Poor Man’s Mashed Potato Casserole

Have y’all met my husband? He’s smart, educated, traveled and yet if you were to look up Meat and Potato Eater in the dictionary, you’d probably find his picture there. His Midwestern upbringing is very much ingrained in his nature.

He loves Mexican food, no doubt. And Italian. And even some French. But give him some meat and potatoes, and it’s like taking a stroll down memory lane. He gets all warm and happy. Especially for a casserole of meat and mashed potatoes.

Some folks would call this dish a scaled down Shepherd’s Pie – ground meat, a vegetable or two and mashed taters on top. To Americans that’s Shepherd’s Pie. As it turns out, we are wrong in the grander scheme of things. A Shepherd’s Pie is made with lamb. Think about it, and it makes perfect sense. I’ve been told the casseroles made with beef are Cottage Pies. Hum, don’t see the connection between ground beef and a cottage. Maybe we should call it a Cowboy Pie. Although anymore, there are far too many “cowboy” dishes out there.

I consider this recipe to be a work in progress. It was delicious, but needs a little tweaking. Next time instead of green beans, I think a couple of cans of mixed vegetables would bring additional depth and texture. And more salt. I know, season to taste, but those potatoes sure soaked up the salt. I liked the mushroom soup’s creamy addition to the filling – so that’s a keeper for sure. Best of all, Hubby was happy.

Poor Man’s Mashed Potato Casserole
6 medium Russet Potatoes
1/4 cup Milk
1/4 cup Butter
Salt to taste
Black Pepper to taste
1 lb ground beef
Garlic Powder to taste
Onion Powder to taste
1 (10.75 oz) can Cream of Mushroom Soup
2 (15 oz) cans cut Green Beans, drained

Peel potatoes, cut into small pieces and place in a pot. Cover with water. Bring potatoes to a boil over high heat, lower to medium high and let cook 10 minutes or until tender.

Drain potatoes. To the empty pot, add milk and butter. warm until butter has melted into the milk.

Return potatoes to the pot. Mash with the warm milk mixture, season with salt and pepper, set aside.

Heat oven to 350-degrees.

Cook ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat until browned, breaking apart as it browns, about 10 minutes; season ground beef with salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Stir to blend seasonings into the meat. Drain excess grease. Add green beans to the meat. Stir in cream of mushroom soup and bring to a simmer.

Spread ground beef mixture into a 9-inch by 13-inch casserole dish. Spread mashed potatoes evenly over ground beef mixture.

Bake in the heated oven until heated through, about 20 minutes.

If desired, serve with a simple salad and enjoy.