Hamburger Casserole

By bakers_delight85

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 pound very lean ground beef
• 1/2 pound white button mushrooms, sliced
• 1 1/4 pounds fresh or canned crushed tomatoes
• 3 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh parsley
• 1 Tbsp. sweet paprika
• 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper plus more to taste
• Salt
• 1/2 pound flat egg noodles
• 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• 2 cups (6 ounces) shredded or grated Swiss cheese, mild white cheddar cheese, or Muenster cheese

Details

Servings 6

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Butter a 12 x 9 x 2-inch baking casserole.
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat, then cook the onion and garlic, stirring, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the ground beef and mushrooms and cook, stirring to break up the meat, until the meat loses its color, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes, parsley, paprika and 1 tsp. of pepper. Season with salt and stir. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes while you prepare the noodles.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of abundantly salted water to a rolling boil. Add the noodles in handfuls and cook until al dente. Drain the noodles, then toss them in a bowl with 1 Tbsp. of butter. Lay half of the noodles over the bottom of the baking casserole. Cover with the meat mixture and sprinkle with half of the cheese. Cover with the remaining noodles and sprinkle the top with the remaining cheese. Thinly slice the remaining butter and scatter it over the casserole. Bake uncovered until the cheese has melted and the top is very slightly golden yellow, about 30 minutes. Serve hot.