Leftover Hamburger Casserole Recipe

If you find yourself with leftover hamburgers or cheeseburgers from your backyard barbecue, put them to good use and make this Leftover Hamburger Casserole. It transitions the cooked burgers into a delicious casserole that the entire family will love.

Every summer we participate in a lot of cookouts. Whether we are attending a graduation party, celebrating Independence Day, or hosting a family reunion we all gather outside and share a meal together.

And you can almost guarantee that hamburgers and hot dogs will be made on the grill. However, because there are so many people coming and going from the party, it is difficult to determine how many of each will be needed.

Therefore, at the end of the night, you might find yourself with extra burgers that didn’t find a place on a plate. And your first thought is that they can easily be heated the next day for another sandwich.

However, one or two cheeseburgers is more than enough over a short period of time. But instead of letting them go to waste, turn them into a delicious dinner that the entire family will enjoy.

With just a few simple ingredients those leftover hamburgers will gain a new life. And it doesn’t matter if they already have cheese melted on top.

We will be adding cheese to the casserole anyway, so you can use leftover cheeseburgers as well!

Leftover Hamburger Casserole Recipe

*Specific measurements and complete recipe instructions are located in a printable recipe card at the bottom of this article. However, be sure to continue to read the tips and tricks to making this recipe below.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb. of leftover cooked Hamburgers or Cheeseburgers
• 1 large Onion, finely diced
• 2 tsp of Chili Powder, more or less to taste
• 1 can of Cream of Mushroom Soup
• 1 can of condensed Tomato Soup
• 1 can of whole kernel Sweet Corn, drained
• 1.5 cups of cooked and drained Macaroni Noodles
• 2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, more to taste
• Salt and ground black pepper, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

The first step in making leftover hamburger casserole is to preheat the oven and prepare the casserole dish. Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and then spray a 9 x 13 inch baking dish or a 3.5 quart oval baking dish with non stick cooking spray.

Cook the macaroni noodles per package directions to al’ dente consistency and then drain. You want the noodles to be cooked but somewhat firm as they will continue to bake in the oven.

Then crumble the cooked hamburgers or cheeseburgers into small chunks. If you don’t want to use your hands to crumble the meat, you can use a sharp knife and cut the burgers into 1/4 inch sections.

Place the crumbled or cut burgers in a large bowl or directly in the casserole dish. Then add the diced onion and chili powder to the meat and stir until incorporated.

Next, pour the cream of mushroom soup, tomato soup, and drained corn kernels into the bowl and mix thoroughly. Add the cooked macaroni noodles to the bowl and mix until well coated.

Bake Time

Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish and spread it out evenly. Then place the baking dish into the preheated oven and bake for 40 minutes.

Once the initial cook time is up, remove the casserole from the oven and sprinkle the top with cheese. Feel free to add more or less based on how cheesy you like your casseroles.

Place the leftover hamburger casserole back in the oven and bake for another 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly. If you are using pre-shredded cheese you may want to place the casserole under the broiler for a few minutes to get the cheese completely melted.

Then remove the pan from the oven and let it sit for 5 minutes before serving.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How many leftover hamburgers do I need to make this casserole?

Because the size of hamburgers varies so much, it is hard to say how many leftover burgers that you will need to make this casserole. However, in general terms, use what you would consider 1 pound of meat before the burgers were cooked.

With that said, you can also add more if you have extras. Simply mix in the cooked burgers and proceed with the recipe as instructed.

2. I don’t have macaroni noodles. Can I use another type of pasta instead?

If you don’t have macaroni noodles, you can use just about any other type of pasta. However, try to use one that grips the other ingredients.

Some common substitutions include penne, rigatoni, fusilli, rotini, cavatappi, and even mini shells. These type of pastas are made to be mixed with other ingredients.

Stay away from ribbon or skinny strands like egg noodles, spaghetti, and linguine. These types of noodles won’t allow the other ingredients to adhere to it and will make it difficult to eat.

3. What other ingredients can I add to this Leftover Hamburger Casserole?

You can definitely get creative and use other ingredients to make this casserole. If you like peas, add them instead or along with the corn.

Want to make it more of a Tex-Mex style casserole? Add in a little Taco seasoning, diced tomatoes with green chiles, and drained black beans and the casserole takes on an entirely new flavor.

4. What other recipes can I make with leftover hamburgers?

When it comes to having leftover hamburgers, you can use them in a variety of ways. Of course, you can heat them up the next day and have hamburgers or cheeseburgers again.

However, this time add new toppings to give the burgers a different flavor. Think about adding barbecue sauce and bacon on top instead of ketchup and mustard.

Or how about taking it to an entirely new level and make a Peanut Butter Bacon Burger or a Breakfast Burger with an egg on top?

But if you are looking for something else to make with leftover burgers, think about any recipe that you would use ground beef. However this time, the recipe will be made even faster because the beef is already cooked.

Use a food processor to grind the cooked meat into fine crumbles. Then add it to your spaghetti, Baked Ziti, or Lasagna recipe. You can also use it to make quick meals such as Ground Beef & Zucchini Skillet or Big Mac Cheeseburger Casserole.

Enjoy! Mary

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