Name: Hobo Casserole Ground Beef Recipe
Ingredients: 1 pound ground beef (the cheap stuff works fine here, save your fancy grass-fed for another day); 1 onion, diced (yellow, white, whatever you’ve got); 2-3 cloves garlic, minced (or that jar of pre-minced if that’s your jam, no judgment); 3-4 potatoes, sliced thin (russets are great, but any potato works); 1 can cream of mushroom soup (the magical ingredient in every Midwestern casserole); 1/2 cup milk (whatever % you have on hand); 1 cup frozen mixed vegetables (the classic peas, carrots, corn, green bean mix); 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (or that pre-shredded Mexican blend, I won’t tell); 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (secret flavor bomb); 1 teaspoon dried thyme (or whatever herbs are in your cabinet); Salt and pepper to taste (don’t be shy with the pepper); Optional: splash of hot sauce (perks the whole thing up); Optional but worth it: french fried onions for topping (you know, the green bean casserole ones)

Description

Let me tell you about my go-to dinner when I’m broke, tired, and the kids are screaming for food in 30 minutes. Hobo Casserole is basically what happens when you dump a bunch of pantry staples in a dish, throw some cheese on top, and end up with something that tastes WAY better than it should. It’s got this amazing comfort food vibe – like something your grandma would make using whatever she had on hand during tough times. The name comes from the old “hobo dinners” that were cooked in foil packets over campfires. This version is a little more put-together but still has that “make do with what you’ve got” spirit.

Ingredients

Scale

1 pound ground beef (the cheap stuff works fine here, save your fancy grass-fed for another day)
1 onion, diced (yellow, white, whatever you’ve got)
2–3 cloves garlic, minced (or that jar of pre-minced if that’s your jam, no judgment)
3–4 potatoes, sliced thin (russets are great, but any potato works)
1 can cream of mushroom soup (the magical ingredient in every Midwestern casserole)
1/2 cup milk (whatever % you have on hand)
1 cup frozen mixed vegetables (the classic peas, carrots, corn, green bean mix)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (or that pre-shredded Mexican blend, I won’t tell)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (secret flavor bomb)
1 teaspoon dried thyme (or whatever herbs are in your cabinet)
Salt and pepper to taste (don’t be shy with the pepper)
Optional: splash of hot sauce (perks the whole thing up)
Optional but worth it: french fried onions for topping (you know, the green bean casserole ones)