French Onion Ground Beef Rice Casserole

OMG. It's only January 10, but this recipe is the best thing I've made in 2026.

I even made it in three smaller pans, so I could freeze some for later.

It's a variation on a theme; I made a French Onion Meatloaf in the crock pot for Christmas.

I'll post that later. This recipe was better. Next time, I'm going to try it with half cooked egg noodles.

And Karen just had the BRILLIANT idea to make stuffed peppers with the leftovers! GENIUS!

1 lb. ground beef

1 small onion, diced

1 tsp. garlic salt

1 tsp. black pepper

1 (10.5 oz) can French onion soup*

1 (10.5 oz) can cream of mushroom soup

1 cup sour cream

2 cups cooked white rice

1 1/2 cups Swiss cheese (I used slices and chopped for the mixture, layered slices on top)

1/2 cup French fried onions (for topping)

Optional: chopped green onion for garnish

*I didn't have a can of French onion soup. I mixed half a packet of Lipton's French onion soup mix with 11 ounces of beef broth.

~ Preheat oven to 375°F.

~ Brown ground beef in a hot pan and add diced onions half way through.

~ Season NOW with garlic salt and pepper.

~ Once beef is browned and onions are soft, take off heat.

~ Add French onion soup, cream of mushroom soup, and sour cream. Stir well until combined.

~ Stir in the cooked rice and 1 cup of cubed Swiss cheese.

~ Test for salt and pepper.

~ Grease a 9x13 casserole dish and add mixture.*

~ Cover entire mixture with slices of Swiss cheese.

~ Bake at 375 degrees for 23 minutes.

~ Sprinkle French fried onions over the top and bake for another five minutes.

~ Garnish with chopped scallions if using.

*I used three 4x8 pans and froze two of them. Just thaw in fridge the night before and follow baking directions.

Making stuffed peppers with this filling tomorrow!