French Onion Beef Casserole
Enjoy a cozy and delicious meal with this French Onion Beef Casserole! It's a yummy mix of creamy noodles, beef, and cheese, topped with crispy onions for a perfect crunch.

French Onion Beef Casserole
Looking for a cozy, hearty dinner that's perfect for any night of the week?
Try this delicious French Onion Beef Casserole.
This casserole is probably my favorite casserole to eat and I know my husband asks for it constantly.
It's easy to make, although caramlizing the onions does take some time. The end result is so delicious that it's totally worth it though.
Whether you're gathering with family or need something warm and filling on a chilly evening, this casserole is a great choice.
Ingredients for French Onion Beef Casserole
Onion: Choose a large yellow onion for its sweet flavor when caramelized. You can also explore using a mix of red and white onions for a deeper flavor profile.
Butter: Unsalted butter is preferable, as this allows you to control the amount of salt in your dish.
Egg noodles: Make sure to cook them al dente as they will continue to cook in the oven.
Ground beef: Opt for 85/15 or 90/10 mix ground beef.
Seasonings: The recipe calls for pepper and a French onion dip mix.
Cream of mushroom soup: This can be substituted with cream of celery soup or even cream of chicken soup.
Sour cream: Full-fat sour cream will give the dish a richer, creamier texture. Make sure it's at room temperature to mix well with the other ingredients.
Gruyère cheese, or Swiss: Gruyère will provide a nuttier, more complex flavor, while Swiss cheese offers a milder taste.
French fried onions: For a homemade touch, you could make your own crispy fried onions, though store-bought works perfectly for convenience and consistency.
How to Make French Onion Beef Casserole
Start by pre-heating your oven to 350°F. Grease the inside of a 9x13 casserole dish.
Chop the onions into thin slices.
Then, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Once the butter is melted, add the sliced onions. Cook and stir the onions until they are soft, browned, and look a bit caramelized. Once the onions are caramelized, remove them from the pan to a plate. Set aside.
While the onions are getting all caramelized, start cooking the noodles. Put a pot of water on the stove, boil the water, and cook the noodles according to package instructions until al dente.
In the same skillet you cooked the noodles in, brown the ground beef. Cook the beef over medium-high and cook until it is cooked through and there is no pink. Make sure to break up the meat as you cook it.
Add in the pepper, cream of mushroom soup, French onion dip mix, sour cheese, and cheese to the ground beef.
Mix it together, then carefully stir in the noodles and caramelized onions.
Pour everything into your greased casserole dish and spread it out so it's even.
Then, sprinkle the French fried onions over the top.
Bake the casserole in the preheated oven for 20 minutes or until the top is golden and you see bubbling around the edges.
Remove casserole and let it sit for about 5 minutes.
Tips & Tricks to Make the Best French Onion Beef Casserole
Here’s a list of tips, tricks, and hacks to make an awesome French Onion Beef Casserole:
Use a Mandolin: You can use a mandolin to get even, thin slices of ovens. Just make sure to use cutting gloves while using it.
Shortcut with Pre-Caramelized Onions: You can buy pre-caramelized onions or make a big batch ahead of time and freeze them. Use these to save a lot of time.
Veggie Boost: Mix in some green peas or diced carrots with the beef for a pop of color and to get some veggies in your meal.
Make Ahead: Prep the casserole the night before and store it in the fridge. All you have to do the next day is bake it.
How to Store Leftovers
If you end up with leftovers, wait until the casserole cools to room temperature. Then cover the dish with plastic wrap or move it to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 5 days.
To reheat, just place the serving size you'd like in an oven safe dish and cook at 350°F for about 20 minutes or until heated through.
What to Serve with French Onion Beef Casserole
If you're wondering what to serve with this casserole, here are some of our favorites:
Green Salad with Vinaigrette: A fresh green salad with a light vinaigrette.
Crusty French Bread: Serve with warm, crusty French bread to soak up all the delicious sauce from the casserole.
Garlic Green Beans: Garlic-tossed green beans are a great healthy side.
Roasted Potatoes: Crispy oven roasted potatoes make an excellent side.
Steamed Asparagus: Lightly steamed asparagus, seasoned with a touch of salt and olive oil.
Sauteed Mushrooms: Mushrooms sautéed in a bit of garlic and butter.
Caesar Salad: A creamy Caesar salad.
Roasted Carrots: Carrots roasted with a hint of honey mustard glaze.
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French Onion Beef Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 onion
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 10 ounces egg noodles
- 1 pound ground beef
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 21 ounces cream of mushroom soup (or celery)
- 8 ounces French onion dip mix 1 package
- 16 ounces sour cream
- 1.5 cups gruyere cheese or Swiss
- 1.5 cups French fried onions
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Grease 9x13 casserole dish and set aside
- Cut onions into small slices.
- Melt butter over low-medium heat in large skillet. Add onions to caramelize. Cook & stir onions until they are brown, soft, and caramelized. It will take approximately 20 minutes. Option: you can add a small pinch of sugar to the onions while caramelizing. Set onions aside.
- While caramelizing onions, prep noodles by cooking them in a large pot of water according to package directions until they are cooked al dente.
- In a large skillet, over medium-high heat brown and crumble ground beef until cooked through.
- Mix into the ground beef the pepper, cream of mushroom soup, French onion dip mix, sour cream and cheese.
- Gently fold in the noodles and caramelized onions.
- Pour into prepared casserole dish and spread out evenly.
- Top with French fried onions.
- Bake in pre-heated oven for 20 minutes or until heated through, bubbling and slightly golden on top.
Notes
Please note that the nutritional content of this recipe will vary based on the specific ingredients used. For a detailed breakdown of the nutritional values, consider using a recipe nutrition calculator with the exact brands and measurements you've used.
I added and changed a few things - doubled the onion, havarti instead of gruyere, added portobello mushrooms and a jalapeno, it was delicious! thank you for the recipe!!