Hamburger Casserole

Where are all the main dishes?

One day, I was chatting with my sister about the paltry amount of main dishes in Grandma's recipe box.  "Here's what I remember," she said. "Grandma would open the fridge or pantry and make something out of whatever she could find." My sister was pretty young when Grandma moved in with us, so she would know. She grew up eating Grandma's on-the-fly main dishes.   

After that conversation, I pulled out the recipe pictured above, Hamburger Casserole, and it seemed to be a written-down version of Grandma's whatever-was-on-hand style of cooking. The ingredient amounts were vague, as usual, and in one case, it offered the choice between two different kinds of cream soups. There was also a little note at the end about possibly needing to "add a little water." In other words, Hamburger Casserole was the quintessential Grandma recipe. 

How to make Hamburger Casserole

First, I got a pot of water boiling, then went to my pantry to grab a "small" package of noodles. To my horror, the package I remembered being in there had already been opened, and only a few noodles remained. Well then! I would have to improvise, which was exactly what Grandma would have done in my shoes. 

I pulled out an 8-ounce package of spaghetti instead, broke it into small pieces, and dumped them in the water.   

While the spaghetti was boiling, I turned my attention to the ground beef, which was supposed to be "fried with onion." How much onion? No idea. 

Grandma often used dried instead of fresh, so that's what I pulled out. She would have eyeballed it, but I used a tablespoon so that I could write down a specific amount. However, I later wished I had added a little more. I then proceeded to break up the meat with this nifty tool (not an affiliate link) and cooked it until it was evenly browned. 

Next, I began adding stuff to the ground beef. Grandma said to use either Cream of Mushroom soup or Cream of Celery soup, but again, I had to use what was in my pantry. A can of Cream of Chicken soup went in along with a can of kidney beans, which, surprisingly, was exactly what the recipe called for. 

I stirred that together then went to add the "grated cheese" mentioned. No listed amount meant that I had to go with my gut, which told me one cup should be good.   

I stirred in the cheese, then drained the cooked spaghetti and added it.  

For a moment, I scanned my kitchen cupboards, looking for an appropriately sized baking dish for the Hamburger Casserole. It then hit me that my cast-iron skillet would do perfectly well. I sprinkled another cup of cheese on top and stuck the skillet into the preheated oven. 

That had to have been one of the quickest and easiest casseroles I'd ever made.  

However, the hour baking time was highly suspect. I doubted the ingredients I'd just stirred together would need an hour to bake. In fact, I was afraid that leaving the dish in the oven that long would dry everything out. The casserole wasn't very saucy to begin with since I hadn't followed Grandma's advice about adding additional water. I should have saved some of the pasta water to add in. Either that or a glug of milk. 

Oh well, too late now. I set my time for 25 minutes, intending to check the dish at that point and see if it was ready. 

25 minutes later . . . voila!

The cheese was melty. Crackly bubbling sounds rose from the Hamburger Casserole. The edges of the spaghetti were indeed beginning to brown, and that was my sign to take the dish out. We served it up and dove in. 

The Verdict on Hamburger Casserole

Because of the simplicity of the ingredients, I wasn't expecting a complex flavor profile, and I didn't get one. That's not to say that this casserole tasted bad. On the contrary, the Cream of Chicken soup and the cheese bound everything together into a comforting, nostalgic bite. Because I'd used spaghetti instead of noodles, this iteration of Hamburger Casserole reminded my husband of Beef Cheese Casserole, but that one has more of a tomato-y tang. 

If I were forced to choose, I would probably take that one over this one, but I really did like the addition of kidney beans. This is a hearty, satisfying casserole that I'd eat again, and next time, I'll be sure to have noodles on hand so I can see how they change things. I might also try adding another can of soup, maybe Cream of Celery, just for saucy kicks. And maybe . . . . 

Yes, I am my grandmother's granddaughter.