Dairy Casserole – Simple Mennonite Dinner Recipe

Dairy Casserole is a delicious casserole containing ground beef, corn, and macaroni in a creamy, homemade mushroom pasta sauce. This recipe brings together familiar ingredients in a way that’s cozy without being fussy, perfect for those days when you want a satisfying meal with minimal stress.

Simple and Delicious Amish and Mennonite Style Dairy Casserole

This dairy casserole is a delightful option when you want something comforting and simple without fussing over complicated ingredients. It’s simple enough to be made with basic staples, yet it still has great flavor and texture! I like to serve dairy casserole with a side salad with homemade buttermilk ranch dressing or french dressing. And possibly bread of some sort!

Dairy casserole is one of those classic nostalgic recipes in the Mennonite culture (and I believe maybe the Amish culture, too). It’s one of my go-to meals to make in a pinch, because I usually have all the ingredients needed! Except for mushrooms, I guess. And you can easily make it without those! Give it a try and enjoy the creamy goodness—it might just become your new go-to comfort food.

Ingredients 

• Macaroni – your favorite shape of macaroni or you can use egg noodles instead
  
• Ground beef – we buy ground beef in bulk, so that is what I use. I’m thinking ground pork or turkey would be just fine, too, though I haven’t tried it!
  
• Onion – if you’d rather, a teaspoon of onion powder is just fine to use instead of an actual onion.
  
• Corn – I use my own home-grown sweet corn, though canned corn works too!

Mushroom Pasta Sauce

• Butter – salted butter
  
• Mushrooms – the regular white or brown mushrooms from the grocery store
  
• Garlic – minced garlic
  
• Flour – regular all purpose flour, or in our case it’s usually fresh milled wheat flour
  
• Milk – whole milk
  
• Chicken broth 
  
• Cream cheese – full fat cream cheese. It’ll melt into the sauce quicker if it’s at room temperature, so if I think about it, I’ll get it out of the fridge a while before starting!
  
• Salt & pepper – your favorite kind of salt and black pepper

Find the full recipe on a printable recipe card at the bottom of this post!⬇️

Supplies we used:

• Several saucepans – one to cook the macaroni, one to cook the ground beef and another to make the mushroom sauce and then mix everything together!
  
• Gravy shaker – shaker bottle to thoroughly mix the milk and flour
  
• Measuring cups and spoons
  
• A spatula or two and a whisk
  
• Cutting board and kitchen knife

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How to make Dairy Casserole

Cook the macaroni in a large pot of salted water for 10-15 minutes or according to package instructions.

In a frying pan, cook the ground beef with the diced onion. 

In another large saucepan, make the mushroom pasta sauce. Melt the butter and sauté the minced garlic and diced mushrooms on medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until soft.

Once the macaroni and ground beef are done cooking, drain the water from the macaroni (can drizzle with olive oil to keep it from sticking) and set the ground beef aside.

Mix the flour and the milk together in a shaker bottle (or whisk it thoroughly in a mixing bowl) then pour into the pan with the mushrooms. Add the chicken broth and cook, stirring often, until the mixture thickens slightly. 

Add the salt, pepper, and cream cheese to the sauce and heat on medium-low heat, stirring often, until the cream cheese melts.

Add the macaroni, ground beef, and corn into the pasta sauce and stir. Place a lid on the pan and let it heat on low for a few minutes.

Serve and enjoy!

Storage

Place leftovers in an airtight container (or cover with plastic wrap) and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

How to Reheat Dairy Casserole

Oven method: preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Add a splash of milk and cover the casserole with foil to keep moisture in and bake for 25-30 minutes or until heated through. 

Microwave method: place the dairy casserole in a microwave-safe dish and heat on high for 1-2 minutes. Stir and heat for again for a minute or two. Repeat as often as needed until the casserole is hot!

Stovetop method: transfer the dairy casserole to a skillet and heat on medium-low heat. Add a splash of milk, cover and warm gently, stirring occasionally until heated through.

Tips, Tricks & Notes

Mushrooms not your thing? I get it. That used to be me. You can totally skip the mushrooms in this recipe, though they do add a fun flavor and texture and they’re actually one of my favorite things about the recipe now!

Want to take a shortcut? Instead of making the mushroom sauce from scratch, you can melt and mix together a can of cream of mushroom soup, 1 1/2 cups of milk, a block of cream cheese and salt & pepper and use that instead!  

Add a garnish before serving! Chopped fresh parsley or sliced green onions both add a fun pop of color and flavor to this casserole.

More dinner ideas:

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