When I was in high school, my mom had surgery, and a family friend showed up at our door with this casserole.
It was not glamorous. There were no heirloom vegetables. There was a can of cream-of-something soup and a heroic amount of crispy fried onions.
We LOVED it. In the middle of a weird, scary time, this was hot, salty, crunchy, and comforting in a way that made the whole house feel less like a hospital waiting room. It’s been in the family rotation ever since, and it still tastes like being taken care of.
This is very much a “holiday church potluck meets 90s pantry” situation: ground beef, macaroni, cream soup, canned tomatoes, cheddar, and a crown of fried onions that stay crunchy for approximately twelve seconds before everyone eats it.
Snapshot
- Implements: 2-quart casserole dish (or 8x8 or 9x9 baking dish); 10–12 inch skillet; medium pot for pasta; colander
- Oven: 350 F / 175 C
Ingredients
Casserole base
- 2 cups dry elbow macaroni
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 (10–10.5 oz) can condensed cream of celery soup
- 1 (14 oz) can whole tomatoes, with their juices
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup diced green bell pepper
- 3/4 teaspoon seasoned salt
Crunchy topping
- 1 (3 oz) can French fried onion rings (Durkee or similar), divided
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Method
Heat the oven; prep the dish.
Heat oven to 350 F / 175 C. Spray a 2-quart casserole dish with nonstick spray.
Cook the macaroni.
Boil the elbow macaroni in well-salted water until just shy of al dente (you want a little bite left; it’ll keep cooking in the oven). Drain well.
Brown the beef.
While the pasta cooks, brown the ground beef in a skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it up as you go. When no pink remains, drain off excess fat.
Mix the filling.
In a large bowl, combine the drained macaroni, browned beef, cream of celery soup, whole tomatoes with their juice (crush the tomatoes with your hands or a spoon), shredded cheddar, diced green pepper, and seasoned salt. Stir until everything is coated in the saucy mixture.
Layer with onions.
Spread half of the beef–macaroni mixture into the prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle half of the fried onions over the top. Spoon the remaining mixture over the onions to cover them.
Bake.
Slide the casserole into the oven and bake for about 30 minutes, until it’s bubbling around the edges and heated through.
Add the crunch.
Pull the dish out, scatter the remaining fried onions over the top, and return to the oven for about 5 minutes, until the onions are toasty and golden.
Rest and serve.
Let the casserole stand 5–10 minutes so it stops molten-lava bubbling and sets up a bit. Scoop into bowls and serve.
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Notes, swaps, and guardrails
On the level of “from a can”
- Cream of celery is classic here, but cream of mushroom or cream of chicken also work.
- Whole tomatoes are nice because you can crush them into chunky pieces, but diced tomatoes in juice are fine if that’s what’s in your pantry.
Meat & veg options
- Ground turkey or chicken can sub for the beef; just don’t use super-lean meat or it’ll dry out.
- Want more veg? Add another 1/4–1/2 cup diced bell pepper or toss in a handful of frozen peas or corn with the filling.
Crunch strategy
- The onions go in twice on purpose: a hidden middle layer that softens into almost-onion-soup vibes, and a top layer that stays shatter-crisp.
- If you’re making this ahead, hold back the top layer of onions and add them right before the final 5 minutes of baking.
Make-ahead & leftovers
- Assemble the casserole up through step 5, cover, and refrigerate up to 24 hours. Bake straight from the fridge, adding 5–10 extra minutes before you add the final onion layer.
- Leftovers reheat well in a 325 F / 165 C oven, covered with foil for 10–15 minutes. Add a fresh sprinkle of fried onions at the end if you want to relive the full crunch glory.
This is not health food. It is exactly the kind of nostalgic, crunchy, creamy casserole that quietly makes hard weeks a little softer.