Beef-Noodle Casserole

This beef noodle casserole is about as straightforward as dinner gets. Round steak browns with onions, garlic, and oregano in a skillet, then cream of mushroom soup and chopped tomatoes go in undiluted to create a thick, creamy sauce. Toss with cooked egg noodles and you’re done.

The cream of mushroom soup does all the sauce work here. Used straight from the can without adding water or milk, it clings to the noodles and beef with a concentrated richness that thinned soup can’t match. The tomatoes add acidity and brightness that keeps the whole dish from tasting one-note.

Six ingredients, one pan, about 30 minutes total. This is the kind of dinner that gets you through a busy Tuesday.

Pro Tips

• Cut the round steak into bite-sized pieces before browning. Smaller pieces cook faster and distribute more evenly through the noodles.
• Don’t drain the fat after browning. There’s not much from round steak, and what there is adds flavor to the sauce.
• Use the soup undiluted as directed. Adding liquid will make the sauce too thin to coat the noodles properly.
• Toss the cooked noodles in right before serving so they absorb some sauce without getting mushy.