Description
Hearty Big Montana Casserole delivers mountainous comfort with layers of savory beef, cheese, and creamy potatoes that promise pure midwestern satisfaction. Bold flavors and rustic ingredients blend seamlessly, ensuring you savor each rich, warming bite of this classic homestyle dish.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat:
- 1 pound ground beef
Vegetables:
- 4 cups sliced potatoes
- 1 medium onion, diced
Dairy and Seasonings:
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 can (10.5 ounces) cream of mushroom soup
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat oven to 375F (190C) and prepare a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- Sauté ground beef and onions in a skillet over medium heat until meat is thoroughly browned, carefully draining any excess grease.
- Create an even foundation of thinly sliced potatoes across the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
- Distribute the seasoned beef and onion mixture uniformly over the potato layer.
- Whisk together cream soup, milk, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper in a mixing bowl until smooth and well-combined.
- Gently cascade the creamy sauce across the beef and potato surfaces, ensuring complete and consistent coverage.
- Generously sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese over the entire casserole, creating a rich and melty topping.
- Shield the casserole with aluminum foil and bake for 35-40 minutes, allowing flavors to meld and potatoes to become tender.
- Uncover the dish and continue baking for an additional 10 minutes until cheese transforms into a golden, bubbling crust.
- Allow the casserole to rest for 5 minutes, enabling the ingredients to settle and making serving easier.
Notes
- Swap ground beef with ground turkey or plant-based crumbles for a leaner, healthier protein option that reduces saturated fat.
- Use low-sodium cream soup and reduced-fat cheese to make this casserole more heart-friendly and diet-conscious.
- Enhance nutritional value by adding diced vegetables like bell peppers, carrots, or zucchini directly into the beef mixture for extra vitamins and fiber.
- Prep the casserole ahead of time and refrigerate overnight, allowing flavors to meld and making weeknight dinner preparation faster and easier.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 445 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 620 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 14 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 85 mg