Beef and Noodles is a quick and easy comfort food style dinner that is ready in 30 minutes. Ground beef and egg noodles are coated in a creamy mushroom gravy that makes this simple meal a real winner!
Table of Contents
Beef and Noodles with a Creamy Mushroom Sauce
One skillet/one pot recipes are valuable resources to have when you’re short on time, but you still need dinner on the table ASAP. This week’s solution to the busy weeknight dinner dilemma is Beef and Noodles with creamy mushroom sauce.
It all comes together in 30 minutes, with very little prep work involved. Tender egg noodles and juicy ground beef are smothered in a cream of mushroom gravy, made with beef broth, Italian seasoning, and cream of mushroom soup. The result is a rich, filling pasta dinner that will have the whole family running back to the stove for seconds!
In summary, this ground beef pasta will keep both the number of dishes in the sink and the amount of time you need to spend cooking to a minimum. Plus, it’s bound to get rave reviews!
Why Is This Ground Beef Pasta So Good?
There are a lot of great pasta recipes to choose from… so what makes this one so great? Ground beef and noodles is a go-to dinner in our household for a couple of reasons:
- Affordable: Most of the ingredients for this dinner are probably already in your pantry/fridge. Even if you don’t have egg noodles, for example, any spare box of pasta will do!
- Adjustable: It’s very easy to change up both the ingredients and the flavors in this meal. You can add veggies, swap out the ground beef for ground turkey, etc.
- Always a Hit: If you have picky eaters in your house, I highly recommend giving beef and noodles a try. A warm bowl of creamy pasta is pretty tough to turn down!
What You’ll Need
Let’s do a quick summary of everything you’ll need to make this beef and noodles recipe. Note that you can find the exact measurements for each ingredient in the recipe card below!
- Noodles: The recipe calls for egg noodles, but you can use other pasta instead if you want.
- Ground Beef: I like using lean ground beef, though you can also make this meal with stewing beef (see below for more suggestions). You can also use ground turkey if you prefer.
- Olive Oil: For sautéing the onion and ground beef.
- Onion: Yellow onion adds texture and a tiny bit of sweetness to the dish.
- Seasoning: Keep it simple with a blend of garlic, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.
- Gravy: Cream of mushroom soup and beef broth are the main ingredients for the rich mushroom gravy!
How to Make Beef and Noodles
Okay, now for the details behind making this creamy pasta recipe with ground beef. Here’s what you need to know:
- Prepare the Pasta: Cook your egg noodles to al dente according to the package directions, drain, and set aside.
- While the Noodles are Cooking: Heat olive oil in a medium size skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 3 minutes.
- Cook the Ground Beef: Break apart the beef as it browns until it is cooked through (about 7 minutes). I like to leave the ground beef in larger pieces. If you have a lot of excess grease from the meat, drain off the grease. (I only had a little grease and left mine in.)
- Add the Salt, Pepper, and Italian Seasoning: Stir to combine. Then add the cream of mushroom soup and the broth, stirring until well combined. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook it over medium-low heat until thickened (about 10 minutes).
- Serve and Enjoy: Add the cooked egg noodles to the skillet, stir until well combined, and serve immediately.
Tips for Success
Super easy, right? Before you jump into prepping this meal, though, there are a few tips that may be helpful to read through:
- Do I Need to Drain the Grease from the Pan? I used lean ground beef and did not need to drain my meat. If you are using a fattier cut of ground beef, drain the excess grease.
- Cream of Mushroom Substitutes: Substitute cream of chicken or cream of celery for the cream of mushroom if necessary. Cream of onion soup can also add another layer of flavor.
- Do I Have to Use Ground Beef? No, you can definitely use ground turkey, stewing beef, chuck roast, or other cuts of beef.
What Goes With Beef and Noodles?
While I love this beef and noodles recipe as-is, add-ins are always welcome. Here are a few serving ideas and last minute additions that may inspire you:
- Add Cheese: Grating fresh cheddar cheese (or using shredded) when serving this meal is highly recommended.
- Throw in Some Mushrooms: You can add sliced mushrooms to get some vegetables in with this meal. If you want to add mushrooms, add them in to the skillet after the beef is browned and cook them for about 2 minutes before adding the broth and canned soup.
- Mix in Other Vegetables: There are so many great options that you could choose (spinach, broccoli, peas, etc.). You can also just add roasted veggies on the side if you like.
- Make a Side Salad: Something like this Cucumber Salad would be good!
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
If you’ve got leftover ground beef pasta, this simple dinner can double as a make-ahead lunch. Here’s how to store and reheat it:
- To Store: Keep any leftovers in an airtight container, in the fridge, for up to 5 days.
- To Reheat: Simply microwave for a minute or so, or warm some up in a pan with a little oil over medium heat.
Can I Freeze These Beef Noodles?
I would not recommend freezing the egg noodles, but you could freeze the ground beef and the mushroom gravy. To do this, just place some of the ground beef mixture in a separate container before adding the noodles to the skillet, let it cool, and freeze for up to a month or so.
More Simple Pasta Dinner Recipes
Want to try out some more easy pasta dishes that come together in a flash? Check out these ones:
- Taco Pasta
- Cajun Chicken Pasta
- Cheesy One Pot Pasta
- Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs
- Shrimp Scampi
- Cajun Shrimp Pasta
Beef and Noodles
Ingredients
- 6 oz egg noodles
- 1 ½ pounds lean ground beef
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 10.5 oz can cream of mushroom soup
- ½ cup beef broth
Instructions
- Cook egg noodles to al dente according to package directions, drain and set aside.
- While the noodles are cooking, heat olive oil in a medium size skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, sauté for 3 minutes.
- Add the ground beef, breaking apart the beef as it browns, until cooked through, about 7 minutes. (I like to leave the ground beef in larger pieces. If you have a lot of excess grease from the meat, drain off the grease. I only had a little grease and left mine in.)
- Add the salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning, stir to combine. Then add the cream of mushroom soup and the broth, stirring until well combined. Bring to a simmer and cook over medium-low heat until thickened, about 10 minutes.
- Add egg noodles to the skillet and stir till well combined and serve immediately.
Notes
- To Store: Keep any leftovers in an airtight container, in the fridge, for up to 5 days.
- To Reheat: Simply microwave for a minute or so, or warm some up in a pan with a little oil over medium heat.
- To Freeze: I would not recommend freezing the egg noodles, but you could freeze the ground beef and the mushroom gravy. To do this, just place some of the ground beef mixture in a separate container before adding the noodles to the skillet, let it cool, and freeze for up to a month or so.
great recipe but chose option of mushroom saute . and cracked pepper. the flavoring was great. i added spice, red chili flakes; as i love it. but great recipe as is.
Good recipe. I added 1 tsp red pepper flakes and served with more pepper and shaved Parmesan.