Homemade Beefaroni Recipe With 3 Ingredients
Updated Jan 19, 2026
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Homemade beefaroni is the perfect alternative to the usual casserole dish for busy weeknights. This is one of our favorite low-cost meals for the entire family and uses just 3 main ingredients, all pantry staples.
This easy homemade beefaroni takes only 15 minutes to make. Just one bite, and you’ll realize it is so much better than the Chef Boyardee beefaroni canned stuff you ate as a kid.
The best part is that it only costs about $1.50 per serving and makes a complete meal!
🔍 Homemade Beefaroni Recipe Details
- ⏱️ Prep Time: 5 minutes
- 🍳 Cook Time: 10 minutes
- 🕒 Total Time: 15 minutes
- 👥 Servings: 5-6
- 📊 Calories: about 490 per serving.
- 🍝 Ingredients: Ground beef, egg noodles, tomato soup.
- 👩🍳 Flavor Profile: Comforting, savory, and kid-friendly meal.
- ⭐ Difficulty: Easy, making it great for busy weeknights or budget meals.
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Table of Contents
Platter Talk Kitchen Insight
This homemade beefaroni is one of the simplest and most comforting meals we make at home. Passed down from my late Grandma Zub, our family has made this easy weeknight dinner for generations.
Unlike the canned beefaroni that most of us ate as kids, this version uses just three basic ingredients: Ground beef, egg noodles, and Campbell’s Tomato Soup.
Like our old-fashioned goulash recipe, light version of beef stroganoff, and family casserole recipes, this easy weeknight dinner delivers big on taste and convenience every time.
If you love beef recipes, you’ll want to try this sous vide chuck roast.
👨🍳 Why This Version Works
- Simplicity without Compromise: With only ground beef, egg noodles, and tomato soup, you get hearty flavor with minimal fuss.
- Family Tested: This is how we’ve made beefaroni for our kids, and now they make it for theirs!
- Comfort Food Done Right: Browning the beef until it gets a little caramelization adds a rich, beefy taste that can’t get from the canned version.
🍝 Good to Know
- Adding veggies (like bell peppers and onions) or a sprinkle of cheese, turns this beefaroni recipe into a more substantial meal.
- While it shines on its own, we often serve this with our homemade crusty bread and our Mandarin orange salad.
Many people who first see this homemade beefaroni recipe discount it as a kids’ meal. Kids definitely love this beefaroni, but I think you’ll be surprised at how much you will like it too!
What Goes in Beefaroni?
Notes on Ingredients
Egg Noodles – You can swap out egg noodles for macaroni. Our grandma used egg noodles, but either one works.
Ground Beef – I prefer to use 80/20 ground beef for a little extra flavor and I find it is less dry than leaner mixtures. You can use other ground meat for homemade beefaroni as well, like ground turkey or chicken.
Tomato Soup – We’ve tried a few different brands, and our go-to label is Campbell’s Tomato Soup for making this beefaroni recipe. It gives it a pop of flavor we just don’t get from other brands.
Substitutions and Variations
If you want to add a little flair to this homemade beefaroni, toss in some of the following!
- Add diced bell peppers, diced onion, and mushrooms to the dish for a more flavorful, nutritious meal.
- Instead of ground beef, use an equal amount of ground turkey or chicken for a leaner version of this homemade beefaroni.
- Use a different type of pasta, such as penne with smoked sausage dish or rigatoni (as in our rigatoni mac and cheese) in place of elbow macaroni.
- Try various types of tomato sauce. Some examples might be marinara or arrabbiata for a whole different flavor twist.
- Give the dish an Italian twist by adding a sprinkle of Italian seasoning or by stirring in a can of diced tomatoes with Italian herbs. Fresh basil and fresh parsley are also good in this homemade beefaroni.
- Add some spice by tossing in a pinch of red pepper flakes or diced jalapenos to the sauce.
Explore More Substitutions with AI
How to Make Homemade Beefaroni
The flavor is one thing that makes this beefaroni recipe stand out; the other is the very short list of ingredients and how ridiculously easy it is to make.
- Start by cooking a 12-ounce bag of egg noodles al dente.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, brown 1 pound of hamburger. Don’t use overly lean ground beef, or it will be too dry. We like to use a blend of 80% lean and 20% fat.
- Add a family-size can of Campbell’s Tomato Soup. You can use two regular-sized cans if you don’t have a family-size can.
- Use a large wooden spoon to stir the beef and tomato soup together.
5. Return the drained egg noodles (or macaroni noodles) to the pan with the beef mixture.
6. Stir it up!
Platter Talk Recipe 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!
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I learned from my mom 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 family meals.
She had eight children to care for. The last thing she wanted to do was spend the entire day in the kitchen. So, this quick family recipe was created for this purpose.
This homemade beefaroni is an easy meal that can be put together on a work or school night with no problem. It has quickly become my children’s favorite meal, and they think I slaved in the kitchen making this for them. This will also keep well in an airtight container or freezer bag so you can pull it out on a chilly night.
Common Questions
American goulash frequently has a looser sauce with more vegetables and seasonings, whereas beefaroni is usually made with elbow pasta, ground beef, and tomato sauce. Traditional Hungarian goulash is more like a beef stew recipe.
You can finish off this family meal 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.
Beefaroni always tastes best when it is fresh, but it heats up nicely for an easy leftover meal. Just store the leftovers in an airtight container in your fridge.
They’ll stay good for up to 3 days. When ready to reheat, put the leftover beefaroni into a saucepan, add a little water, and warm up over a medium setting on the burner. You can also place this in the microwave for a minute or two.
At Platter Talk, we focus on recipes that actually work in real home kitchens. This homemade beefaroni may sound like a kid’s recipe, but adults love it too.
Do yourself a favor, one of these evenings, and try it. I can’t wait to hear how you like it.
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The BEST Homemade Beefaroni Recipe with 3-Ingredients
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⭐ Most readers end up making this in a few days.
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 off excess grease.
- Add a can of tomato soup to the cooked ground beef.
- In a pot, bring water to a boil and cook egg noodles according to the package directions.
- Drain egg noodles when cooked and add to beef and tomato soup mixture.
- Stir to combine.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
- Serve this homemade beefaroni with a vegetable of choice; our kids like corn or green beans with it.
- Sprinkle with grated mozzarella cheese. You can also use shredded cheddar cheese as an optional topping.
- Use egg noodles or macaroni noodles.
- Serve some Thanksgiving dinner rolls with this.
- You can cook them in the oven while putting together the beef-a-Roni.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Updated from the original post of January 20, 2014
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You do your self a disservice calling this Beef-a-Roni. It looks amazing and it is not just for the kids. Give me a super big bowl please.
Love this post, Dan and love the photos of all those sweet faces enjoying the deliciousness.
Please tell Scott I loved the video.!
My sister-in-law made this for her kids when they were growing up and our grown nieces still talk about how good it is!
Loved this! Needed something quick, last minute and this was perfect! This is a great base recipe that you can easily tweak and add to at whim. I added some chopped onions and yellow bell pepper and sprinkled with cheddar cheese and it was a success! I also did not drain the excess grease and used spiral noodles….anyway, it turned out wonderful! The family enjoyed it and I will be making it again! Thanks!
Rebekah, I’m glad you tried this. Most people (adults) are surprised at just how delicious this is; the kids don’t give it a second thought. Instead, they usually ask for second helping. Thanks for the comments!
My Mom used to do this with Cream of Mushroom Soup, I’m 72 years old and whenever I’m not feeling up to par, I try to make Mom’s old recipes. Another favorite is Spam, tomato soup, onion and elbow macaroni. Dice up the spam and brown in a little olive oil, add the diced onions and saute, and the tomato soup with a can of water and then add the macaroni. Just like Mom used to make. Only she cooked for 9 children. I only cook for 1. LOL Enjoy!!!
What a great comment! Thanks for droppying by and sharing this memory with us!
OMG…my mom made this for us growing up (only she called it “Hamburger and Noodles”). Only difference is she threw in chopped onion and celery with the meat while browning. It was totally a favorite of mine and my sister’s! I have made it on occasion for my daughters and they love it as well. Thanks for the memory!
Julie, I will totally try adding in some onion and celery. Sounds like a great addition. Isn’t it funny how a simple dish can transport you back to your childhood? Thank you for your comments!
4 ingredient Beefaroni is a winner in any busy house! Your grandma was one smart lady 🙂
Shashi, thank you. I agree, my grandmother was a smart lady. She believed in feeding the soul through great simple dishes. I hope that you give this a try.
Scott, the simplicity of this meal is astounding, but the feeding of generations from a recipe passed down through loving hands is magnificent! Great photos too.
Brooks, thank you for your comments. I think that sometimes we forget that simple can be delicious. Even better when the recipe comes with great memories.
Hey Scott, this recipe reminds me of our childhood. Sounds good, and we love the photo of the twins! Didn’t know you have twins too!
Hi Ladies. How old are your twins? Ours are 8 and identical. Thanks for the comments as well. I love these simple family recipes.