Hoosier Supper

Hoosier supper is the kind of stick-to-your-ribs Midwestern casserole that turns a pound of ground beef into a full skillet-to-oven supper. Browned beef simmers with eggplant, rice, tomato paste, and a packet of onion soup mix until the rice drinks up all the savory liquid, then the whole thing gets crowned with parmesan and bread crumbs and baked to a crisp golden top.

The ripe black olives scattered on top give the dish its signature speckled look and a salty hit against the richness underneath.

Chef Tips

• Drain the beef well after browning. Excess fat pools in the rice and turns the dish greasy instead of savory.
• Salt the diced eggplant and let it sit on a paper towel for 15 minutes before adding. This pulls out bitterness and stops the cubes from soaking up oil like sponges.
• Use long-grain white rice. Quick-cooking or instant rice turns mushy by the time the casserole leaves the oven.
• The 20-minute simmer with the lid on is what cooks the rice. Don’t skip it or peek; the steam needs to stay trapped to hydrate the grains.
• For maximum crunch on top, run the casserole under the broiler for the last 2 minutes after baking.

Variations

• Swap ground beef for ground turkey or Italian sausage for a different flavor base.
• Use diced zucchini in place of eggplant if you can’t find a good one.
• Add a layer of shredded mozzarella under the bread crumb crust for an even cheesier finish.