This delicious beef noodle casserole will feed your entire family on the cheap! Get the complete recipe here.
This beef noodle casserole recipe is honestly from the 1950s. I know, cause I got it from a book that isn’t in print anymore. You can find used copies of that cookbook on Amazon.com. (That is my affiliate link. I earn a portion of the sale at no extra cost to you).
2020 Update: There isn’t a publishing date anywhere inside the cookbook that I could find. I did some research and guessed it was published in the 1950s. Turns out, it was published in 1967. Fascinating! (I admit when I am wrong). I’ll be updating the text in this recipe to reflect this new knowledge.
I made 2 versions of the recipe. Here is the first version:
I didn’t exactly like how that picture turned out, so I rephotographed it. You can see the new pictures below.
Both times, I followed the recipe exactly – except for the olives. I can’t stand olives. I’m sorry, I had to omit them.
So what did I think of this recipe? Read on to learn where I found it, how I made it, and what I thought.
An Authentic Recipe from the 1960s
A little while ago, I purchased a cookbook at a garage sale. It was a gem of a find! In the 1960s, a bunch of US Military Officer wives compiled a collection of their favorite casseroles! There are over 200 of them inside and I am going to share one casserole with you each week! (You can buy used copies of the cookbook here on Amazon).
Can you tell I am excited?
This week’s recipe is insanely easy – Beef & Noodle Casserole. Let me know what you think! Did you make this for your family?

This is the finished product. Not the most photogenic casserole ever. But you can just see all the flavors that fill the plate! And you can see the fiber and veggies inside too.

Beef Noodle Casserole – from the 1960s
The entire recipe is at the bottom of this post. It’s incredibly simple and feeds 12 people! I’m not even exaggerating. Here is a picture of the recipe from the cookbook:
One of my favorite things about this cookbook are the bylines. It gave me a little peep into the social constructs of the 1960s. The women are not listed by their names, but by whom they are married to. I wish I knew who Mrs. G. C. Powell is, but I’m so glad she submitted this recipe. It’s delicious!
The First Step – Brown the Beef, Onion & Peppers
Not much different here. I’ve made quite a few recipes by browning garlic, onion, peppers and ground beef together. Simple! I personally enjoy adding garlic to this mixture, but I wanted to follow the recipe and see how it turned out. Honestly, I think it is missing the garlic.
The best non-stick skillet I have ever used is this GreenPan ceramic skillet. It’s super easy to clean!
Next Step – Mix All The Ingredients

Honestly, I did not use creamed corn. I used a can of corn kernels. This was at the request of my husband. I’ve made this one time before with creamed corn. When you mix it up with creamed corn it looks like a ton of liquid in the dish. Thankfully, the liquid does indeed cook out and it comes out tasting amazing! Just bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes! Done!

Creamed corn or corn kernels? This is up to you. I couldn’t tell much difference either way. The texture of whole kernels really is enjoyable, but the creamed corn isn’t bad either.

Final Thoughts – Is it Good?
Wow! Surprisingly, it came out alright! The liquid baked out and the flavors were subtle but very popular with my little children. Yes, it’s a bit bland….I might add more spices to it next time. But it’s a great recipe for lots of different palates.
Everyone ate it up!! It really does serve 12 people. If you have a crowd coming over for dinner, fix this dish. It doesn’t come out very pretty – the presentation is unexpected. But it is so filling and all the flavors are subtle. Feel free to add your favorite spices to the dish.
Tips to Make it Better
The flavors are so subtle, it needs something added to it. For the sake of this post (sharing an authentic recipe from the 60s) I didn’t make any changes. But I would personally add some garlic powder, red pepper flakes, and a lot more cheese.
You ready for the recipe? Here’s a printable version! Don’t forget to pin this post to Pinterest and share it with your friends. Thank you!

Beef Noodle Casserole Recipe
A large, easy casserole that will feed the entire family. It's from a cookbook that was published in the 1950s.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces noodles
- 1.5 lbs ground beef
- 1 medium onion, chopped fine
- 1 medium green pepper, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 8oz can diced tomatoes
- 1/2 pound cheddar cheese, chopped fine or shredded
- 1 8oz can creamed corn
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
- Boil noodles, drain, set aside.
- Brown beef, onion and green pepper, add salt and pepper
- In a large mixing bowl, add all ingredients
- Pour into 2-3 quart casserole dish
- Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1/2 cupAmount Per Serving: Calories: 283Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 69mgSodium: 335mgCarbohydrates: 12gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 21g
this is so fun!
Glad you enjoyed it! Next week will be either chicken or pork. Haven’t quite decided yet 🙂
You’d probably go ape if you saw the dates of publishing in my quite extensive collection of cookbooks (and cooking pamphlet books). Plus my collection of handwriiten recipes sent to me and me collection of recipes on 3×5’s I started collecting from elderly relatives in 1953 when I became a bride.
I have the same. Always meant to put them neatly in a book haha that didn’t last, also have a book with recipes from my mom 1940’s
This looks delish! Will have to try it one of these days. I LOVE that you found that cookbook…how neat??
Thanks Mary! This particular garage sale I went to was selling like hundreds of cookbooks. Someone had amassed quite a collection hehehehe
Some of the recipes call for MSG. That really shocked me! I had no idea moms back then actually purchased MSG to eat with!
‘Accent’ has been around a long, long time. We use it all the time because of the less sodium content. It has gotten a bad rap as people say it can give them headaches. I’m sure they are out there but I have yet to meet one. If you have ever been to a Soul Food place, you have had it for sure. They buy it by the case loads.
May I ask what the name of the cookbook is called, my family loves the old cookbooks and would like to see if it is still in print.
Thanks for the share.
Hi Judith!
I don’t think it is in print anymore. I found used copies for sale on Amazon though. Here’s the listing – https://amzn.to/2DVdgTK
Thanks!
Annie, this looks perfect for tonights dinner. I woke up this morning and had no idea what to make and that looks Yummy! Its been so hot here that cooking has been the last thing on my mind. I think this casserole is easy enough that I can cut the kitchen time down. I’ll let ya know how it worked out for me.
I hope everyone loves it! I bet they will, it is so basic and yet yummy. You can really go so many ways with this – add cream cheese to make it creamier…..or put ketchup and brown sugar on it for a bit of sweet & tangy-ness…..It’s a fab recipe 🙂
Just finished dinner and saw all 8 plates were clean. This recipe gets 16 thumbs up even the little kids who tend to be shy about new foods gobbled it up!
Thank you for coming back and letting me know! It made me smile from ear to ear to hear that your entire family loved it so much. I hope next week’s casserole is just as big a hit!
Annie, we had this and was one of the BEST casseroles we have ever had..and, it was better the second night. It’s a real winner for sure.
We did add 1 can of tomatoe soup and glad because the cooked noodles took up a lot of the sauce.
Adding a can of tomato soup is a fantastic idea. I can see how the noodles soak up the sauce – good catch. Thank you Carl!
Sounds good! I might try it tonight. I made tuna casserole last night and it was great. There is just something about a casserole.
Casseroles are such a comfort food – all gooey and yummylicious LOL I love tuna casserole!
What a fun recipe book! It’s a great way to connect with the past.
It really is! Reading those names and the bases they were on at the time just makes it so real to me. And back then they did not have the internet, so I wonder how much of an undertaking this was to make!
yum yum yummy!! awesome instructions with awesomest pics!!
Thank you so much! I was hoping the pics would be helpful, I am such a visual person that if i see it being done I can do it so much better 🙂
Yum! I’ve had a casserole just like this before and it is so good! Thanks for sharing, I need to make it again soon 🙂
That looks sooooo good! Great yummy comfort food.
How many ounces is a # 2 can of tomatoes?
#2 can holds 2&1/2 cups (=1lb 4oz). ps…Can find these answers by searching internet. “Lge can”, in recipe however, leaves me to guessing what size it means…. anyone tried the BEEF NOODLE CASSEROLE recipe?
What about the black olives? I do not see them in the pictures or in the recipes instructions.
was wondering bout that myself. doesn’t seem to go with recipe.
I’m going to make this for supper tonite! Thank you!
Bland tasting ???? otherwise good
I agree with you. I wanted to make it just like it said in the cookbook. But if I was going to make it my own, I’d add some red pepper flakes and more spices. That being said, I have kids that prefer more bland dishes and they liked it without the spice..
Mary,
Sounds good for supper tonight. I really identify with the older receipes, my Mother was teaching me to cook around that time so I came by it honestly. I love the names of things, like oleo for butter or margarine, it’s really funny. Thank you, Suzanne.
Diverticulosis. Don’t eat corn kernels. What can be used in place of corn?
You can easily leave the corn out. It tastes great without it. If you feel like it’s missing something, can you try adding some canned peas?
Do you drain the tomatoes before adding?
Hi Karen 🙂 Yes, drain the tomatoes before you add them to the casserole. If you don’t, the casserole might have too much liquid in it. You could always add the tomatoes without draining them and then add some tomato paste to thicken it back up (and soak up that liquid).