This cheesy bully beef pasta bake (aka corned beef pasta) has long been my go-to recipe for a quick and easy (not to mention cheap) mid-week meal. Braised tomatoes, onions and mushrooms are fried with bully beef before being mixed with tender pasta shells. And I have a special trick to make the delicious cheesy sauce using only a packet of cream cheese.
I've had so many requests from readers for recipes using bully beef (you may know it as corned beef) that I just had to publish this recipe for my cheesy bully beef pasta bake! It seems as though everyone loves bully beef!
Update - latest bully beef recipe on the blog is this amazing corned beef and potato pie. If you enjoy corned beef I heartily recommend it!
Jump to:
Bully beef pasta bake
In fact, this recipe is so popular in my house that whenever I ask 'what would you like for supper?' hubby's standard answer has now changed from 'sausages' to 'bully beef pasta'! He can't get enough of it, which is great for so many reasons.
- this recipe is a real time-saver. Because the bully beef is ready to eat out of the can, the only cooking involved is frying up the vegetables.
- it costs next to nothing to make. Let's face it, a tin of bully beef doesn't cost the earth, yet with the proper preparation, one can of bully beef (plus a couple of kitchen staples) can provide a substantial meal for 4 people.
- kiddies seem to love it. It must be something to do with the fact that it's a really easy meal to eat. There are no large chewy chunks of meat to get through, just a flavoursome sauce mixed into pasta. And who doesn't love pasta?
- the sauce is amazingly simple to make - just stir in a tub of cream cheese. Can't get easier than that!
- it's an easy meal in which to hide extra vegetables. Just grate up a carrot or a courgette and add it to the sauce. No one will even know!
Another recipe in a similar vein is this tasty corned beef hash, which is made with potatoes rather than pasta.
Unfortunately, one drawback to this bully beef pasta bake is that it isn't the most photogenic of dishes. But believe me, the taste absolutely makes up for the lack of aesthetics!
So let's get on with the recipe.
What you will need
Equipment
For the pasta you will need a large saucepan, and for making the sauce you will need a saute pan or large frying pan(with a lid).
To bake the finished dish in the oven you will need a large ovenproof dish approximately 12 inches by 9 inches in size.
Ingredients
**You can get the complete list of ingredients and full instructions for making this cheesy bully beef pasta bake on the printable recipe card at the end of this post**
The recipe will serve 4 people.
The ingredients for this corned beef pasta bake are all normal pantry staples.
Pasta shells - I like to use conchiglie pasta because the shell shape holds lots of sauce. I would recommend using either shell shapes or twisted pasta such as fusilli that has lots of deep ridges to hold the sauce. For this recipe (for 4 people) I've allowed 60 grams (2 ounces) of dried pasta per person plus an additional 60 grams (in case anyone wants a second helping)!
Bully beef - this is also called corned beef and comes in a can. I would recommend buying the best brand available as some of the cheaper brands often contain a lot of fat. I normally remove any visible fat before using it. For my UK readers, I would recommend Prince's bully beef.
Tomatoes, onions and mushrooms - these are my vegetables of choice, and they should be coarsely chopped.
Cream cheese - this is my secret ingredient for getting a creamy, cheesy sauce. You can splurge on Philadelphia if you like, but a supermarket's 'own' brand is perfectly acceptable.
Dried chilli flakes - not too much, half a teaspoon is plenty. You can leave this out if you prefer, but I like the touch of heat it provides. If you prefer you could use a mild fresh chilli, deseeded and very finely chopped.
Garlic - well, why not? You can use fresh cloves of garlic, or for convenience, you could just use the equivalent amount of crushed garlic from a jar.
Sugar and salt - to your taste, and both optional. I always add a scant teaspoon of sugar to dishes containing tomatoes, as I think it enhances the flavour. I would also recommend adding a small amount of salt to the pasta when cooking it.
Grated cheese - this is for sprinkling over the casserole before it is browned in the oven. Use whatever cheese you prefer - I like to use a mixture of cheddar and mozzarella.
Sunflower oil - you just need a small amount for frying the onions. If you prefer you could use olive oil.
How to make bully beef pasta
This is so quick and easy to make. Pay attention - if you blink you may miss it 🙂
Preparation:
- Bring a saucepan of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the instructions on the packet. Drain and set aside.
- While the pasta is boiling, chop the tomatoes and onions into approximately half-inch pieces, slice the mushrooms and crush the garlic.
- Remove the corned beef from the tin and chop it into one-inch pieces.
Make the sauce:
Fry the onions and mushrooms with the dried chillies and garlic in a large frying pan in a tablespoon of sunflower oil until the onions start to turn translucent and the mushrooms start to brown (about 5 minutes). Keep the heat turned down to a simmer - you don't want the onions to burn.
Add the tomatoes, sugar and salt and give it a good stir. Cover the pan with a lid and leave it to simmer for 5 minutes until the tomatoes are soft.
Add the chopped corned beef to the vegetables and continue to stir until it starts to break down. This will take about 3 minutes.
And now for my secret tip for delicious sauce! Stir in a 200-gram carton (7 ounces) of cream cheese. The liquid in the pan from the mushrooms and tomatoes will combine with the cheese as it melts to form a deliciously creamy sauce
Stir in the cooked, drained pasta.
Transfer it all to a large baking dish.
Cover with grated cheese.
Bake in a hot oven (200C / 400F) for 15 minutes until the cheese is melted and golden and the meat and pasta are piping hot.
Serve hot with a fresh green salad, and perhaps a slice of crusty garlic bread.
Tips for a perfect outcome
Here are my top tips for ensuring a perfect result:
- When cooking the pasta, cook it for one minute less than the recommended time. This will help to ensure that the pasta does not overcook when the dish goes into the oven.
- Make sure that you cut the onions quite finely - half an inch or just over 1 cm pieces will be perfect. You don't want to end up with large pieces of onion in the dish.
- My tip for getting the onions to soften is to turn the heat down to low, cover the pan with a lid and allow the onions to steam. Stir them occasionally to make sure they don't burn.
- I find that adding half a teaspoon of sugar to the tomatoes cuts through the tartness and mellows the flavour.
- When stirring in the cream cheese, make sure that it is well combined and fully melted before you add the pasta.
- I like to place the baking dish on a baking sheet to catch any of the mixture that may bubble over during baking. It also makes it easier to get the dish in and out of the oven.
If you'd like to be notified of new recipes, why not subscribe to my newsletter? To say thank you, you will receive a free recipe e-book containing some of my most popular cakes and desserts.
Freezing and storage
I wouldn't advise freezing this pasta bake as the cream cheese and tomato mixture may split on defrosting.
However, you can assemble this dish and store it in a covered container in the refrigerator for 2 days before baking in the oven.
Store any leftovers in the refrigerator and use them within 2 days. You can reheat leftovers in a microwave or transfer them to a saucepan and heat them on the stove.
Save for later
If you would like to make this cheesy bully beef pasta casserole yourself, why not pin the recipe to one of your Pinterest boards so you can find it easily when you need it? Just click on the image below.
Alternatively, you can save the recipe by clicking on the floating heart icon on the right-hand side of the screen.
Related recipes
If you enjoyed this pasta bake, you might like to try some of my other easy pasta dishes:
You can find these and other pasta dishes on my pasta recipes page.
📋The recipe
Cheesy bully beef pasta bake
(Click the stars to rate this recipe)
Equipment
- Sharp Knife
- Chopping Board
- Garlic press
- Large frying pan with lid
- Large baking dish
Ingredients
- 10 ounces / 300 grams pasta shells
- 12 ounces / 340 grams can corned beef / bully beef
- 1 cup chopped white onion
- 1 cup chopped tomatoes
- 1 cup sliced mushrooms
- 7 ounces / 200 grams soft cream cheese
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon dried chilli flakes more or less according to your own taste
- 1 teaspoon sugar optional
- 1 cup grated cheese
- 2 tablespoons sunflower oil
- salt to own taste
Instructions
Preparation
- Bring a saucepan of salted water to boil and cook the pasta according to the instructions on the packet. Drain and set aside.10 ounces / 300 grams pasta shells, salt
- While the pasta is boiling, chop the tomatoes and onions into approximately half-inch pieces, slice the mushrooms and crush the garlic.1 cup chopped white onion, 1 cup chopped tomatoes, 1 cup sliced mushrooms, 2 cloves garlic
- Remove the corned beef from the tin and chop it into one-inch pieces.12 ounces / 340 grams can corned beef / bully beef
Make the casserole
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F
- Fry the onions and mushrooms with the dried chillies and garlic in a large frying pan in a tablespoon of sunflower oil until the onions start to turn translucent and the mushrooms start to brown (about 5 minutes). Keep the heat turned down to a simmer - you don't want the onions to burn.½ teaspoon dried chilli flakes, 2 tablespoons sunflower oil
- Add the tomatoes, sugar and salt and give it a good stir. Cover the pan with a lid and leave it to simmer for 5 minutes until the tomatoes are soft.1 teaspoon sugar, salt
- Add the chopped corned beef to the vegetables and continue to stir until it starts to break down. This will take about 3 minutes.
- Stir in the cream cheese and stir until it melts and forms a creamy sauce.7 ounces / 200 grams soft cream cheese
- Add the cooked pasta and stir well.
- Transfer the mixture to a large casserole dish
- Sprinkle with grated cheese.1 cup grated cheese
- Bake for 10 to 15 minutes until the cheese is melted and golden brown
- Serve hot with a fresh green salad, and perhaps a slice of crusty garlic bread.
Notes
- When cooking the pasta, cook it for one minute less than the recommended time. This will help to ensure that the pasta does not overcook when the dish goes into the oven.
- Make sure that you cut the onions quite finely - half an inch or just over 1 cm pieces will be perfect. You don't want to end up with large pieces of onion in the dish.
- My tip for getting the onions to soften is to turn the heat down to low, cover the pan with a lid and allow the onions to steam. Stir them occasionally to make sure they don't burn.
- I find that adding half a teaspoon of sugar to the tomatoes cuts through the tartness and mellows the flavour.
- When stirring in the cream cheese, make sure that it is well combined and fully melted before you add the pasta.
- I like to place the baking dish on a baking sheet to catch any of the mixture that may bubble over during baking. It also makes it easier to get the dish in and out of the oven.
- I wouldn't advise freezing this pasta bake as the cream cheese and tomato mixture may split on defrosting.
- However, you can assemble this dish and store it in a covered container in the refrigerator for 2 days before baking in the oven.
- Store any leftovers in the refrigerator and use them within 2 days. You can reheat leftovers in a microwave or transfer them to a saucepan and heat them on the stove.
Nutrition
I am not a nutritionist. The nutrition information has been calculated using an on-line calculator, and is intended for information and guidance purposes only. If the nutrition information is important to you, you should consider calculating it yourself, using your preferred tool.
If you made this recipe and enjoyed it, I'd love it if you could give me a star rating in the comments below. And if you'd like to get in touch, you can email me at [email protected]. I'd love to hear from you. And don't forget to subscribe to my mailing list so you can grab yourself a copy of my FREE COOKBOOK!
If you'd like to continue browsing, just click on this link to all my recipes.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!