Description
Hearty hobo casserole brings comfort and simplicity to family dinner tables. Robust ground beef, potatoes, and vegetables meld together in one satisfying skillet that you’ll crave again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
Protein:
- 1 pound ground beef
Vegetables:
- 4 medium potatoes, thinly sliced
- 1 medium onion, sliced
Other Ingredients:
- 1 can (10.5 ounces) cream of mushroom soup
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 tablespoon butter, cut into small pieces
- Salt, to taste
- Pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350F (175C) and prepare a 9×13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- Cook ground beef in a skillet over medium heat until completely browned, carefully draining excess fat.
- Create a foundational layer of thinly sliced potatoes across the entire baking dish, ensuring even coverage.
- Distribute sliced onions uniformly over the potato layer, creating a complementary vegetable base.
- Spread the fully cooked ground beef evenly across the onion and potato layers.
- Whisk cream of mushroom soup with milk until smooth, then gently pour the mixture over the entire casserole surface.
- Season generously with salt and pepper, ensuring balanced flavor distribution.
- Generously sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese across the top, creating a potential crispy cheese crust.
- Strategically dot butter pieces around the cheese layer to enhance richness and promote golden browning.
- Cover the casserole tightly with aluminum foil to trap moisture and promote even cooking.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes, allowing potatoes to become tender and flavors to meld together.
- Uncover the casserole and return to oven for an additional 10 minutes to achieve a golden, slightly crispy top.
- Allow casserole to rest for 5-7 minutes before serving, which helps stabilize the dish and intensify flavors.
Notes
- Use lean ground beef to reduce fat content and create a healthier version of the casserole.
- Slice potatoes uniformly to ensure even cooking and consistent texture throughout the dish.
- Replace cream of mushroom soup with a homemade white sauce for a less processed alternative that controls sodium levels.
- Experiment with different cheese varieties like Gruyère or pepper jack to add unique flavor dimensions to the classic recipe.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 480 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 580 mg
- Fat: 32 g
- Saturated Fat: 14 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15 g
- Trans Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg