French Onion Ground Beef and Rice Casserole - Three comfort foods all stirred into one delicious casserole dish.
The savory taste of French onion soup, the heartiness of ground beef, and rice to soak up all that goodness! You can't go wrong serving this meal for dinner any night of the week.
Casseroles are filling family meals that can be made ahead and frozen or prepared on the spot. Not to mention, who doesn't love coming home to the smell of a hearty casserole baking in the oven.
With your protein and starch taken care of, add Southern Style Green Beans or collard greens on the side, so you are sure to get those veggies in. Then finish off the savory meal with the sweet taste of Apple Butter Cheesecake Tart or a Candied Cranberry Walnut Oatmeal Cookies for dessert.
Why you’ll love this French Onion Hamburger & Rice Recipe!
- Classic comfort - Casseroles are traditional comfort foods for cold evenings and delicious home-cooked meals.
- It is simple - You won't get bogged down with endless measuring in this straightforward weeknight meal.
- Double it up - This recipe is easy to double for a larger crowd. Did the kids bring home friends?
Okay, let's just get real here. Our lives are so busy these days, we need a simple go-to recipe on hand to make dinner prep a cinch. This is that recipe, y'all.
Recipes made with onion soup pack lots of flavor without a lot of work.
Once you make this onion soup recipe for your family, they will be asking for it on days when they are tired and need the comforts of home. I promise.
And the family will especially be begging for this delicious casserole on cold nights.
I remember when casseroles were all we used to eat as a child. They called it "Depression Era Cooking" because the ingredients included what you had on hand and were not too expensive. Not to mention, the recipes could feed a large number of people. But I think the reason they became so famous in family homes was that they enveloped a feeling of warmth and love in the kitchen.
Well, that is my take anyhow. Tell me what you think!
Ingredients
- Lean Ground Beef - I always have this on hand. It is flavorful and easy on the wallet too.
- Garlic Salt - This is my staple seasoning when cooking my ground beef. You can use want you have on hand or like. Just leave this off if you are watching your sodium intake.
- Beef Consume - There is a lot of flavor packed into this little can. If you can't find it go for beef stock or broth.
- French Onion Soup - Recipes with onion soup are great because they do all the caramlizing of the onions and developing that delicious flavor. Grab these when they are on sale and stock up.
- Water - Just a little bit is needed to give enough liquid for the rice to cook fully.
- Long-grain White Rice - This is a staple I always have around. Rice along with the ground beef are the base of this dish.
- Butter - You know what they say? Butter makes everything better! It gives a creaminess to the dish. You can cut it back to ½ cup (1 stick), if you would like to cut back on calories.
How to make French Onion Ground Beef and Rice Casserole
✱ Be sure to see the recipe card below for exact ingredients and instructions!
Step 1 | Getting Ready
Preheat oven to 425°F. Then spray a 9X13 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Be sure to get in the corners, so the rice does not stick.
Step 2 | Browning the Ground Beef
In a large skillet (I like to use my cast iron here or a nice heavy non-stick pan), add the ground beef and garlic salt to season. Cook and crumble the ground beef until browned and cooked through, and be sure to drain off the fat.
Step 3 | Putting it All Together
In the previously prepared baking dish, add the uncooked rice and ground beef. Then pour in soup, broth, and water and stir until combined.
Step 4 | Top it Off
Now that everything is in the dish add the goodness that will help brown the top and leave the family begging for more. Cut the butter into slices and place on top of the mixture.
Step 5 | Bake in Oven
Cover the baking dish with foil and place it right into the oven. Bake at 425° for 30 minutes.
Step 6 | Uncover the Dish
After the first 30 minutes, you can remove the foil and bake for 30 minutes more. This will brown the top for that crunchy yumminess.
Step 7 | Fluff and Serve
Once the whole hour is up, your rice will be tender and just right. Fluff the dish with a fork and serve.
Yep, it really is that easy to make this yummy casserole for the family. And they will thank you for it, I guarantee!
Tips
- One-Pot Method – Want to cut down on the dishes? Try a cast-iron Dutch oven or large 12-inch cast-iron skillet to brown the ground beef, then add the rest of the ingredients as listed above.
- For a Quick Version – If you want the yummy goodness but just don't have the time for the baking, try this. Pre-cook rice and then continue the recipe. You will cut out about 30 minutes this way.
FAQ
It means to cook the meat until no more pink is visible. I like to take a step further and make sure the meat has a few crispy edges. This gives the ground beef tons of flavor!
Absolutely yes! Brown rice will take a little longer to cook, though.
Sure you can! Just make sure you get a beef consume and French onion soup that is certified gluten-free. The rest is already gluten-free.
Variations and Substitutions:
- Want a lower carb option? Try riced cauliflower! Just reduce the water in the recipe by one-half, as cauliflower releases moisture as it cooks rather than soaking it up.
- You can use ground turkey or chicken in place of beef. I would add a tablespoon or two of olive oil to the pan to sauté.
- Mushrooms are a great addition. Just add a can of mushrooms when mixing everything or sauté fresh ones with your ground beef. I would add 1 cup of water instead of ¾ cup if you do this.
- Make it cheesy! Once done, fluff rice and then add cheese on top (you can use shredded or sliced) and return to oven until melted. Mozarella, provolone, gouda, or chedder would all be delicious.
Storage and Reheating for Hamburger Onion Soup Casserole:
Storage:
Once cooled, cover the hamburger onion soup casserole with foil or plastic wrap or place it in an air-tight container and store in the refrigerator for 3 days.
This ground beef casserole makes delicious leftovers. It reheats well in the microwave; just pop it in for a minute or so.
Freeze:
If freezing, I recommend cooking for the first 30 minutes, removing it from the oven, cooling, and covering tightly.
Then the night before you want to serve, thaw it out in the refrigerator, remove the covering and cook the remaining 30 minutes. You may need to add a little water to finish off the cooking.
Reheat:
To reheat individual servings, place desired amount on a microwave-safe dish and reheat. Start with 1 minute and stir. Then add 30-second intervals until heated to your liking.
Serving Suggestions
Pair this savory casserole dish with a fresh green veggie, corn on the cob, or salad. A dinner roll or cornbread goes perfectly as well. That is what is excellent about comfort dishes; they don't need much else to make an unforgettable meal.
Allow the comfort and goodness of this hamburger and onion soup recipe to warm you - and your tummy!
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French Onion Ground Beef and Rice Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef, lean
- ½ to 1 teaspoon garlic salt , or to taste
- 2 (10.5 ounce) cans beef consume
- 2 (10.5 ounce) cans french onion soup
- ¾ cup water
- 2 cups long grain white rice, uncooked
- ¾ cup butter, 1 ½ stick, cut into slices
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Spray a 9X13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- In a large skillet, add ground beef and garlic salt to season. Cook and crumble ground beef until browned and cooked through.
- In a prepared baking dish add rice and ground beef. Pour in soup, broth, and water and stir until combined.
- Cut butter into slices and place on top of the mixture.
- Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
- Remove foil and bake 30 minutes more.
- Once done fluff with a fork and serve.
✱ Nikki's Tips
- One-Pot Method – Want to cut down on the dishes? Try a cast iron Dutch oven or large 12 inch cast irion skillet to brown the ground beef, then add the rest of the ingredients as listed above.
- For a Quick Version – If you want the yummy goodness but just don't have the time for the baking, try this. Pre-cook rice and then continue the recipe. You will cut out about 30 minutes this way.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Soulfully Made is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.
Paula says
I found this recipe to be easy and very flavorful. My picky husband did not. I’m a “foodie” he is a food chicken.
I put some Swiss cheese on top of mine. It tastes good either way, I’m just a cheese addict.
Nikki Lee says
I am so glad you love it, even if hubby wasn't a fan! I bet swiss cheese was amazing! I agree with you about cheese - YUM!
Mary says
I made this today for dinner. I used white jasmine rice instead, because that was all I had. It was delicious! My whole family loved it! Thanks for the great recipe!
Nikki Lee says
Thank you so much, Mary! I am glad the jasmine rice worked well for you. Perfect to sub what you have on hand.
John Camburn says
Made this 2 times with modifications to use what I had. One with hot Italian sausage and wild rice blend. One with sweet Italian sausage and jasmine rice. Both times I added 2 cups of mixed veggies that I microwaved first and added after the sausage/rice came out of the oven. Both were very good!!
Nikki Lee says
So glad you enjoyed the recipe. Love your additions and changes to change it up every once in a while - and it's always good to improvise with what you have on hand.
Travis says
I used my 12 inch cast iron skillet with my cover. I used brown jasmine rice. I noticed I have to cook it longer than the overall one hour. Close to an hour and a half. I don’t recommend this option. Recipe though is delicious.
Nikki Lee says
Sometimes brown rice can take a little longer. But the flavors are worth the wait.
Jan Alexander says
If you use precooked rice how will it affect the amount of soups/water?
Nikki Lee says
I haven't tested the recipe with already cooked rice so it's hard to say for sure. I'd try half the amount of liquid if I were to start testing it.
Sara says
I don’t have regular rice, would minute rice work? Would I need to adjust anything?
Nikki Lee says
I have not tested the cook time with minute rice, but it will be less. Test it at 30 minutes to see if done and then cook further if needed.
Erin says
I'm always looking for easier weeknight dinners, and this casserole was AMAZING last night. Comforting, hearty and delicious. Will definitely make again.
Julie says
This is my kind of comfort food! I love French onion flavors and never thought to use it like this.
Nikki Lee says
Thank you, Julie! I love french onion too and love how easy this dish is.
Mindy says
Yum! This is looks amazing I cannot wait to try it!
Nikki Lee says
Thank you! Hope you enjoy!
Kathleen says
I was so tired of our usual recipes with ground beef, found yours, this was so yummy. The family devoured it!
Nikki Lee says
Thank you, Kathleen! Using ground beef is economical and delicious! It's nice to change it up and glad you found that in this recipe!
Susannah says
I love French onion anything! This recipe turned out so well and I can't wait to make it again soon.