Hamburger and Potato Casserole

Sometimes you just need some good old fashioned comfort food, and this casserole has those flavors. It’s like a warm blanket on a cold day, warming you from the inside out.

This casserole is definitely not low carb, but the carbs come from potatoes instead of pasta, which is better, I think. Am I kidding myself? Maybe. If so, please don’t burst my bubble! LOL

Another great feature is how simple this recipe is. Because of this, there are tons of variations you can try with it, to change up the flavors to suit your own taste. The best version is the one you make up yourself!

First, cook the ground beef in a skillet with chopped onion and minced garlic. Cook and stir until the beef is fully browned.

While the beef is browning, I usually peel my potatoes and slice them using my food processor. If slicing by hand, just make sure you are getting evenly thin slices.

In a medium bowl, combine condensed cream of mushroom soup with milk and some shredded cheese.

Prepare a 2-quart (11x7-inch) baking dish by spraying lightly with cooking spray.

Then place half of the potatoes in the dish in an even layer. Spread half the soup mixture over the potatoes, then layer half the meat. Repeat with the remaining potatoes, soup, and meat.

Cover the pan with foil and bake it for one hour.

Then, remove the foil, add a layer of shredded cheese, and return it to the oven to bake for 15-20 minutes uncovered.

Use a sharp knife to pierce the potatoes and check for “doneness”. The potatoes should be tender and the cheese on top fully melted.

Remove for the oven and let the dish rest for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Need to shorten the cooking time? Once you’ve sliced the potatoes, place them in a covered container and microwave them for about 8 minutes. Then layer them in the dish per directions. This should shorten your cooking time considerably. Test the covered dish after 45 minutes. It is very likely ready for the “uncovered” cooking step by now.

Feeding a crowd? Double everything and make it in a 9x13 pan.

Some might find this casserole a little plain, so here are some ideas to add additional flavor to the dish:

• Soup mix – dry soup mix will really punch it up! Add some to the cooked meat in the skillet with about ½ cup of water, then cook this down a little before layering in the dish. I have tried beefy onion soup mix and for me, it was a little too salty, so I would recommend a half envelope if you want to try this option. Regular onion soup mix would work great also.
• Vegetables – you can add baby carrots or cut green beans to the layers to have more variety in the casserole. A great way to get some veggies in there!
• More sauce – if you want a more liquid casserole, you can add some sour cream to the condensed soup in addition to the milk. About a half cup should be enough and will get you more of the creamy sauce.

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