Cheesy Beefy Hobo Casserole Is A One Pan Meal Your Family Will Love, Perfect For A Busy Night

Everyone in your family will love this simple and delectable one-pan dinner! It's the ideal weeknight casserole, with layers of hearty beef, potatoes, creamy filling, and delicious cheese! Not to mention, fewer dishes, and the oven does most of the work!

Cheesy Hobo CasserolePhoto byRichelleg

This is even great for camping! Pre-make and wrap in individual little foil packets to throw in the campfire for a "better-than-just-hotdogs" dinner anywhere!

Different Ways to Make Hobo Casserole

• Thinly slice an onion and place it on top of the ground meat for extra deliciousness.
• Add a few minced garlic cloves to the ground beef combination if you're a garlic lover.
• You can add a can of fire roasted tomatoes to this as well.
• When combining the soup and other sauce components, add a dab of cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, or chili powder for a little kick of heat.
• Replace the fried crispy onions with your favorite crushed potato chips to give the casserole's top a salty, crunchy texture.

In a casserole dish or a cast ironPhoto byRichelleg

Pro Tips:

• When baking, my best advice is to cover the dish. Make use of sturdy aluminum foil. Use two layers if you don't have heavy-duty.
• My preferred toppings for this simple dish are a dollop of sour cream, but you could also use fresh parsley or green onions for a flare of color.
• To prevent them from getting soggy, save the French-fried onions until the very end of the dish.
• Rather than using pre-shredded cheese from the supermarket, I've discovered that shredding your own cheese is just better.

How to preserve leftovers

• Refrigerate: For up to three days, keep leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
• Freeze: This casserole is also freezer-friendly. Allow it to cool fully, then wrap it in foil or plastic wrap and store it in a freezer-safe bag for up to two months.
• Reheat: Place in an oven at 350°F, covered with aluminum foil, and heat until heated through. Reheat single portions in the microwave.

Recipe for Hobo Casserole

Ingredients

• Lean ground beef, one pound
• One small, diced sweet onion
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 4 yellow potatoes, medium
• 8 oz. Grated Colby Jack cheese, fresh
• 10 oz. cream of chicken
• 10 oz. cream of celery
• One can fire-roasted tomatoes (optional)
• 1/3 cup of milk
• ½ tsp. Italian seasoning
• 2 TBSP. of Worcestershire sauce
• French-fried onions or crushed potato chips for topping

Hobo CasserolePhoto byRichelleg

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Lightly oil a cast-iron skillet or casserole dish and add the ground beef.
• Add pepper and salt for seasoning, the onions and garlic, and Italian seasoning.
• Potatoes should be peeled, sliced thin, and layered over beef.
• Add tomatoes if using
• Over the potatoes, sprinkle the cheese.
• Fill a large mixing bowl with cream of chicken and celery soups, milk, Worcestershire sauce, and all-purpose seasoning. Whisk to thoroughly combine.
• Pour over the top of the cheese layer and use the back of a spoon to smooth it evenly.
• Set a baking sheet on the rack directly below the aluminum foil-covered dish to absorb any spills that may occur during cooking.
• Tightly cover the skillet with heavy-duty foil.
• Bake for ninety minutes.
• Take it out of the oven, take off the foil, and then cover it with fried onions.
• Bake for two to three minutes, or until golden brown, under the broiler
• Add parsley or green onions as a garnish.

Light on the cheese, no fried onions on this onePhoto byRichelleg