Lean ground beef combined with mushrooms, onion, and garlic in a balsamic tomato sauce; then topped with a mixture of Ricotta, Mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses and baked until golden brown.
Who doesn't love a quick and easy casserole during the week? I certainly can appreciate them. The beauty is that you can prepare most of it the night before; then bake it when you get home from work while you're decompressing from your day.
Some of my favorites this time are year are this chicken casserole and this one with sausage. However, this Beef Ricotta Casserole is a spin on my Irish Cottage Pie and it was fabulous!
How do you make Beef Ricotta Casserole?
For the inside filling of this recipe, you'll need lean ground beef, mushrooms, red onion, garlic, your favorite tomato sauce, and balsamic vinegar. I used 90/10 beef, but you could also substitute ground chicken or lean ground turkey.
Start by browning the ground beef in a skillet on top of the stove; then once brown, add the vegetables and sauté for 2-3 minutes until the mushrooms start to soften.
Next, add the tomato sauce and vinegar and mix well and let simmer for about 5 minutes before adding to a 2qt. oven safe casserole dish.
Next, you need to combine the topping; which consists of Ricotta, Mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses mixed with fresh chopped oregano and rosemary. Once combined, place on top of the meat mixture; then bake at 375° F for 30 minutes until hot and bubbly.
Easy right? You can even prepare this the night before; then bake when you're ready to serve.
We loved this twist on the Irish classic and the flavor of this Beef Ricotta Casserole was incredible.
This recipe is enough to serve 6 people and we ate ours with a tossed salad; though you could also cook up some of your favorite pasta or garlic bread to go with it as well. ~Enjoy!
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Beef Ricotta Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 lb. extra lean ground beef
- 8 oz. sliced mushrooms
- ¼ red onion, small dice
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 c. tomato sauce
- 1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
- 15 oz. part skim ricotta cheese
- ½ c. shredded part skim mozzarella cheese
- 1 tbsp. grated parmesan cheese
- 2 tsp. fresh oregano, chopped
- 2 tsp. fresh rosemary, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Brown the ground beef in a large skillet over medium high heat until brown and cooked through; then add the mushrooms, onion and garlic. Saute for 2-3 minutes until the mushrooms start to soften.
- Add the tomato sauce and vinegar and simmer on low for 5 minutes. Add the mixture to a 2qt. oven safe casserole dish.
- In a medium bowl, combine the three cheeses, oregano and rosemary; mix well. Add the mixture on top of the meat mixture; then bake for 30 minutes until hot and bubbly.
Nutrition
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techlazy.com says
I love ground beef dishes. This looks delicious!
Carrie's Experimental Kitchen says
Thank you, I hope you enjoy it!
Amy says
Could you add a pasta to this?
Carrie's Experimental Kitchen says
I don't see why not, though you would have to par-cook the pasta first and it would have to go into a larger baking dish
kim says
Do you use plain tomato sauce, or a seasoned marinara sauce?
Carrie's Experimental Kitchen says
Hi Kim, I used seasoned homemade marinara sauce so if you're using plain tomato sauce, I'd add some herbs like basil, oregano and/or parsley. Enjoy!
Heather says
Would leaving the balsamic vinaigrette out affect the flavor greatly?
Carrie's Experimental Kitchen says
I don't think so.
Alexis says
Would it be okay for me to use a rectangular 13x9 glass dish instead?
Would it change the quality of the recipe?
Carrie's Experimental Kitchen says
As long as it's a 2qt dish, it can be any shape and will do nothing to change the taste of the recipe. Enjoy!
India Legezdh says
Can it be frozen?
Carrie's Experimental Kitchen says
I haven't tried it, but I don't see why not.
Dua says
Trying this tonight!
Carrie's Experimental Kitchen says
I hope you enjoyed it!
Ann Marie says
On Atkins ,You’re beef ricotta casserole was delicious!
Carrie's Experimental Kitchen says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Denise says
I had ground beef that was right on the edge, so I was looking for a dish like this. Well, I pulled it out of the refrigerator and it had turned! I pivoted and cut up a bunch of chicken breasts and cooked that instead. It's just about to come out of the oven and it looks and smells great! Thanks for a versatile recipe!
Carrie's Experimental Kitchen says
I'll have to try it with chicken next time, sounds delicious!
Lynn says
Can you freeze this ? And would you cook then freeze ?
Carrie's Experimental Kitchen says
Yes, you can freeze this recipe either before or after cooking.
Robin says
This was delicious! I used Rao’s Pizza sauce because that’s what had on hand. I added fresh chopped green bell peppers in addition to the mushrooms and red onion....Fantastic!
Carrie's Experimental Kitchen says
I’m so glad you liked it!
Holly Hooper says
Thank you so much for wonderful recipes! What I love about your website most of all is that you post not only great recipes and descriptions but also stunning photos of food! Have a nice day!