This Philly Cheesesteak Casserole with ground beef captures everything you love about a classic cheesesteak sandwich—plenty of savory beef, melty cheese, bell pepper, and onion—combined into a creamy, comforting one‑pot casserole.
With simple ingredients and minimal hands‑on time, this stovetop casserole comes together in about 45 minutes and makes an easy family dinner.
What You’ll Need
1 pound lean ground beef
1 medium onion (red onion preferred, sliced)
½ large bell pepper (green recommended)
16 ounces uncooked pasta (medium shells recommended)
4 cups beef broth (or chicken broth)
8 ounces cream cheese
8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
Salt and black pepper to taste
How to Make
Preheat a large Dutch oven over low‑medium heat. Add the ground beef, sliced onion, and sliced bell pepper, and stir while breaking up the beef as it cooks.
Cook about 10 minutes, until the beef is browned and the vegetables are softened. Drain excess fat if desired.
Season with salt and black pepper.
Add the uncooked pasta and the beef broth to the pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 15 minutes.
Uncover, stir, and let simmer on low for another 5 minutes.
Turn off the heat, add the cream cheese and shredded mozzarella, and stir until combined. Let the casserole sit uncovered for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cheeses have melted and the sauce has thickened.
Philly Steak Casserole Tips
Any small pasta works well—medium shells, macaroni, penne, or rotini are all good options. Shells hold the sauce nicely and mimic the bite of sandwich filling.
Mozzarella melts beautifully here, but feel free to use Monterey Jack, pepper jack, or provolone. Mild cheeses are a safe choice, while a sharper cheese like Swiss will add a bolder flavor if you prefer.
Slicing the onion into strips rather than finely chopping helps reproduce the texture of a classic cheesesteak. If you don’t have red onion, yellow, white, or even green onions can work in a pinch, but don’t skip the onion entirely—its flavor is important to the dish.
This recipe uses ground beef for convenience, but steak bites are an excellent alternative if you want a more authentic cheesesteak texture. If using steak, cut it into bite‑sized pieces and sear in a very hot pan (preferably cast iron) with a little oil—about 2 minutes before stirring, then 1–2 minutes more until browned. Remove the steak, then cook the onion and bell pepper before proceeding with the recipe.
Serve hot and enjoy—this creamy, savory casserole is a crowd‑pleaser. If you make it, let others know what you thought and share with friends.
More Pasta Recipes to Love
Bacon Mac & Cheese
Chicken & Bacon Pasta Bake
Spinach Ravioli with Tomato Basil Cream Sauce
Chicken & Ham Pasta Bake
Macaroni & Tomatoes (easy with few ingredients)
📋 Recipe
Philly Cheesesteak Casserole with Ground Beef
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 medium onion , red if you have it, sliced
- ½ large bell pepper , green
- 1 teaspoon salt more to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 16 ounces pasta , shells or any other small pasta, uncooked
- 4 cups beef broth or chicken broth
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 8 ounces mozzarella cheese shredded
Instructions
-
Preheat a large Dutch oven over low‑medium heat.
-
Add ground beef, sliced onion, and sliced bell pepper. Stir and break up the beef as it cooks.
-
Cook about 10 minutes, until beef is browned and vegetables are softened. Drain excess fat if desired.
-
Stir in salt and black pepper.
-
Add uncooked pasta and broth to the pot and bring to a boil over high heat.
-
Lower heat to low, cover, and cook for 15 minutes.
-
Uncover, stir, and simmer on low for 5 more minutes.
-
Turn off the heat, add the cream cheese and shredded mozzarella, and stir until combined. Let sit uncovered about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until melted and thickened.
Nutrition
Don’t Forget to Pin for Later!
