Beef Biscuit Casserole is weeknight comfort food at its simplest: two pounds of browned ground beef stirred into a cheesy sauce of cream of chicken and cream of cheddar soups with sharp cheddar, topped with a can of big, fluffy refrigerated biscuits and baked until golden. The biscuits soak up a little sauce underneath and stay tender and buttery on top. It serves 6 in about 35 minutes.
How to make it: Brown the ground beef with salt and pepper and drain it. Stir in both soups and the cheddar, spread the mixture in a greased 9×13-inch dish, arrange 8 refrigerated biscuits on top and bake at 350°F for 12 to 18 minutes, until the biscuits are golden and cooked through.
Why You’ll Love It
- Seven ingredients: beef, two cans of soup, cheddar, a can of biscuits, salt and pepper.
- 35 minutes, start to finish: brown, stir, top and bake.
- Hearty portions: two pounds of beef under 8 biscuits feeds 6 hungry people.
- Biscuits and gravy energy: a cheesy, beefy sauce under every warm biscuit.
Ingredient Notes
Ground beef: Two pounds, browned and drained well so the sauce stays creamy, not greasy.
Condensed soups: One 10.5-ounce can of cream of chicken soup and one of cream of cheddar cheese soup, used straight from the can. Together they make the sauce.
Sharp cheddar: A cup and a half, shredded and stirred in. Sharp cheddar gives the sauce a stronger cheese flavor than mild.
Refrigerated biscuits: One 8-count can of large, Southern-style refrigerated biscuits. Smaller biscuits work, but they may bake faster, so check them early.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 can (10.5 ounces) condensed cream of chicken soup
- 1 can (10.5 ounces) condensed cream of cheddar cheese soup
- 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 can (8 count) large refrigerated biscuits
How to Make Beef Biscuit Casserole
1. Heat the oven. Heat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
2. Brown the beef. In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef with the salt and pepper. Drain off the grease, and check that the beef reaches 160°F on a food thermometer.
3. Add the soups. Stir in the cream of chicken soup and the cream of cheddar cheese soup until combined.
4. Add the cheese. Stir in the shredded sharp cheddar.
5. Fill the dish. Spread the beef mixture into the greased baking dish.
6. Top with biscuits. Arrange the 8 biscuits on top of the casserole.
7. Bake. Bake for 12 to 18 minutes, until the biscuits are golden brown and cooked through and the center of the casserole reaches 165°F.
How to Get Golden Biscuits That Are Cooked Through
The one thing that can go wrong here is a biscuit that’s brown on top and doughy underneath. Here’s how to make sure they bake all the way through:
| Method | How it works |
|---|---|
| Hot filling, biscuits on top (this recipe) | The beef mixture goes in hot from the skillet, then the biscuits bake 12 to 18 minutes at 350°F |
| Filling first | Bake the filling alone at 375°F for about 10 to 20 minutes until bubbling, then add the biscuits for 10 to 15 minutes more |
| Buttered and cornmeal-coated | Brush the biscuits with melted butter and roll them in yellow cornmeal before they go on, for a crisp, golden crust |
Check the underside. Lift the edge of one biscuit with a fork. If it’s still doughy where it touches the sauce, give it a few more minutes. Golden on top is not enough.
Check the center too. The casserole is done when the middle reaches 165°F on a food thermometer, the USDA FSIS temperature for casseroles.
Leave a little room. Space the biscuits slightly apart so the heat reaches their sides.
Tips for Success
Drain the beef well
Two pounds of beef gives off plenty of fat. Pour it off before the soups go in, or it pools on top of the sauce.
Keep the filling hot
Assemble it right after browning the beef, so the filling is still hot when the biscuits go on. A cold filling needs more time in the oven.
Let it rest
Give the casserole about 5 minutes out of the oven before serving, so the sauce settles and the servings hold together.
Variations
- Cream cheese and ketchup: brown 1 1/2 pounds of beef with 1/2 cup of chopped onion, and blend a can of cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup with 8 ounces of softened cream cheese, 1/4 cup of milk and 1/4 cup of ketchup for the sauce.
- Tomato and chili: brown 1 pound of beef with onion and green bell pepper, simmer it with an 8-ounce can of tomato sauce and 2 teaspoons of chili powder, and stir in sour cream and cheddar before topping with biscuits.
- Cornmeal-crusted biscuits: brush the biscuits with melted butter and roll them in yellow cornmeal before arranging them on top.
- Biscuit base: bake a layer of biscuit dough in the dish at 400°F for 10 minutes, then add the beef filling and cheese and bake 20 minutes more.
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow covered containers. USDA FSIS says to eat them within 3 to 4 days, or freeze them for 3 to 4 months, though cream sauces don’t freeze well and the texture may change. Thaw frozen casserole in the refrigerator, or reheat it from frozen in the oven; it takes about half again as long.
Reheat portions covered until they reach 165°F. Covering keeps the biscuits from drying out. Don’t reheat leftovers in a slow cooker.
What to Serve With It
Add a vegetable to round out the plate: smothered green beans with potatoes or roasted asparagus and carrots. If biscuit-topped casseroles are your thing, try the homemade-gravy Cheddar Bay biscuit casserole or a creamed chicken and biscuits casserole. For more ground beef bakes, make an easy cowboy casserole or a hobo casserole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make a ground beef casserole with canned biscuits?
Yes, that’s exactly what this is: one 8-count can of large refrigerated biscuits baked on top of a cheesy ground beef filling.
How do I know the biscuits are cooked through?
They should be golden brown on top and no longer doughy underneath; lift one edge with a fork to check. The center of the casserole should reach 165°F.
Can I use cream of mushroom soup?
Yes. Cream of mushroom works in place of cream of chicken soup.
Can I add onion?
Yes. Brown 1/2 cup of chopped onion with the beef.
Can I freeze beef biscuit casserole?
Yes, for 3 to 4 months, but the creamy sauce may change texture. Thaw it in the refrigerator and reheat it covered to 165°F.
Final Notes
Open the can of biscuits while the beef browns, and dinner is in the oven in under 20 minutes. If you make it, tell me in the comments what you served with it.
Beef Biscuit Casserole
Want This Recipe Later?
We'll send this recipe straight to your inbox.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 can condensed cream of chicken soup 10.5 ounces
- 1 can condensed cream of cheddar cheese soup 10.5 ounces
- 1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- 1 can refrigerated biscuits 8 count, large Southern-style
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef with the salt and pepper. Drain off the grease, and check that the beef reaches 160°F on a food thermometer.
- Stir in the cream of chicken soup and the cream of cheddar cheese soup until combined.
- Stir in the shredded sharp cheddar.
- Spread the beef mixture into the greased baking dish.
- Arrange the 8 biscuits on top of the casserole.
- Bake for 12 to 18 minutes, until the biscuits are golden brown and cooked through and the center of the casserole reaches 165°F.
