Description
Hearty hobo casserole brings midwestern comfort to dinner tables with layers of ground beef, potatoes, and vegetables. Simple ingredients create a satisfying meal that home cooks can enjoy without complex preparation techniques.
Ingredients
Scale
Protein:
- 1 pound (454 grams) ground beef
Vegetables:
- 4 medium potatoes, thinly sliced
- 1 medium onion, diced
Dairy and Seasonings:
- 1 cup (240 milliliters) shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 can cream of mushroom soup
- 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) olive oil
- Salt, to taste
- Pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Warm the oven to 375F (190C) for optimal cooking temperature.
- Heat olive oil in a skillet and sauté diced onions until translucent and soft.
- Add ground beef to the onions, seasoning with salt and pepper, and cook thoroughly until meat browns and releases excess fat.
- Transfer meat mixture to a greased casserole dish, creating an even base layer.
- Arrange half of the sliced potatoes across the bottom of the dish, covering the meat entirely.
- Distribute cream of mushroom soup uniformly over the potato and meat layers, ensuring complete coverage.
- Top the soup layer with remaining potato slices, creating a complete potato seal.
- Generously sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese across the potato surface for a golden, crispy finish.
- Seal the casserole dish with aluminum foil to retain moisture during initial baking.
- Bake covered for 45 minutes, allowing flavors to meld and potatoes to soften.
- Remove foil and continue baking for 10-15 minutes until potato edges crisp and cheese melts completely.
- Allow casserole to rest for 5 minutes before serving, enabling ingredients to set and flavors to stabilize.
Notes
- Choose lean ground beef to reduce overall fat content and create a healthier version of the casserole.
- Swap regular potatoes with sweet potatoes for added nutrients and a slightly different flavor profile.
- Experiment with low-sodium cream of mushroom soup to control salt intake for those watching their sodium levels.
- Consider using Greek yogurt or low-fat sour cream as a lighter alternative to traditional cream-based soups for a more diet-friendly option.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Lunch, Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 555 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 700 mg
- Fat: 38 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 20 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 32 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg