9 Laid-Back Beef Casseroles

Recipe: Shepherd’s Pie with Potato Crust

You might call yourself a shepherd too if it meant you would get a dinner this good. Our version of a Shepherd’s Pie is certainly a Southern dinner classic. Instead of mashed potatoes we use scalloped potatoes for the crust, cut with a mandolin slicer—but a knife will work just as well. For the filling, lean ground chuck is perfect, while red wine will add flavors that are rich and bold. Our Shepherd’s Pie has a dash of Worcestershire Sauce, as well as a hearty measure of English peas. This dish will keep you warm on a cool night, but it is fresh and delicious at any time. Round up your appetite and enjoy our Shepherd’s Pie.

Recipe: Greek Baked Ziti

Inspired by the classic Greek comfort dish known as pastitsio, this pasta casserole uses fresh and flavorful ingredients, which give it a lovely, refreshing quality. It’s hearty and filling, but the flavors of oregano and garlic add a lilting lightness to the Mediterranean-inspired dish. It mixes the classic flavors of ground beef, onion, and garlic, with oregano and two rich cheeses: Parmesan and mozzarella. So bake a dish of this comfort-food favorite, and in under 30 minutes you can settle in for a warm, delicious, family meal. For an easy weeknight dinner, you can even make this ahead and freeze it.

Recipe: Vanessa's Make-Ahead Beefy Lasagna

You had us at “make ahead,” but the terms beefy and lasagna didn’t hurt either. This is going to be your kitchen hero on those harried weeknights when the kids are demanding dinner and you can practically hear the stomachs rumbling from the living room. This recipe calls for a container of refrigerated pesto, which we love, because it adds a wonderful distinctive flavor to this basic beef-and-cheese lasagna, and the unbaked lasagna can be frozen for up to three months, so you’ll always have a back up plan stocked on ice and ready to be thawed at any moment.

Recipe: Pizza Spaghetti Casserole

This casserole spins together two Italian foods beloved by all: pizza and spaghetti. These two dishes are similar in flavor, and they mix well together. In putting this recipe together, we preferred turkey pepperoni. Using turkey pepperoni ensures that the casserole doesn’t take on a greasy appearance as it bakes. You can freeze the unbaked casserole for up to one month if you like to make your meals ahead of time. Future you will thank present you for this sort of timesaving preparation and suppertime foresight. To prepare the frozen casserole, thaw overnight in the refrigerator, let stand 30 minutes at room temperature, and bake as directed.

Recipe: Cheesy Chili Hash Brown Bake

You simply can’t get any easier than this casserole recipe. This 5-ingredient casserole features convenient, frozen hash brown potatoes, a can of Sloppy Joe sauce, and can of chili. But it is not what it is, it is what you do with it, and this recipe takes those simple ingredients and turns them into a delicious bake. You can choose between ground beef or ground turkey—the recipe works equally well, and tastes just as delicious, with both. For an even easier one-dish meal, we turned this into the ultimate quick-fix supper: these are baked in individual ramekins, allowing your family to just eat grab-and-go style. Or, you can eat what you need and freeze the rest. However you prefer it, this Cheesy Hash Brown Chili Bake is a great meal.

Recipe: Texas-Style Enchilada Casserole

Serve something with a little kick this season. Nothing checks that box quite like a Texas-style meal, and this enchilada casserole celebrates the best of Texas flavors in one easy to make dish. This recipe will certainly bring a welcome change from standard fare, and we have it on good authority that families absolutely love this recipe. No need to go out to the neighborhood restaurant for Tex-Mex food when you can whip it up just as easily in your own kitchen. In our recipe, we also include an alternate ingredients list and preparation in case you want to make a lightened version of your enchilada casserole. 

Recipe: Tomato 'n' Beef Casserole With Polenta Crust

A flavorful cornmeal-based crust is topped with hearty ground beef, tomato paste, and sharp Cheddar cheese in this easy Italian casserole. Polenta is cornmeal that is deployed in cooking Italian dishes, and we can vouch for its delicious effect on this casserole. Tomato and beef are indulgent and filling, and the polenta crust adds just the right amount of substantial crispness to the meaty interior of the dish. With only eleven ingredients, this recipe is quite easy to prepare, and it also only calls for 30 minutes in the oven. That’s plenty of time to catch up with your family and enjoy the Italian-inspired scents drifting through your kitchen.

Recipe: Shepherd’s Pie

Shepherd’s Pie is a classic Southern staple, and when you see how simple it is to make this meal you’ll understand why. It is one of our favorite ground beef quick-fix dinners, and this recipe makes it even easier to get that Shepherd’s Pie on the table. Begin with ground round—we think its flavor is perfect for this dish. Next, put the pie together. This potato-topped delight gets extra flavor from the cheese and carrots that are added to the mashed potato crust. And you can take a shortcut with the crust because the recipe calls for frozen mashed potatoes. Fresh out of the oven you will enjoy this fantastic dish. Shepherd’s Pie is a mainstay on Southern tables because it is easy to make, but even easier to eat. Enjoy!

Recipe: Meatball Pasta Bake

You’ll never guess the secret ingredients in this delicious casserole. Ok, we’ll tell you: Orange juice and fennel. These two ingredients give this quick supper bright, fresh flavor. Any incarnation of meatballs is bound to be a family favorite. This meatball bake is anything but textbook, though your kids will be rushing home from school once they hear that this is in the oven. Speaking of ovens, the scent of this casserole wafting through you kitchen is truly mouthwatering. During preparation, you should chop fennel as you would an onion, or you can feel free to omit it, if fennel isn’t your favorite add-in.