it a try and you’ll see why!
More kid-friendly recipes you might enjoy:
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.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
Sprinkle with grated mozzarella cheese.
Serve some brown and serve rolls with this. You can cook them in the oven at the same time you are putting together the beef-a-Roni.
Updated from original post of January 20, 2014
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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.
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! 🙂
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.
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!
This is so simple and easy. I love having beef roni. Love how simple and easy this is. Saving it for later.
Doesn’t get easier than this! I’m sure any kid would eat this without a fuss.
I love the homemade version of this. Perfect for busy mom’s to whip up any night of the week.
That sure is a quick and easy recipe to make. Looks so hearty, comforting and delicious. Kids I’m sure will LOVE it.
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
Oh man, this looks even easier than the stuff in the box…and definitely better for you! I love simple dishes like this, especially ones that take me back to childhood. Perfect quick lunch
I’m so impressed you did this with just three ingredients! Looks great!
It’s not fancy but our kids love this simple homemade beefaroni!
Looks so comforting and delicious! Love the inspiration behind this recipe! So sweet!
Thanks, Taylor! Even the parents in our family enjoy this homemade beefaroni recipe!
The kids really liked it and it’s super easy, but how much pasta do you prepare?
Thanks for the feedback, Lynn and we typically make a bag of egg noodles for this recipe, which is 12 oz. Please note, you can adjust the amounts of the ingredients to your needs and preferences! We are happy you like this simple recipe which I personally think is under-appreciated. Our kids love it and to be honest with you, so do their parents!
Oh well now I know what I’m doing with that package of ground beef in my freezer! I love homemade versions of boxed dinners like this!