Almost-A-Meal Casserole

Almost-a-meal casserole earns its name by stacking nearly every weeknight food group into a single 3-quart dish: ground beef, tomatoes, potatoes, corn, lima beans, peppers, and a melted cap of cheddar. Skip the side salad and you’ve got dinner.

The layering matters here. Browned beef and saucy tomatoes go on the bottom so they keep the diced potatoes braising in flavorful liquid as everything bakes. The flour sprinkled between layers thickens the released juices into a glossy gravy by the time the foil comes off.

That covered first hour is what tenderizes the raw potatoes from the inside out. Skip the cover or shorten the bake and you risk a casserole with crunchy spuds.

Pro Tips

• Cut the potatoes small (half-inch dice) so they cook through in the same time as the rest. Big chunks will still be firm at the buzzer.
• Drain the canned tomatoes only partially. You want enough liquid to braise the potatoes but not so much that the dish turns soupy.
• Add the cheddar in the last 15 minutes uncovered so it melts and lightly browns instead of overcooking into rubber.

Variations

• Swap lima beans for green beans or edamame if lima beans aren’t your thing.
• Use ground turkey or browned Italian sausage in place of beef for a different flavor profile.
• Stir a teaspoon of smoked paprika or chili powder into the meat layer for a Tex-Mex twist.