Beef and Noodles Skillet

4.98 from 67 votes
65 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. See our disclosure policy.

This 15-minute cheesy Beef and Noodles recipe is perfect for those busy nights when you need dinner quickly. Ground beef and noodles with a creamy, cheesy sauce.

Fork pulling a cheesy bite of Creamy Ground Beef and Noodles Skillet.
Featured with this Recipe
  1. Ingredients in Creamy Ground Beef and Noodles Skillet
  2. Additions and Substitutions
  3. Suggestions for Beef and Noodles Skillet
  4. What to Serve with Beef and Noodles
  5. Storing the Leftovers
  6. More Recipes Using Beef and Noodles
  7. Frequently Asked Questions
  8. More Recipes with Ground Beef
  9. How to Make Creamy Ground Beef and Noodles Skillet
  10. Creamy Beef and Noodles Skillet (15 minute recipe) Recipe

15-Minute Beef and Noodles Skillet is a fresher, faster, and cheaper alternative to Hamburger Helper. Actually, Hamburger Helper gives me flashbacks to early days in my marriage when that and a can of green beans was considered a balanced meal. Luckily, I remembered this delicious recipe and it soon took the place of the boxed dinner stuff. This is a recipe that our grandma made when her kids were growing up and it is the ultimate comfort food.

Ingredients in Creamy Ground Beef and Noodles Skillet

  • Macaroni Noodles
  • Ground Beef
  • Onion
  • Condensed Tomato Soup
  • Cream of Mushroom Soup
  • Cheddar Cheese
  • Salt and Pepper
Ingredients to make Creamy Ground Beef and Noodles Skillet including ground beef, cellentani noodles, tomato soup, cream of mushroom soup, onion and shredded cheese.


Additions and Substitutions

Want to add a little more? Try adding any of these ingredients to add a flavor twist to this easy recipe:

  • Other pastas – use other pasta shapes such as penne, shells, rotini, or bowties for a fun new look. You can even use egg noodles if that’s what you have on hand.
  • Garlic – add some minced garlic cloves when softening the onion to enhance the flavor
  • Ground chicken – use ground chicken or ground turkey to make a lighter version of this dish
  • Beef tips – sauté beef tips instead of ground beef for a fancier dish
  • Cream cheese – Melt in 4-8oz of cream cheese when adding the shredded cheese to add even more creaminess.
  • Beef broth – add beef broth or milk to thin out the sauce if needed
  • Veggies – stir in your favorite veggie like peas, corn, green beans, zucchini, etc… to make in a complete meal

Suggestions for Beef and Noodles Skillet

  • If you are wary of using canned condensed cream of mushroom soup, try our delicious (and easy!) homemade Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup recipe!
  • You can use macaroni, rotini, bowtie, penne, or any kind of pasta for this recipe. You can use whole wheat pasta to make it healthier, or even Gluten Free pasta. Cook the pasta until al dente or until just tender.
  • Sometimes, if we are looking to add more to this Beef and Noodles Skillet, we will stir in corn, peas, a can of diced tomatoes (drained), extra sautéed mushrooms, steamed broccoli, cauliflower, or spinach.
  • Many times when we make this, we try to hide in extra veggies, so we add shredded zucchini and carrots to the ground beef mixture. Really, our kids never know there are any added vegetables. We use a lot too. We have used 1-2 of EACH vegetable added in and they don’t ever catch on.
Creamy Ground Beef and Noodles in a skillet with a wooden spoon resting.

What to Serve with Beef and Noodles

This can be served as a meal on its own or you can serve it with a simple side dish. We have served it with corn, peas, green beans, or even just a simple side salad. When serving with peas or corn, my kids will oftentimes just mix it all in together, which is also delicious.

Storing the Leftovers

To store leftover beef and noodles, allow the dish to cool to room temperature before transferring it to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to three to four days. When ready to enjoy the leftovers, reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop until heated through. You may want to add a little beef broth or milk to thin out the sauce while re-heating. If freezing, place in a freezer safe container and keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to enjoy, thaw in the fridge overnight before re-heating.

More Recipes Using Beef and Noodles

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between beef and noodles and beef stroganoff?

They are similar, but beef stroganoff has a sour cream based sauce and is made with beef chunks, not ground beef. This recipe has a tomato based sauce.

How do you thicken beef and noodles?

If you find that the sauce is too thin, you can drain off some of the excess liquid and/or add cream cheese to thicken. If you want to make the sauce more of a gravy, you can combine a little water and cornstarch to make a cornstarch slurry and add it to the liquid to thicken.

Can I use cream of ______ instead of cream of mushroom?

Yes, most “cream of” soups will work as a substitute in this recipe. Cream of chicken and condensed cheese soup work great.

Small bowl of Creamy Ground Beef and Noodles Skillet with a fork next to a skillet of Creamy Ground Beef and Noodles. Bread sticks on the side.

Read More:Quick and Easy Ground Beef Recipes

More Recipes with Ground Beef

If you love this Creamy Ground Beef and Noodles Skillet, then check out some of our other favorite easy dinners using ground beef.

How to Make Creamy Ground Beef and Noodles Skillet

Creamy Ground Beef and Noodles in a skillet with a wooden spoon resting.

Creamy Beef and Noodles Skillet (15 minute recipe)

4.98 from 67 votes
This 15 Minute Beef and Noodles Skillet recipe is perfect for those busy nights when you need dinner quickly. Ground beef and noodles with a creamy, cheesy sauce.
Prep Time 0 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Course Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 6 servings

Video

Ingredients

  • 1 pound macaroni noodles or similar, like Cavatappi or Cellentani
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 onion diced
  • 10.5 ounces tomato soup condensed , not prepared
  • 10.5 ounces cream of mushroom soup condensed, not prepared (see note above for substitutes)
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 cups cheddar cheese shredded

Instructions

  • Prepare noodles according to package directions.
    Cooked noodles in a pot of water for Creamy Ground Beef and Noodles Skillet.
  • In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook ground beef and onion together until beef is browned and onions are clear.
    Ground beef and onions in a skillet to make Creamy Ground Beef and Noodles Skillet.
  • Add condensed soups and salt and pepper.
    Wooden spoon mixing ground beef and sauces together in a skillet for Creamy Ground Beef and Noodles.
  • When noodles are done, drain well and add to skillet.
    Mixing noodles into the ground beef sauce with a wooden spoon for Creamy Ground Beef and Noodles Skillet.
  • Gently stir in cheese and serve!
    Stirring in cheese with a wooden spoon for Creamy Ground Beef and Noodles Skillet.

Notes

    • You can use macaroni, rotini, bowtie, penne, or any kind of pasta for this recipe. You can use whole wheat pasta to make it healthier, or even Gluten Free pasta.
    • Sometimes, if we are looking to add more to this Beef and Noodles Skillet, we will stir in corn, peas, a can of diced tomatoes (drained), extra sautéed mushrooms, steamed broccoli, cauliflower, or spinach.
    • Many times when we make this, we try to hide in extra veggies, so we add shredded zucchini and carrots to the ground beef mixture. Really, our kids NEVER know there are any added vegetables. We use a LOT too. We have used 1-2 of EACH vegetable added in and they don’t ever catch on.
    • Monterey Jack or Mozzarella cheese can be used in place of, or in combination with, the cheddar cheese.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 697kcalCarbohydrates: 69gProtein: 35gFat: 30gSaturated Fat: 14gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 94mgSodium: 841mgPotassium: 770mgFiber: 3gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 572IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 308mgIron: 3mg

Love this recipe?

We want to hear from you! Please leave a review.

Rate and Review



Share This With the World

PinYummly

About the author

Erica Walker

Erica lives in Boise, Idaho with her husband, Jared, an attorney, and her three beautiful girls. Beyond the world of recipes, she loves adventuring with everything from kayaking, to cruising, to snowboarding and taking the family along for the thrill ride.

More about Erica Walker

Similar Recipes

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

How many stars would you give this recipe?




Comments

  1. My daughter loves this (and she is a reformed picky eater – lol)! Instead of the tomato soup, I use pasta sauce (Rao’s, Prego, etc.). Delicious! This has been added to the rotation a few months ago, but wanted to share because we love this dish. Thanks!

  2. It’s ok. It reminds me of canned pasta. The tomato soup makes it a tad sweet, and you can’t really taste the mushroom soup. I used granulated garlic and onion, paprika, salt, pepper, 2 cups sharp white cheddar and 2 cups medium orange cheddar. My picky autistic son liked it though, so I’ll probably make it again for him. He gives it a 7.5 out of 10.

  3. 4 stars
    My boyfriend and I really enjoyed this recipe! I added some fresh shredded yellow squash (which I had on hand and wanted to use up) to the ground beef mixture. Plus I added red pepper flakes, oregano, and a bit of garlic powder to add some flavor and it turned out great! Thank you for this recipe!

  4. 5 stars
    This was delicious!! My husband is quite a picky eater so I hade to switch up the cream of mushroom with cream of potato. It did seem a bit dry for our taste so I threw in a can of diced tomatoes.

  5. 5 stars
    I made this last night. My husband and I loved it. My 8-yr. old. granddaughter didn’t finish it because it had the “brown stuff” in it. She doesn’t like ground hamburger. She did like the rest of the dish, however. She actually picked around the “brown stuff” and ate the other. Kids… I did omit the tomato soup because I didn’t have any AND granddaughter will not eat red sauce. Again…kids… It still turned out well. I will serve it up again! I do want to try it with all the ingredients though. I added mushrooms because we simply love mushrooms.

    1. I haven’t tried it that way before so I can’t say, but let us know how it turns out if you do try it!

  6. 5 stars
    Thank you so much for this easy yet oh so yummy recipe! My whole family enjoyed it. The only thing I did was added minced garlic and seasoned the ground beef!. This recipe is a win.

    1. 5 stars
      Made this last night and it tasted really good! My husband liked it a lot too. I used Monterey Jack cheese.

See More Comments