🍲 Famous Amish Country Casserole Recipe (The One Everyone's Looking For!)

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 30 minutes | Total Time: 45 minutes | Serves: 4-6 people

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This Famous Amish Country Casserole is "famous" because you find it in every Amish cookbook, every food website, etc. I own a gazillion Amish cookbooks and most all of them have "Amish Country Casserole" in it. It's always a beefy casserole.

🤔 What Is Amish Country Casserole?

But what is Amish Country Casserole really? I mean, I saw this "Amish Country Casserole" in Amish cookbooks as far back as 1991 when I first started chronicling Amish culture. There are now so many different variations on it that the original recipe, if there ever was one, is probably lost to history. But the versions are all very similar: pasta, veggies, ground beef, cheese, tomatoes, this is right up the wheelhouse of Amish cooks who want to make a hearty plate piler for their hard-working family.

So, if you are looking for something similar, give this a try. Now, I will say that my parents enjoyed this when they fixed it, but they'd recommend adding fresh mushrooms. I'd probably add plump button mushrooms. But I love mushrooms so as far as I'm concerned the more mushroomy, the merrier. But I know some people hate mushrooms, so, if that is the case, just make the recipe as posted below!

📖 The Story Behind This Recipe

One of our readers, Juls, shared this wonderful story: "This casserole was our welcome to the neighborhood meal from the Amish family next door. We were sitting out at the picnic table debating on where to buy supper on our way home from working on this home (was Amish we converted to English) when Eli brought it over to us. Such a wonderful welcome and great casserole."

Stories like this really show you what this recipe represents - it's authentic Amish hospitality in casserole form. It's the kind of dish Amish families make to welcome new neighbors or to feed a crowd after a barn raising.

As many variations as there are on this Amish Country Casserole recipe online and in cookbooks, we hadn't posted this on Amish365, so I am excited to do so. Enjoy!

👨‍🍳 Cooking Tips and Ingredient Notes

You can fry the ground beef in a stainless steel skillet or a cast iron. I always prefer cast iron, but just use whatever you have on hand.

Penne pasta is what we used for this, but you wouldn't have to. Another super choice would be rotini. Both would give the casserole the bulk that you want. I mean, you could use any pasta you wanted, it won't impact the taste. You could even use spaghetti if it came down to it, but I think penne or rotini are best.

A lot of Amish homemakers would use their own homemade noodles or pasta for this casserole. But I think this Amish Country Casserole just got picked up by local restaurants, tourist boards, and cookbook authors and has sort of taken on a life of its own. Not sure how many Amish cooks actually make this, although casserole recipes like this are a dime a dozen (but no less delicious!) in Amish kitchens.

You can switch up the cheese to your taste. I like a shredded cheddar with this, but feel free to do Colby, American, Mozzarella, a mix of several...to me, you just can't go wrong with cheese. I love all types of cheese so, yeah, if you want the classic Amish Country Casserole, stick with the recipe, but if you want to add your own touches, experiment with the cheese!

You want to bake until the cheese is golden brown. I like mine a little crisper on top.

Now, there is this amazing recipe! Now, notice - true to Amish tradition - not a lot of spice in this. You could add oregano, Italian seasoning, black pepper, basil, anything like that to add a pop of additional flavor. Another thing fun to try is sprinkling bread crumbs over the casserole before baking just to give it an extra "crunch" on top. But, again, if you want famous Amish Country Casserole, just stick with the recipe.

🔄 Recipe Variations and Substitutions

For Dietary Restrictions:

• Gluten-free: Use your favorite gluten-free pasta
• Dairy-free: Substitute with dairy-free cheese and use coconut milk instead of regular milk
• Lower carb: Replace pasta with cauliflower rice or zucchini noodles

Flavor Variations:

• Mushroom lovers: Add 8 oz sliced fresh mushrooms (as my parents recommended!)
• Veggie-packed: Include diced bell peppers, corn, or green beans
• Spicier version: Add a diced jalapeño or a pinch of red pepper flakes
• Italian twist: Add oregano, basil, and use Italian cheese blend

📅 Make-Ahead and Storage Instructions

Make-Ahead: You can assemble this casserole up to 24 hours in advance. Just cover tightly and refrigerate, then add 10-15 extra minutes to the baking time.

Freezing: This casserole freezes beautifully! Assemble but don't bake, cover tightly with plastic wrap and foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before baking.

Storage: Leftover casserole keeps in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat individual portions in the microwave or the whole dish in a 350°F oven until heated through.

🍲 Casserole Ingredients

• 16 ounces of your favorite pasta (penne, rotini, etc)
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 1 onion, large, chopped
• 1 ½ pounds lean ground beef
• 1 can tomato soup
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 cup milk
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 cups sharp shredded Cheddar cheese
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon dried parsley

📋 Amish Country Casserole Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and spray a 10 X 13 casserole dish with cooking spray.
2. Cook the pasta according to package directions and while that is going, sauté the onion in the olive oil until soft and then add the ground beef.
3. Cook until done, breaking up the meat as it cooks.
4. As soon as the pasta is done, drain and return to the pot.
5. Add the cooked meat mixture, both soups, and milk to the pasta. Stir until well combined.
6. Transfer to the prepared oven dish.
7. Sprinkle with paprika and parsley and top with cheese.
8. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the cheese is golden brown and bubbly.

🔧 Troubleshooting Tips

Casserole too watery? Make sure to drain your pasta well and don't add extra milk. If it's still too wet, bake uncovered for an extra 5-10 minutes.

Want more flavor? Try browning the ground beef really well for deeper flavor, or add a packet of onion soup mix to the meat while cooking.

Cheese not browning? Turn on the broiler for the last 2-3 minutes of baking time, but watch carefully!

🥗 What to Serve With Amish Country Casserole

This hearty casserole is practically a complete meal, but here are some great sides:

• Simple green salad with ranch dressing
• Amish dinner rolls (if you have them!)
• Steamed green beans or corn
• Applesauce (a classic Amish side)

👩🍳 More Favorite Amish Casseroles

Casseroles are popular in Amish kitchens, they are versatile and feed families, here are some of our favorites!

Grandma Graber's Quick and Easy Casserole - Classic!

The Bishop's Overnight Casserole - The flavors really meld in this one!

This one has hot dogs! - Delicious!

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How many servings does this make? A: You'll get 4-6 servings out of this, easily, depending on appetite and what sides you serve.

Q: Can I use ground turkey instead of beef? A: Absolutely! Ground turkey, chicken, or even a plant-based ground meat substitute will work fine.

Q: Can I make this without the cream of mushroom soup? A: Yes, you can substitute with cream of celery soup or make a simple white sauce with butter, flour, and milk.

Q: Is this recipe authentic to the Amish? A: While variations of this casserole appear in many Amish cookbooks, it's become so widespread that the original source is hard to pin down. It definitely represents the hearty, family-style cooking that Amish cooks are known for.

🍲 Casserole Ingredients

• 16 ounces of your favorite pasta (penne, rotini, etc)
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 1 onion, large, chopped
• 1 1 /2 pounds lean ground beef
• 1 can tomato soup
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 cup milk
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 cups sharp shredded Cheddar cheese.
• 1 /2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 /2 teaspoon dried parsley

📋 Amish Country Casserole Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 and spray a 10 X 13 casserole with cooking spray.
2. Cook the pasta and while that is going, saute the onion in the olive oil until soft and then add the ground beef.
3. Cook until done.
4. As soon as the pasta is done, drain and return to the pot.
5. Add the cooked meat, soups, and milk to the pasta.
6. Transfer to the prepared oven dish.
7. Sprinkle with paprika and parsley and top with cheese.
8. Bake for 30 minutes.

👩‍🍳 More Favorite Amish Casseroles

Casseroles are popular in Amish kitchens, they are versatile and feed families, here are some of our favorites!

Grandma Graber's Quick and Easy Casserole

Classic!

The Bishop's Overnight Casserole

The flavors really meld in this one!

Penny Supper Casserole

This one has hot dogs!

Six-Ingredient Casserole

Delicious!

🖨️ Full Recipe