Pioneer Woman Beef Noodle Casserole

Pioneer Woman beef noodle casserole is a cozy one-pot dinner made with chuck roast, wide egg noodles and melty fontina, ready in 3 hours. Save this comfort food dinner for Sunday dinner, winter weeknights, fall gatherings or dinner parties, because it's all cooked in a single Dutch oven.

Cook the chuck roast until it shreds with just a fork, a full 2 to 2½ hours in the oven. Pull it early and the beef stays chewy instead of melting into the noodles.

Grating the onion, carrots and garlic lets them melt into the sauce, so you skip the fussy knife work and the vegetables vanish for picky eaters. Boiling the noodles right in the beefy braising liquid also soaks every bite with flavor, which a separate pot of water can't do.

Pioneer Woman Beef Noodle Casserole

0.0 from 0 votes

Course: DinnerCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Medium

Servings

6

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

2

hours 

30

minutes

Calories

683

kcal

Fall-apart chuck roast and tender egg noodles share one pot, coated in a rich tomato and beef sauce. Once the fontina melts under the heat, the top turns bubbly and golden.

Ingredients

• 2 lb. beef chuck roast, cut into 2-in. pieces
  

• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
  

• 2 tbsp. olive oil, divided
  

• 2 medium yellow onions, coarsely grated
  

• 2 medium carrots, peeled and coarsely grated
  

• 6 cloves garlic, finely grated
  

• 2 tbsp. tomato paste
  

• 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
  

• 6 c. best-quality beef broth
  

• 1 (12-oz.) package wide egg noodles
  

• 1 (8-oz.) block fontina cheese, freshly grated
  

• Finely chopped parsley, for serving
  

Directions

• Season the beef: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously season the 2 pounds of chuck roast, cut into 2-inch pieces, with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.
• Sear the beef: Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high, then add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. When it shimmers, brown half of the beef on all sides for 5 to 7 minutes. Move it to a bowl and repeat with the remaining tablespoon of oil and beef.
• Soften the vegetables: Add the 2 coarsely grated onions and 2 grated carrots to the pot and cook for 5 to 7 minutes until soft and translucent. Then stir in the 6 grated garlic cloves for about 1 minute until fragrant.
• Build the sauce: Stir in 2 tablespoons tomato paste and 2 tablespoons flour, and cook for about 2 minutes until the paste darkens slightly. Pour in the 6 cups of beef broth while scraping up the brown bits, then add the seared beef and its juices.
• Braise in the oven: Bring the pot to a boil, then cover it and slide it into the oven for 2 to 2½ hours. The beef is done when it shreds easily with a fork, so take it out and raise the oven to 400°F.
• Cook the noodles: Move the beef to a clean bowl with a slotted spoon and let it cool slightly. Meanwhile, bring the pot back to a boil on the stovetop and cook the 12-ounce package of wide egg noodles for about 5 minutes until al dente.
• Shred the beef: While the noodles cook, shred the beef with two forks. Once the noodles are ready, stir the beef back into the pot and adjust the salt and pepper.
• Melt the cheese: Sprinkle the 8-ounce block of grated fontina evenly over the top and return the pot to the oven for about 10 minutes. It's ready when the cheese is melted and bubbly, so finish with the chopped parsley before serving.

Tools for this recipe

• Lodge 6-quart enameled Dutch oven, OXO 4-sided box grater, OXO stainless slotted spoon, Diamond Crystal kosher salt, 3 lb. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

FAQs

Can I use mozzarella instead of fontina?

Yes, mozzarella works well if your store doesn't carry fontina. It's a bit milder, but it still melts into a stretchy, golden layer on top.

Can I make beef noodle casserole ahead of time?

You can braise the beef a day ahead and keep it in its broth in the fridge. Then reheat the pot on the stovetop, cook the noodles in it and finish with the cheese in the oven.

Can I make this without a Dutch oven?

A large braiser or any heavy oven-safe pot with a lid does the same job. You need something that goes from stovetop to oven, since the noodles cook in the same pot as the beef.

Can I add more vegetables to the casserole?

A 10 or 12-ounce bag of frozen vegetables can go in with the egg noodles, so it cooks in the same 5 minutes. The grated carrots and onion already melt into the sauce, which keeps the extra veggies from feeling heavy.

What's the most common mistake with this recipe?

Pulling the beef out of the oven too early is the biggest one, because underdone chuck roast stays tough. Wait until it shreds with a gentle twist of a fork, even if that takes the full 2½ hours.