This Beef & Rice Casserole is a timeless family favorite that brings hearty comfort to the dinner table. Made with simple pantry staples, ground beef, vegetables, rice, and a touch of chicken noodle soup mix—it reflects mid-20th-century American home cooking at its best. The dish combines savory beef and aromatic vegetables in a creamy rice base, baked to perfection for a cozy and filling meal. Ideal for feeding a family or making ahead for leftovers, this casserole captures the nostalgic charm of handwritten recipes passed between friends and relatives in classic kitchens.
Ingredients
- 1 lb Ground beef
- 1 green pepper (chopped)
- 1 medium onion (chopped)
- 1 stalk celery (chopped)
- 1.5 pkgoz chicken noodle soup mix (1 package)
- 2 ¼ cups water (boiling)
- ½ cups rice (uncooked)
- ¼ tsp salt
- ⅛ cup butter
Instructions
Step 1: Brown the Beef
- In a skillet, brown 1 lb of ground beef over medium heat. Drain off excess fat.
Step 2: Sauté Vegetables
- Add chopped green pepper, onion, and celery to the beef. Sauté until vegetables are tender.
Step 3: Prepare Rice Mixture
- In a large bowl, combine chicken noodle soup mix, 2 ¼ cups boiling water, uncooked rice, salt, and butter. Stir well.
Step 4: Combine Mixtures
- Add the meat and vegetable mixture to the rice mixture. Stir until well combined.
Step 5: Bake
- Pour the mixture into a greased baking dish. Bake at 375°F for 20 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
Tips
- Substitute ground turkey for a leaner option.
- Add mushrooms or peas for extra vegetables.
- Top with cheddar cheese during the last 10 minutes for a creamy crust.
- Freeze leftovers for up to 3 months.
- Use instant rice to reduce baking time by 10 minutes.
Transcription of the Original Recipe
Read or copy the transcription
family size Beef & Rice Casserole 1 lb. ground beef-Brown & drain, add green peppers, onion, celery. Sauté. Combine 1 pkg. chicken noodle soup mix, 2¼ c. boiling water & ½ c uncooked rice. ¼ t salt & ⅛ c butter. add meat mixture. Cook 20 min. Add meat mixture. Pour into greased baking dish, bake 375° - 20 min.
From Transcription to Instructions
We love how no-nonsense the little card is, but it squashes a couple things that might confuse you , it says “add meat mixture” twice and doesn’t show when the rice/soup mix gets made. On the saved page we broke that quick note into smaller steps so you can brown and drain the beef, sauté the veggies, then mix the chicken-noodle soup mix with boiling water, uncooked rice, salt and butter, fold in the meat, and finally bake at 375°F for 20 minutes; that order just makes the flow at the stovetop and into the oven easier to follow.
Nutrition
Serving: 1.5cupsCalories: 320kcalCarbohydrates: 26gProtein: 22gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 55mgSodium: 780mgPotassium: 410mgFiber: 1.5gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 250IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 35mgIron: 2.8mg
