Noodle Casserole Grandma’s Vintage Recipe
Hearty and filling, yet inexpensive, this noodle casserole with hamburger will take the stress out of supper. You might even have the ingredients already in the house.
This simple casserole can be made by cooks of all skill levels. If you can boil water, you can make this vintage recipe.
Using only four ingredients, two of which qualify as kitchen staples … this recipe is perfect for weeknight suppers.
I used to get stressed out trying to figure out what we were going to have for supper and how we were going to fit it in between the kids’ after school activities.
On nights when each child had a separate activity at different times, not back to back but with a gap of time in between, I often served bologna sandwich for supper. Some nights we ate cereal (who hasn’t done that?!).
I tried really hard to avoid ordering pizza or running through the fast food restaurant. My budget could only take that kind of a step a few nights a month.
It’s tough living on a single income and trying to feed two growing children.
When I was at home, my mom would use the boxes of Hamburger Helper to make mealtime easier. During the 1970’s and 1980’s people were only just beginning to worry about sodium intake and fat content.
I used those boxes too, when I first started cooking for my own family.
Make It a Meal:
You’ll want some veggies on the side to make this a balanced meal. Of course, a small salad will do the trick. A piece of warm bread would do, too!
Here are some good options: Oven Roasted Carrots, Pea and Peanut Salad, Green Bean Salad, Slow baked Onions, and Savory Olive Bread.
 
 
 
Variation:
Grandma’s recipe calls for a can of cream of mushroom soup. You can use your favorite variety in the “cream of” family. Try celery, broccoli, or even cheese.
If you’ve got some celery starting to wilt in your refrigerator, use this recipe to make your own Homemade Cream of Celery soup to use in this noodle casserole.
I make the homemade version when I’ve got celery on hand. But I also keep a couple cans of the cream soups on the shelf. You know – #ConvenienceCooking and all that. Sometimes you just don’t have time!
If sodium is a concern, look for low sodium versions at your grocery store.
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Recently, while sorting through my grandmother’s recipe box, I found this easy noodle casserole recipe. I’m surprised my mom didn’t use this recipe instead of the boxes.
The main concept of this recipe is so similar to the box dinner mix, that I had to wonder if somebody in corporate food industry peeked at grandma’s recipe.
Grandma’s recipe is probably a tad healthier … or at least lower in sodium.
Interested in one of the books pictured above? You can purchase on Amazon here.
A time saving trick I learned when making this recipe: Prepare it tonight while you’re making another supper dish. Store this one in the fridge for tomorrow. All you have to do is bake it then!
This dish also freezes well. If you’re doing a weekend of meal prepping, divide this recipe into two 8×8 pans, wrap tightly in aluminum foil and freeze.
When you’re ready to use, pull it from the freezer and bake.
To bake, either thaw in the fridge overnight and bake as described in the recipe or place frozen dish in oven and bake for 45-60 minutes, until hot through.
When my dad was sick, this was the sort of dish I’d place in individual containers and stash in his freezer. He could thaw them out and microwave just before serving.
If you’re not cooking for a crowd, like me these days … it’s just my husband and I, the individual servings frozen like I did for dad are a good idea.
Noodle Casserole Recipe
Ingredients:
Noodles, hamburger, cream of mushroom soup, mushrooms, bread crumbs.
Recipe Directions:
Brown the meat, boil the noodles, mix everything and bake.
Noodle Casserole - Grandma's Vintage Recipe
Better tasting than Hamburger Helper and a lot healthier, too!
Ingredients
- 1 lb Hamburger
- 16 oz Noodles
- 30 oz Cream of Mushroom Soup (2 cans)
- 5 oz Mushrooms
- Bread Crumbs
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
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Using a skillet on top the stove, brown hamburger completely.
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Drain any grease and mix soup into hamburger.
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Prepare noodles in boiling water according to package directions.
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Drain water from noodles.
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Mix noodles with hamburger, soup and add mushrooms.
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Place in a 9x13 baking dish. Sprinkle with bread crumbs.
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Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.
Approximate Nutritional Information:
Servings Per Recipe: 8, Amount Per Serving: Calories: 224, Fat: 8g, Cholesterol: 60g, Sodium: 379mg, Carbs: 18g, Protein: 19g
(please remember these are approximate and will vary slightly based on your ingredient selections.)
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