Mess

Every family has a recipe called something like “mess” or “slop” or “stuff." This is that recipe: ground beef browned with onion, then mixed with canned green beans, canned mushrooms, and a can of tomato soup. One pot, five ingredients, dinner in 30 minutes.

The tomato soup acts as both sauce and seasoning. It coats the beef and vegetables in a thick, slightly sweet tomato base that kids tend to love and adults find surprisingly satisfying.

Brown the beef and onion thoroughly before adding anything else. You want the onion translucent and the beef with some real color on it. Just heating everything together without browning first gives you a grey, steamed-tasting result that lives up to the name in the wrong way.

Kitchen Tips

• Drain the beef well after browning. Excess grease makes the whole dish oily and dilutes the tomato soup’s flavor.
• French-style (thin-cut) green beans work better here than regular cut. They blend into the mixture more naturally.
• Serve over egg noodles or spaghetti to stretch it further and soak up the sauce.
• Season with salt at the end. The canned soup and vegetables already bring sodium.

Variations

• Cheesy version: Stir in shredded cheddar at the end and let it melt into the mixture.
• Spicy upgrade: Add a can of Ro-Tel (diced tomatoes with green chilies) in place of the tomato soup.