This creamy beef pasta bake is the ultimate weeknight comfort meal, made with tender pasta, seasoned ground beef, rich marinara sauce, and plenty of melty cheese. This easy beef casserole is perfect for busy families, great as a make-ahead dinner, and always a crowd-pleaser.

Easy Creamy Beef Pasta Bake Recipe

This creamy beef pasta bake recipe is one of our absolute favorites in a household of all boys. It’s hearty, delicious, and comes together quickly. It’s definitely my kind of meal. The rich marinara, savory ground beef, and perfectly cooked pasta all blend with gooey melted cheese for a comforting dish that never disappoints. Best of all, it’s easy to prep ahead of time, making busy evenings feel a whole lot smoother.

If you’re anything like me, you’ll love having a meal like this ready to pop in the oven on those nights when you just need something warm, filling, and totally stress-free.

The Cowboys’ Rating: 9/10

Every time I make a new recipe, I have my family rate the recipe out of 10. By the time, these recipes make the blog, they’ve been tried and tested by some of my hardest tiny critics!

What Ingredients Are in Creamy Beef Pasta Bake?

Ground Beef – As always, we use our own homegrown ground beef that is grass-finished and regeneratively raised. It’s delicious, lean and so good. Our ground beef is 90/10 and I never have to drain off a bunch of fat.
Spaghetti Sauce – I make my own spaghetti sauce that is so flavorful and delicious, but if you are just grabbing a sauce at the store, make sure to grab something with lots of flavor!
Shell Pasta – My kids call this pasta, “pocket noodles.” They love shell pasta because they have those cute little pockets that the beef, cheese and sauce gets in and makes every bite so good.
Mozzarella Cheese – I like to add mozzarella cheese in the casserole and then also top the casserole with it so make sure there is plenty of melty cheese.
Parmesan Cheese – Parmesan cheese has the best unique flavor that is so good with this recipe. I also add a few sprinkles of parmesan cheese to this casserole to make it even better.
Heavy Whipping Cream – I love to add heavy whipping cream to any tomato-based pasta. It actually makes the pasta less acidic and brings out the other flavors as well.
Cream Cheese – Yes, we add both heavy whipping cream and cream cheese here. Trust me, it’s so good.

seasonings

Kosher Salt
Pepper
Onion Powder
Minced Garlic
Italian Seasoning
Sugar
Parsley

Tools You’ll Need

Recipe for Creamy Beef Pasta Bake

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
In a frying pan, combine ground beef and seasonings.
Mix well and cook until beef is completely cooked through.
Add the spaghetti sauce to the cooked ground beef, stirring until fully combined. Let it simmer for 2–3 minutes to blend the flavors.
Add in heavy whipping cream and cut cream cheese into small pieces and add to sauce mixture.
Stir until cream cheese is melted and well combined. Remove from heat and set aside.
Lightly spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
Pour sauce into the baking dish, followed by the noodles and half of the shredded cheese. Stir until noodles and sauce are well mixed.
Finish by sprinkling remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheese on top.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 15-20 minutes.
Remove the foil and bake an additional 10 minutes, or until the cheese is golden and bubbly.
Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before serving.
Enjoy!

Storage and Reheating

These leftovers are amazing! My boys actually love to take them to school for lunch. We just spoon the amount we want out and warm it in the microwave. You can also reheat it in the oven as well.

Freezer Friendly Directions

This makes a great freezer meal. Assemble the casserole as directed and let it cool completely. Once cooled, cover it with a layer of plastic wrap followed by a layer of aluminum foil. Place it in the freezer for up to 3 months.

To bake: Remove the plastic wrap, replace the foil on top, and bake at 375°F for 1 hour.

Gluten Free Creamy Beef Pasta Bake

This recipe can easily be adapted to be gluten free. Simply swap out the regular noodles for gluten free noodles. Here are the noodles I suggest and love:

Banza Gluten Free Chickpea Pasta

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