Do you want to save money and still feed your family delicious meals? It’s no secret that food prices keep rising considerably. This has left a lot of people wondering how they can cut costs on grocery bills and meal preps. We are now taking this time to get creative!

If you are a person who is serving dinner to your loved ones every night, follow this ground beef pasta casserole recipe. The cost of all the ingredients amounts to ten dollars and it can easily feed more than two people. You will also be glad to store major leftovers.

Why this recipe works

• Easy to Prepare: With simple ingredients and minimal prep time, you can have this dish served quickly. Also, when it comes to storing leftovers, you don’t need to transfer anything into a different container. Just cover your pan with tin foil or food wrapping. This will keep your meal fresh for the rest of the week.

• Budget-Friendly: The cost of all these ingredients amounts to ten dollars. You can find all these fixings in your local supermarket and prepare a meal that is filling and tasty. A pasta casserole dish knows a lot of variations. This means you can adapt this recipe to other cost-effective alternatives.

• Feeds a lot of people: When you have a large family or an impromptu dinner party, you want to serve something that isn’t going to break the bank. With a pasta casserole, you will introduce a dish everyone will enjoy. Place it in the middle of your table and watch how your loved ones relish in a hearty meal.

• Good for Meal Prep: If you don’t have much time to cook throughout the week, you can prepare this pasta casserole and have it ready to eat in your fridge. You can also divide it into even portions and store it in a microwave-safe bowl and eat it at work or on the go. This also works for parents who are looking to send their kids off to school with a nutritious lunch.

Ingredients

1. Half of one white onion. The price of one white onion is around $1.13.
2. One box of pasta (Check out the “Barilla” brand at your local supermarket. Also, Penne or Fusilli shaped pasta work best for this recipe). The cost of one box of pasta is around $1.76.
3. One jar of tomato sauce (Try to find the “Bertolli” or “Prego” brands at your local supermarket. The “Prego Mushroom” sauce is delicious). This usually costs around $2.54 for a 24-ounce jar.
4. One roll of ground beef. The cost of one roll of ground beef is around $4.50 for one pound.
5. One cup of shredded mozzarella cheese. The cost of one bag of mozzarella cheese is around $2.22 for 8 ounces.

How to Prepare

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. Boil your pasta. Make sure your pasta water has salt and a drizzle of olive oil. This will add flavor and keep the pasta from sticking together.
3. While your pasta is cooking, toss half of your chopped onion in two tablespoons of olive oil.
4. When your onion reaches a transparent color, add your ground beef, and cook until it browns. Season with salt and pepper (you could also add garlic powder) to taste.
5. Once your beef is cooked, add your preferred jar of tomato sauce, and mix until all your ingredients are combined.
6. By this point, your pasta should already be cooked. Drain your pasta through a colander and mix in with your ground beef and tomato sauce.
7. Place the pasta in an oven-safe pasta dish and sprinkle a cup of mozzarella cheese over the top.
8. Bake your pasta dish in your preheated oven for 20-30 minutes or until the pasta reaches a bubbly consistency.
9. Serve and enjoy!

5 Ingredient Ground Beef Pasta Casserole Budget Meal

María Hernández Feo

This warm and hearty Ground Beef Pasta Casserole is the ideal dish for a large family dinner. If you are looking to save money on your next grocery run, these simple ingredients will keep you on a budget. With every cheesy and savory mouthful, you will have your loved ones asking for seconds.

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Prep Time 45 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 4 people

Equipment

• 1 Pot
• 1 Pan
• 1 Wooden spoon
• 1 colander
• 1 Baking dish

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ½ white onion
• 1 jar tomato sauce preferably the Bertolli or Prego brands
• 1 box pasta preferably the Barilla brand penne or fusilli shaped pasta
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Boil the pasta. Make sure your pasta water has salt and a drizzle of olive oil. This will add flavor and keep the pasta from sticking together.
• While the pasta is cooking, toss half of the chopped onion in two tablespoons of olive oil.
• When the onion reaches a transparent color, add the ground beef, and cook until it browns. Season with salt and pepper (you could also add garlic powder) to taste.
• Once the beef is cooked, add your preferred jar of tomato sauce, and mix until all the ingredients are combined.
• By this point, the pasta should already be cooked. Drain the pasta through a colander and mix in with the ground beef and tomato sauce.
• Place the pasta in an oven-safe pasta dish and sprinkle a cup of mozzarella cheese over the top.
• Bake the pasta dish in the preheated oven for 20-30 minutes or until the pasta reaches a bubbly consistency.
• Serve and enjoy!

Keyword casserole, cottage cheese, ground beef, pasta, tomato sauce

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

If you are a fan of warm pasta with tomato sauce, this recipe is for you. There is nothing better than seeing your family enjoy a meal around the dinner table. Taking care of your loved ones is always the main priority, and there is no better way to do that than sticking to a budget during dinner time!