Amish Hamburger Noodle Casserole
by Sommer Collier — on Oct 7, 2026 Go ahead and add this casserole recipe to your regular dinner plan lineup! My Amish country hamburger noodle casserole has everything you love in an (almost) all-in-one main dish, like carb-y egg noodles, protein-rich ground beef, an unbelievably creamy and delicious sauce, and the perfect amount of Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top. It’s quick to put together and bakes in under an hour, making it a perfect family dinnertime recipe with lots of flavor and little effort!
You know I’m a bit of master when it comes to making easy casseroles that require little energy and feed a lot of people. For example, I have a glorious cheeseburger casserole on the site with noodles and beef swimming in a savory cheesy sauce. However, today I wanted to share another American favorite, Amish hamburger noodle casserole. This one is slightly different with a more subtle flavor and simplified ingredients. It’s a classic dish you might find at a large Amish dinner service as a side dish. But because it has beef in it, I like to serve it as a main dish with protein and carbs. I love how creamy the sauce is, with a tangy pop from canned tomato sauce and Worcestershire. I finish it off with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese so the casserole bakes up with crispy top and a creamy, dreamy, beefy and delicious center.
Table of Contents
Sommer’s Recipe Highlights
Familiar with a Twist – As I noted, there are nothing but simple staples in here… Mainly ground beef, thick egg noodles, canned tomato sauce, canned soup, cheese and a few spices. These are ingredients I use to make lots of other recipes, but here I put them together in one casserole with a tangy sauce and finish the dish with grated parmesan.
Feeds a Crowd – And a hungry crowd, at that! Like my classic Amish breakfast casserole, I make this Amish noodle casserole recipe in a large 9 x 13-inch baking dish for at least 10-12 generous servings. It’s also super kid-friendly, so you won’t be in the kitchen trying to whip up a second option to make everyone happy.
Great Leftovers – If you do wind up with a few leftovers, you’re in luck! All of the saucy flavors and tender textures meld together beautifully, so the casserole will keep well for 3-4 days in the fridge. You can even freeze for later! Either way the leftovers reheat very well in your choice of the microwave or oven.
Key Ingredients and Tips
- Ground beef – I like to use lean beef with a 90/10 fat rations when I make casseroles. Otherwise the extra moisture from the grease in fattier ratios can make the noodles mushy.
- Onion – I use one large yellow onion or sweet onion. White has too much bite for this Amish country casserole, in my opinion.
- Egg noodles – Use extra wide egg noodles, or what’s known as Amish egg noodles. Regular or “thin” noodles don’t hold up as well in saucy casseroles.
- Cream of mushroom soup – I recommend using low sodium if you’re sensitive to salt. Regular canned soup can have a ton of salt hidden in there!
- Tomato sauce – Not pasta sauce with herbs and whatnot, just a plain can of tomato sauce.
- Worcestershire sauce – It really ties all of the savory flavors together, balancing the sweetness of the tomatoes and highlighting the beef.
- Half and half – True half and half is what makes the base of Amish casserole extra creamy and rich. You can swap it out for whole milk (or heavy cream!), but avoid 2% or less.
- Spices – I use salt, pepper, and garlic powder. These the only spices I use is the whole dish. Together that add another layer of savoriness to the a deep, earthy taste of the ground beef.
- Grated parmesan – I grate the cheese straight from the block if I’m feeling ambitious. But pre-grated powdered cheeses from the can also work well here!
How to Make
Find the full ingredient proportions, detailed instructions, storage tips, and a video tutorial in the printable form at the bottom of the post.
Prep – I start by preheating my oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and chopping the onion. Then I get out a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish, large skillet for sautéing, and a large measuring pitcher or medium mixing bowl. I like to use a measuring pitcher to mix the casserole “sauce” so it’s easier to pour over the casserole before baking.
As the oven continues to preheat, I get a pot large enough to boil the noodles, fill it 3/4 of the way full with saltwater, set it on the stove and turn the burner to hight heat.
Sauté Beef and Onions – While the water gets going, I set my large skillet on another burner, and turn the heat to medium. Once the pan is hot I add the chopped onions and ground beef. Stir and cook the beef and onions for several minutes, until the onions are translucent and the beef has completely browned. Even though the casserole will be baked you don’t want to use undercooked beef!
Cook Pasta – The water should come to a rolling boil as you’re cooking the beef and onions. Then drop in the egg noodles and cook per the package instructions… Kind of. If the package says 6-8 minutes I boil them for 5 minutes, until the noodles are slightly under al dente. They’ll cook more in the hamburger casserole and you don’t want the noodles to get overcooked and mushy. Drain them in a colander as soon as they become toothsome, and not a moment after!
Layer and Mix – I drain the noodles and transfer them to the casserole dish. Next, I use a large spoon to scoop the ground beef and onion mixture onto the noodles, and toss everything together until evenly mixed. Then I gently spread the beef and noodles out so there is one even layer in the dish.
Prep the Sauce – Now I add the cream of mushroom soup, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, and half & half to a large mixing pitcher or medium bowl. Use a spatula or whisk to combine the ingredients into a smooth mixture.
Pour it On – Pour the saucy mixture slowly and evenly across the casserole. You want all of the noodles to get some sauce on them as the bit of moisture will make the noodles tender, versus dry and crunchy. I give the pan a ‘lil jiggle the make sure the soup and tomato blend gets into every nook and cranny.
Sprinkle Parmesan – Lastly, I sprinkle the grated parmesan cheese evenly over the top of the casserole. Try to break up any super large clumps as you go if you’re using canned grated parm like I am here.
Bake Until Bubbly! – Into the oven it goes! I place it on the middle rack and set the timer for 20 minutes. When the timer goes off I check the oven (keep the door closed if possible) to see if the Amish country casserole is done baking. I know it’s ready when I can see a bit of liquid bubbling around the edges of the dish, and the top parmesan cheese and noodles are slightly brown and crispy. Leave it in the oven for another 5-10 minutes if it’s not quite there.
When it’s done I carefully remove the pan from the oven and let it sit for several minutes… This cools the casserole down so you don’t burn the &*$% out of yourself (you only make that mistake once or twice) and allows the sauce, beef and noodles to firm up a bit and make it easier to serve. I also like to sprinkle on a bit of fresh chopped parsley when it cools.
Recipe Variations & Expert Tips
You can swap ground beef with any other lean meat you want like ground turkey, ground chicken, or ground pork. It’s important to cook the beef properly but extra important to cook turkey and chicken to an internal temperature of 165 degrees, and pork to 160 degrees.
Wide egg noodles are what’s traditionally used in hamburger noodle casserole. However, if you’re not a huge fan of the richer eggy taste, or don’t have any on hand, you can use other hearty pasta noodles. Thick rotini, bowtie pasta (farfalle), or penne noodles work well.
As-is my Amish country casserole is enough for 12 generous servings. Leftovers are great, but if you only want more like 6 servings you can absolutely halve the recipe and bake in a square 8 x 8-inch or 9 x 9-inch casserole. dish
Serving Suggestions
This hearty casserole with lots of protein-packed beef, carb-y noodles, and sauce with tomatoes and half and half is almost a meal all on its own… Almost. As a parent (I don’t care how old my “babies” are) and fairly health-conscious person, I always have some sort of vegetable on the table, too!
This is a simple recipe and I think a simple no-fuss veggie side dish is perfect. Here are a few of my favorites to cook up quickly as the casserole bakes and cools:
- Roasted Broccoli or Boiled Broccoli
- Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts
- Air Fryer Carrots
- Steamed, Sautéed, or Roasted Green Beans
Or have a cool and crunchy salad on the side for more balance to the deliciously heavy Amish hamburger noodle casserole. We’re big fans of our steakhouse salad, or you can drizzle homemade buttermilk ranch dressing or blue cheese dressing onto your choice of fresh greens.
Storage Notes
Leftover casseroles are (almost) always fabulous. And this recipe is no exception! The flavor of the sauce and beef will intensify as they sit together, and the tender noodles hold up well to being reheated… To a point. I transfer the cooled leftovers to an airtight container; they’ll keep well in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. I do recommend eating within the first couple of days, however, as the noodles will get softer the longer they’re in the fridge.
It also great to freeze! I transfer the leftovers to an airtight container, and wrap the container in a layer of aluminum foil for extra protection from freezer burn. The casserole will keep well for up to 3 months. Then just thaw in the fridge overnight!
When I’m ready to reheat I transfer the leftovers to another oven or microwave-safe dish, depending on which method I’m using. The leftovers can be baked in a 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes to heat thoroughly, but keep a close eye so the noodles don’t get overly crunchy or burn.
I usually reheat servings individual in the microwave in short, 10-second bursts at 50% power. This gets the noodles and beef hot and slightly soft again after tightening up in the cold fridge.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nope, do not cover the Amish country casserole while it bakes. Covering with aluminum foil will trap in moisture and make the noodles too soft and mushy, and keeps the sauce from properly tightening up.
Well my first question, did you cover it like I told you not to above? Ok, if you check that off of the “what could it be” box, next look at whether you overcooked the pasta at the beginning. Or perhaps didn’t drain the grease from the beef and onions/and or the noodles didn’t drain enough after boiling.
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More Casserole Recipes
Amish Hamburger Noodle Casserole
Video
Ingredients
- 16 ounces ground beef
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 12 ounce extra wide egg noodles or Amish egg noodles
- 15 ounce canned tomato sauce
- 15 ounce can of cream of mushroom soup
- 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 cup half & half or whole milk
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Set out a 9 x 13 ich baking dish for the casserole. Then set a skillet on the stovetop for the beef over medium heat, and set a large pot of salted water on high for boiling the noodles.
- Add the ground beef and chopped onions to the skillet. Salt and pepper it liberally. Then stir and cook the ground beef, breaking it into small pieces with a wooden spoon. Once the beef is fully cooked through, and the onions are soft, turn off the heat, approximately 5-8 minutes.
- Meanwhile, when the water comes to a boil, drop the egg noodles in the water and cook according to the package instructions. Make sure to cook them to just al dente since they will be cooked twice, you don't want them to be mushy. Drain the noodles and place them in the baking dish.
- Scoop the beef and onion mixture over the top of the noodles and toss to incorporate. Then spread the mixture out into an even layer.
- In a medium bowl (or measuring pitcher) combine the tomato sauce, mushroom soup, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, and half-and-half. Whisk until smooth. Then pour the creamy sauce over the top of the beef and noodles in the baking dish. Jiggle the pan a little to incorporate all the ingredients, then sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over the top.
- Play in the oven and bake for 25 minutes until the top is golden and crispy and the edges are bubbly. Sprinkle the top with chopped parsley, if desired, and serve warm!
