Dried Beef & Noodle Casserole

Here’s a throwback that earns its spot in the weeknight rotation. This microwave casserole layers salty dried beef with egg noodles, cream of mushroom soup, and a blanket of melted cheddar, all cooked start to finish without ever turning on your oven.

The dried beef gets a quick boil first to tame the salt, then everything goes into one casserole dish and the microwave does the rest. Noodles cook right in the creamy sauce, soaking up all that savory, cheesy goodness.

It’s the kind of no-fuss meal that fed families in the ‘70s and still holds up today when you need dinner on the table fast.

Kitchen Tips

• Always blanch the dried beef in boiling water first and drain it. Skip this step and the whole casserole will be way too salty.
• Stir halfway through cooking to make sure the noodles cook evenly. Microwaves have hot spots, and unstirred noodles will be half crunchy, half mush.
• Swap in Swiss cheese or pepper jack for the cheddar to change up the flavor profile.