Cheese Meat Pasta Bake (Cheesy & Bubbly)
Cheese Meat Pasta Bake is a hearty baked pasta dish with juicy seasoned ground beef, tomato sauce, an easy homemade white sauce and plenty of mozzarella. And it is an easy, oven-baked dinner that comes out bubbly and cheesy in all the right ways.
If you’re in the market for a comforting dinner that feels especially luscious, it has to be this baked pasta. A saucy beef layer, a creamy white one at that and a golden cheese top all piled onto one pan.
It’s one of those meals simple enough for a weeknight, but impressive when served straight from the baking dish.
Table of contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Big, cheesy, creamy texture under a crispy top
- Uses simple, easy-to-find pantry ingredients
- Perfect dinner for meal prep/Make ahead dinner (It keeps its taste well for next days of the week as well)
- Kid-friendly flavors (no spice, just flavor)
- Reheats really well for leftovers
Ingredients
Candy base
For the beef sauce
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 bell pepper, chopped
- 25 g olive oil (about 2 tbsp)
- hello. 300g mince beef (approx 10.5 oz)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp oregano
- 300 g cans tomato sauce (1¼ cups total)
For the white sauce (béchamel-style)
- 30 g butter (about 2 tbsp)
- 25 g all purpose flour (approximately 3 tbsp)
- milk, 500 ml ( 1 tbps)
- 50 g mozzarella (shredded, about 1/2 cup)
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
Finish
For assembly
- 350g pasta (approx 12oz, dry)
- 150 grams mozzarella cheese (approximately 1 1/2 cups grated)
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
- Ground beef: If you want to make it lighter use ground turkey or chicken; proceed with same steps and cook until fully cooked through.
- Tomato sauce: If it’s very thick (and it often is), just add a small splash of water while you’re simmering so that the sauce can be spread with ease.
- Milk: Whole milk has the creamiest sauce, but 2% will do fine.
- Mozzarella: Low moisture, shredded mozzarella is best for melting; you can go ahead and throw in some Parmesan too.
- Pasta form: Short pasta is best because it holds the sauce (elbows, shells, small tubes).
How to Make Cheese Meat Pasta Bake
- Cook the pasta
In salted watet, cook pasta for just tender. Drain well and set aside. - Chop the vegetables
Cut the onion and bell pepper small etc so they cook fast and mix in with the sauce better.
- Cook the beef mixture
In a skillet, heat olive oil over medium. Add onion and cook until softened, then add bell pepper and cook 2–3 minutes. Add ground beef and cook, breaking it up as it does.
- Season the beef
Sprinkle with salt, black pepper, Italian seasoning, garlic powder and oregano. Cook, breaking the meat up with a wooden spoon until all the beef is no longer pink.
- Add tomato sauce
Add the tomato sauce, stir and simmer for a couple of minutes until it is thickened and well combined. Remove from heat.
- Make the white sauce
In a saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour until smooth. Whisk in the milk slowly to avoid lumps. Whisk over low heat until thickened and creamy. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg; stir in 50 g mozzarella until it melts.
- Assemble the bake
Spread a layer of white sauce over the base of a large baking dish then cover with pasta, beef sauce and more pasta before topping with remaining white sauce .
- Top with cheese and bake
Sprinkle the surface with 150 g mozzarella. Bake until bubbly and golden on top.
- Let cool a couple minutes, then dish and serve.
Expert Tips
- Cook the pasta slightly al dente so it is not too mushy after baking.
- Warm sauces are also more easier to spread when layering (especially the white sauce).
- Add milk gradually and whisk in to avoid lumps in the white sauce.
- If the white sauce becomes too thick, add a splash of milk to thin it out.
- To develop even more flavor, simmer the beef sauce a few minutes longer than specified before assembling.
- Grate mozzarella yourself so that it melts nicely (pre-shredded can melt a little bit drier).
- Allow the casserole to rest for 5–10 minutes before slicing, to maintain cleaner slices.
Storage & Freezing
- Refrigerator: Keep in an airtight container up to 4 days.
- Freezer : Store in freezer safe containers and freeze it for up to 2 months.
- Thawing + reheating: Thaw overnight in the fridge, reheat covered in a 350F oven until hot (chop remaining squash and add more stock or milk as needed to thin), or microwave individual portions until steaming.
Variations
- Throw in some sliced mushrooms with the onion for even more savory depth.
- Add the spinach at end of beef sauce simmer.
- Spicy up the beef: Toss in some chili flakes or a pinch of cayenne with the meat.
- Change half of the mozzarella to cheddar for a more pungent flavor.
- Add a crusty top: After you scatter the cheese over the filling, sprinkle seasoned breadcrumbs on top before baking.
Cheese Meat Pasta Bake
Creamy baked pasta layered with seasoned ground beef, tomato sauce, homemade white sauce, and mozzarella, finished golden and bubbly.
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Boil pasta in salted water until just tender. Drain and set aside.
- Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onion and cook until softened. Add bell pepper and cook 2–3 minutes.
- Add ground beef and cook, breaking it up, until no longer pink.
- Stir in salt, black pepper, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and oregano.
- Add tomato sauce, stir well, and simmer a few minutes until thickened.
- Make the white sauce: melt butter in a saucepan. Stir in flour until smooth, then slowly whisk in milk. Cook, stirring, until thick. Season with salt, black pepper, and nutmeg. Stir in 50 g mozzarella until melted.
- Assemble in a baking dish: spread a layer of white sauce, add pasta, spoon on beef sauce, add more pasta, then finish with remaining white sauce.
- Top with 150 g mozzarella and bake until melted and golden. Rest 5–10 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
Video
Notes
- For the best texture, slightly undercook pasta so it holds up after baking.
- If the white sauce gets too thick, whisk in a splash of milk to loosen it.
- Swap ground beef for ground turkey or chicken if desired.
- Nutrition values are an estimate and will change based on brands used.
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!FAQs
Can I prepare this in advance?
Yes. Put them together, cover them up, slide them in the fridge and then bake whenever you are ready. Add a couple of minutes if baking from the fridge.
What pasta shape works best?
I prefer short pasta here, such as elbows or shells or small tubes, because it cradles the sauce and layers comfortably.
How can I avoid lumpy white sauce?
Continuing to whisk constantly, pour in milk slowly. If the sauce starts thickening too quickly after that, turn on low and continue whisking.
Can I use a different cheese?
Yes. Melt: Mozzarella is the meltiest, but you can mix in a little cheddar or Parmesan.
When is it done baking?
The top should be melted all around and pale golden; the edges will appear bubbly.
Can I make it without beef?
Yes. Go for ground turkey or chicken, or try one of the plant-based ground options and brown it well before adding tickets and sauce.
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Estimated reading time: 8 minutes
