Hamburger Meat Recipe: Hash Brown-Crusted Ground Beef Casserole

Casserole. Is there any other word in the English language that carries such promise and yet usually ends so badly? I remember eyeing just about anything served at my parents table in a 9×13 glass dish with fear and trepidation, which was too bad because it’s not at all difficult to make a great casserole with the right ingredients and approach. Casseroles are great because they are easy to put together and help you make the most of pantry and on sale ingredients, which is important right now as we all watch our wallets. However, being budget conscious doesn’t mean you have to ignoring flavor, as this recipe shows. This dish works on all fronts: it’s inexpensive and easy to make, it is hearty and filling, and most importantly, it’s delicious.

Recipe: Hash Brown-Crusted Beef Casserole

Details

• Difficulty: Easy
• Serves: 4
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 can (14 oz.) beef broth
• 1 10.5 oz can cream of potato soup
• cooking spray
• 1 20 oz. pkg. shredded hash browns
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
2. Brown the ground beef in skillet over medium high heat until cooked through. Drain off the extra fat.
3. Mix the broth and soup into the cooked and drained beef. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Spray the inside of a 9″x13″baking dish with cooking spray.
5. Spread the hash browns in the bottom of the baking dish and top with beef mixture.
6. Cover with aluminum foil, place in the oven, and bake for 20 minutes.
7. Remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes.
8. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Tips, Tricks and Tweaks

• This recipe works equally well with all ground meats: chicken, turkey, bison, pork, and beef. You can even use a combination of ground meats.
• Low fat and low sodium versions of the soup and the broth work well in this recipe. Choose your favorite brand or what’s on sale.
• Stir a package of frozen mixed vegetables into the beef, broth, and soup mixture to make this a one-dish meal.
• For an extra-crispy crust, spray the baking dish with cooking spray and add the hasbrowns just as you start to brown the meat. Put the baking dish with the hashbrowns into the oven while it’s pre-heating so they can start crisping. When the beef, broth, and soup mixture is ready, add it to the hot baking dish (step 5) and proceed with the rest of the instructions.