French Onion Beef Casserole

The few times this recipe has been made in our house, it went off with a hit, with very little leftovers! Tonight, was no different. Everyone had seconds or thirds and Tyler was also able to have a great portion for lunch the next day. One tip to make this recipe pop is to make your own cream of mushroom soup, trust me, when you make it from scratch you will not go back to pre-packaged! This recipe for French Onion Beef Casserole is simple and delicious and will soon be a quick favorite.

French Onion Beef Casserole in baking dish cooked

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Published November 11, 2021
Updated March 11, 2022
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When you have a mushroom hater

At first, when mentioning what was for dinner, the kids were not happy to have cream of mushroom soup. When it was time to eat, and let them know the mushrooms were minced, they tasted the dinner and found it fantastic. They were so glad to not have to pick small mushrooms out of their dinner.

Typically, dicing the mushrooms is enough, but tonight I thought about using my Cuisinart Food Processor to mince the mushrooms. Instead of taking ten minutes to dice them, they were minced in less than one. Seriously, that was just the best time saver, and knowing our kids would eat dinner without picking through their food was just as reassuring.

For this French Onion Beef Casserole recipe, there are mushrooms in the sauce as it is made with cream of mushroom soup. Typically, I would have used cream of mushrooms soup from a can, however, the canned version has not been up to its typical standard and I decided to make this recipe using a homemade cream of mushroom soup.

Additionally, Matthew is not a fan of mushrooms and can get very particular about them in meals. Processing the mushrooms, before making the soup base, helped to break the mushrooms down to more of a puree than chunks. With the mushrooms in this form, Matthew then ate dinner with no complaints!

Cost breakdown for this bake dish

Before we had four kids, pricing meals was not part of my meal plan. However, with four kids with one income, Tyler and I really work towards cooking healthy meals at a great price. Some of the foods I make homemade are bread, bagels, granola bars, pasta, tortillas and sauces, please check out a few more recipes by clicking the links below. For example, they are separated into categories like Dessert, Dinner, DIY, Recipes and more.

Instead of paying a small fortune for food that is pre-made, the ingredients cost a fraction and they stretch further than just one meal. If you want to try saving money or start a budget, making food from scratch and learning how to cook on a budget while maintaining delicious and healthy meals is the way to go! Plus, food costs are just insanely high right now, so why pay $15 for a takeout pizza when you can make 3 for under $10?! For example, Crab Rangoon pizza is amazing and be sure to check out the recipe by clicking the link below.

With this meal, making cream of mushroom soup did not cut the cost, but increased it by a few dollars. Still, this meal was really reasonably priced, and we had leftovers!

2-pounds ground beef $7.38
1 package egg noodles $1.25
Cream of mushroom soup $2.59
Greek yogurt $1.00 (Or Sour Cream $0.50)
French Fried Onions $2.05
Chicken Stock $0.25

The total cost to make this dish was only $14.52 for a 9 X 13-inch baking dish!
Additionally, each serving cost only $1.21, with our kids wanting extra servings and Tyler having a great amount for lunch for the next day. Having a meal under $20 is literally my favorite thing! With six of us on one income, keeping our meals on average to under $20 is how we can keep our weekly budget at $170 for food.

Cream of mushroom soup

The above cost includes the homemade cream of mushroom soup. Making cream of mushroom soup is actually a really quick process. Additionally, it is concentrated and can be added to stock to make more of a soup. This recipe can use chopped mushrooms or process them in a Cuisinart Food Processor to then make the mushrooms more of a minced texture. Click the link for my full blog on how to exactly make your own from scratch!

French Onion Beef Casserole Recipe

Ingredients

1 cup sour cream OR Greek yogurt
2 pounds ground beef
1 cup Frenches Fried Onions
10-oz cream of mushroom soup
1 package egg noodles
1 Tbsp Beef soup base

ingredients to make French Onion Beef Casserole

Directions for French Onion Beef Casserole

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Spray a 9 X 13 baking dish with non-stick spray and then set aside.

baking dish sprayed with non-stick spray sitting on countertop

3. Fill a 6-Quart pan with water 2/3 of the way up and then boil the water on the stove over medium-high heat.

large pot with water and saucepan on stove

4. When the water is boiling, cook the egg noodles as directed. Drain in a sink colander when finished and place into the baking dish, then set aside.

5. In a medium saucepan, cook ground beef until browned, making sure to break up any large clumps as you cook the beef.

6. When beef is cooked, drain any grease, and return to the stove.
7. Mix in 1 Tbsp L.B. Jamison’s beef soup base and 1 tsp minced onion to the ground beef, then stir to combine. Soup base is an amazing way to save money not buying those bulky boxes of stock.

8. Add sour cream OR Greek yogurt and blend into the cooked beef.
Sour cream may be cheaper, but it has a lot of fat for one small Tablespoon, plus, Greek yogurt is fat free, and tastes literally the same.

Greek yogurt added to cooked beef in saucepan on stove

9. Mix in homemade cream of mushroom soup to the cooked beef mixture, stir to blend well and cooking an additional 3-5 minutes.

cooked beef in saucepan with cream of mushroom soup

10. Fold the beef mixture into the egg noodles with a spatula while in the baking dish.

spatula stirring French Onion Beef Casserole

11. Finally, sprinkle French Fried Onions on the top of the mixture.
These add such a crunch and deep flavor to this bake dish, at a really reasonable price.

12. Bake for 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees.
Serve with a side of vegetables and enjoy!
~Monica

French Onion Beef Casserole on white plate with broccoli and sweet peppers

To steam and then bake vegetables in the oven, slice the broccoli into large slabs. Place them onto a baking dish sprayed with non-stick spray, then sprinkle with salt and place 1/4 cup water on the pan. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. This not only cooks the vegetables but steams them by adding the water. This process works for raw broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, green beans and more. Tonight, with French Onion Beef Casserole, we had broccoli and sweet peppers. It was magnificently delicious!

French Onion Beef Casserole Recipe

French Onion Beef Casserole

Recipe for a delicious French Onion Beef Casserole made with homemade cream of mushroom soup! This meal is super easy to make.
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 1 9 X 13-inch pan

Equipment

  • 9 X 13-inch bake dish
  • Sink Colander
  • Non-stick spray
  • Spatula

Ingredients
  

  • 2 pounds Ground Beef
  • 1 Egg Noodles
  • 1 cup Sour Cream OR Greek Yogurt
  • 10 oz Cream of Mushroom Soup
  • 1 Tbsp Beef Soup Base
  • 1 cup Frenches Fried Onions

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Spray a 9 X 13-inch baking dish with non-stick spray, then set aside.
  • Fill a 6-Quart pan with water 2/3 of the way up and then set to boil on the stove.
  • When the water is boiling, cook the egg noodles as directed.
  • Drain in a sink colander when finished and place into the prepared baking dish, then set aside.
  • In a medium saucepan, cook the 2-pounds ground beef until browned.
  • When beef is cooked, drain any grease, and return the saucepan to the stove.
  • Add sour cream OR Greek yogurt and then blend into the cooked beef using a spatula.
  • Then mix in the canned OR homemade cream of mushroom soup to the cooked beef mixture.
  • Mix in 1 tsp minced onion and 1 Tbsp beef soup base and blend well and cook an additional 3-5 minutes.
  • Fold the beef mixture into the egg noodles in the baking dish with a spatula.
  • Sprinkle the Frenches Fried Onions on the top of the mixture in the bake dish.
  • Bake for 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees.
  • Serve with a side of vegetables and enjoy!
Keyword Dinner under $15, Dinner under $20, French Onion Beef Casserole, French Onion Beef Casserole Recipe, Recipe
French Onion Beef Casserole in pan cooked

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Published by Monica's Scratch Kitchen

I have not always had the skills to cook and bake from scratch. As a young wife, I bought every meal frozen or boxed and presented it to my husband with a flourish, believing myself a decadent cook. As our budget shrunk, and our family grew, I looked for ways to stretch our money to nourish our kids with the best for their hungry appetites. Hoping to find recipes and meals that they would love to eat. Through the last 5 years, I have learned so many cooking and baking lessons, and experienced many wins and failures. Come along with me on this journey as I share my recipes that work, how to make them on the cheap, and my tips and tricks to get my kids to eat homemade deliciousness! I will also share updates to our house that we have done in the last year since our move. With one income, we do most of the work ourselves and with amazing family and friends to help out, cutting costs but keeping style and money in the bank! I am a wife and mother of 3 boys and 1 princess. When I was a kid, I remember being asked what I wanted to be or do when I grew up. My response was, "a mom", and I am proud to grow up and be a mom to 4 amazing kids! Samuel is 11, Matthew is 8, Levi is 4, and Elliana is almost 2. We have been blessed to have kids who love to explore foods, to try new recipes, and enjoy helping us around the house. With 4 kids, you better believe they help clean! My husband Tyler and I have been married almost 13 years. We love our kids, we love outdoors, camping, canoeing, grilling, watching movies, and just hanging out making memories. A few years ago I gifted Tyler with his own "menu" book, where we write meals and foods we have loved to eat. Weekly our family decides what our meals will be and I make up a grocery list with what we need. It literally is my favorite chore! I love to shop, so shopping for food on a budget is my biggest win! Thank you for taking the time and visiting my site, Subscribe so you do not miss a post! Keep coming back to hear about new recipes, updates on our home, fun times with our kids, and how to make homemade deliciousness! ~Monica

7 thoughts on “French Onion Beef Casserole

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