Macaroni and Beef Casserole Recipe (2024)

The rich flavor of this gorgeous dish hinges on your generous and attentive seasoning. Once the meat is cooked, its seasoning go-time. The cheese sauce requires the same attentiveness but varies depending on the sharpness of your cheddar, mine was mild and needed much more salt. And for the love of all things, forget the "2 Tbsp of grated Parmesan" and grate so that sucker is covered! After all, "this crisp nutty blanket of parmesan isn't necessary" said no one ever.

I have been a fan of Pierre Franey since I was a newlywed and he wrote the "60 Minute Gourmet" column in the NYT. My husband and I worked on Wall St. and often got home after 8pm; his recipes were a godsend. Always easy and always delicious. This was a favorite and I make it to this day. RIP Pierre; you will always be missed.

It would be just fine. Before putting in the fridge, cover it with a piece of parchment-lined foil (parchment side down). When ready to eat, bake covered at 350 until heated through. Uncover, turn on the broiler, and place under the broiler until the top is bubbling and lightly-brown.

This was delicious! Wonderful layers of flavor and a nice sneaky heat. I added some sauteed mushrooms I had on hand, and used chopped fresh tomatoes rather than canned, which worked out fine. It barely fit in the pan and was more like 6 servings rather than 4. Before baking I poked all around the mixture with a spatula so the bechamel would percolate down and it would not spill over while cooking. Had to watch the browning carefully. Big hit with the family!

In the original article (see link to "60 Minute Gourmet" underneath the recipe description at the top of the page), Franey suggests sharp cheddar. He also gives a recipe for a green bean and red pepper salad, with a dressing that should combine nicely with the casserole.

A great old standard. I used ground chicken, added Chipotle Chile Pepper, a tablespoon of Dijon mustard and two large handfuls of spinach to the cheese sauce, doubled the amount of celery and added a chopped carrot to the veg.

Be sure to use lean ground beef. I used 80% ground chuck and had to drain off a large amount of liquid and grease after browning the meat.
I used 1 tsp kosher salt in the beef mixture, and 1/2 tsp in the cream sauce. 1/4 tsp cayenne was just about right.

Great recipe! I made one change - instead of 1/2 cup of canned tomatoes, I used an entire can (14.5 oz. of Muir Glen fire roasted petite diced tom). I cooked the skillet mixture a wee bit longer and the final dish was just fine (didn't want to put any leftover tomatoes in the frig!) Delicious and reheats well the next day.

Prepared this delicious winter-evening casserole tonight; had no cayenne so used smoked paprika which lent a rustic note. Raves all around.

Using high quality penne (not widely available back in the 60 Min. Gourmet heyday) improves this casserole.

My 60 Minute Gourmet is in pieces in a box, so it's nice to be reminded of this recipe that I used to cook for my kids when I got home from work. Now I can cook it again for my grandsons, who will love it as much as their mom did. Thank you.

Suggest you compare the weight of cubed and shredded cups of cheese. Although air spaces are larger with cubes there are a lot more of the little ones among the shreds. I think you will be surprised by similarity of weight.
If you do the math (geometry), you will prove that particle size and void fraction are not at all related (unless your container is nearly the size of the particles.) Particle shape matters slightly, but not nearly as much as most people think.

I used Cabot Vermont sharp cheddar and whole grain/ancient grain penne rigate. Also, didn't have a green pepper, so used pickled cherry peppers from my pantry. I thought it was quite good. Definitely drain the beef and throw in the whole can of tomoates (I used petite diced fire roasted). I would say this serves 6 with a side salad, but the leftovers are really good!

Made this for the third time tonight, and instead of doing the cayenne I added a tablespoon each of harissa powder+smoked paprika. It was a great, subtle smoky flavor that really took this to the next level.

I have been making this exactly as it was printed decades ago, for probably 30 years. It never fails that people end up arguing over the last of it. It is the absolute number one go to request from all of my family, siblings and children alike every time I offered to bring something.

Excellent recipe!!. I made it the day before going to a Christmas Concert with a 11, and a 12 years old. I baked it and run under the broil when we came home from the Concert while I prepared a salad and the children assembled the crepes I made in the morning. They put a tablespoon of chocolate pudding and some pecans on each crepe and rolled them.They asked for seconds of the Macaroni and beef casserole!

So good. Made veggie with 12 oz Impossible “meat”.Not a fan of green peppers so subbed carrots and a parsnip, which was greatUsed 1 C crushed tomatoes1 package TJ’s Unexpected Cheddar, and topped with their Quattro Formaggi.Subbed 1 tsp gochugaru for the cayenneWill make again and again especially when comfort needed :)

No denying this was a crowd pleaser. Would probably make again with ground turkey next time to make it a bit lighter.

Double recipe, used a whole pound of macaroni and the proportions were still good. Next time, I’ll just use a whole pepper, a whole onion, and two ribs of celery - no point in getting finicky with the exact measurements. I also think it would have been better with a 1/2 the sauce mixed in and 1/2 layered on top.

Wonderful dish, but two notes from me: would have been much better without the celery and the flavor did not pop as much as it should have. Would recommend more spices

I thought it was yummy but probably won’t make it again. It took a while to put together and it wasn’t a wow. My husband said it was fine. It was a little reminiscent of a Greek pastit*io, and my Aunt Ora’s recipe for pastit*io is definitely a wow, so the next time I’m craving a recipe for pasta that combines these flavors I’ll get out my recipe file instead.

I always loved Pierre Franey's 60-minute Gourmet recipes back in the day. I remember stopping at a supermarket on my way home from work on Wednesdays, hoping to make that week's recipe and invariably the necessary ingredients were sold out! I had nearly everything at home today. No green pepper, but had some pepper jack. It was the best version of a childhood comfort food casserole. I'm sure the versions I had before didn't have the Mornay sauce, which makes all the difference.

I changed a few things...I use ground spicy Italian sausage instead of beef and also mixed half mozzarella with cheddar. Delish my hubby had seconds and said it’s a redo! Thank you.

I used ground spicy Italian sausage instead of ground beef. Also swapped and used half mozzarella with the cheddar. My husband had seconds and said it’s a redo. That’s all I need to hear.

As others noted, sharp cheddar is important. I doubled the recipe because I was feeding six big eaters. It would have been fine with just the original amount. Cayenne and salt important.

Very popular but the top burnt a little on convention. (Gotta get used to my new oven!)

3 c pasta, 1 whole onion, 1 whole green pepper, 3 cloves garlic, 1 can Muir Glen crushed tomatoes. Added plenty of s&p and silk chili flakes to each component except pasta. Used one pot; cooked pasta, drained, then browned beef (w/Worc. sauce), then added veg/herbs (fresh oregano/parsley) and tomatoes. Cooked until fairly dry. Removed meat, then made mornay. Mixed pasta and meat w/sauce (touch of red Tabasco), then to greased 9x13 pan. Topped with cheddar/parm, baked 15 min at 400 F. Delicious!

This is always a huge hit when I make it. I use super sharp white Cheddar (usually Cabot) and freshly grated nutmeg.