Cheeseburger and Fries Casserole

Oh my HECK we have been through some amazing Winter weather and then some NOT SO NICE weather which deserves language that I will not use here.  I shouldn't complain - I don't think it was below -15 degrees C until late December.

And if you follow this blog, you know that I love heavy, hearty comfort food when the weather turns eVIL.

(Name that movie)

And this recipe fits that bill.

Now - the title either drew you in because you thought "Ew.  Heather." or because you were legitimately intrigued.

And the list of ingredients - well.  If you have a food/nutrition coach you may want to look away.  They will lower ALL your macros just for LOOKING at this.

Okay - it might not be THAT bad.  

Cook the beef until ALMOST fully browned and then add the onion, salt, pepper, and garlic.  Cook until the beef is cooked through and the onions are translucent. 

The original recipe didn't call for onion - but I thought it would be a fantastic addition. 

Drain off the fat.

Stir in the soups.  The recipe I used called for cream of mushroom, but I.....  am somewhat particular about mushrooms.  So I used cream of celery instead.

Then spread the beef mixture into a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.  

Then spread the fries over top of the beef mixture and bake until the fries are crispy.

Remove the casserole from the oven and cover with cheese.  (I always recommend a little extra!).  Bake some more until the cheese is melted.

You can't tell - but I'm doing a smile and nod every time I get to this part.  This casserole was so GOOD!  It was cheesy and kind of creamy and stuck to my ribs and was everything that I expected from cold weather comfort food.

And - not to be a Debbie Downer - but when my grandmother passed away this summer, one of my Auntie and Uncle's friends dropped a pan of this off for them.  I only got leftovers, but I have to say that it was EXCELLENT as leftovers.  In addition to calling this comfort food, I would also now consider it soul food.

I also think that the recipe is fairly versatile.  You could change this up with different kinds of soup.  I used a Mexican blend cheese because that's what I happened to have in the fridge - but you could use any cheese blend.  You could also shred up some carrots so that you can sneak in some veggies for the kiddos.  Or use curly fries instead of regular fries.  The possibilities are endless..

I like it plain jane just the way it is.

I hope it finds its way into your cold weather recipe rotation.

You could serve it with a salad or other veggies so that you don't send your nutrition coach into a complete meltdown event.

xoxo - Heather

Cheeseburger and Fries Casserole

2 pounds lean ground beef

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoons pepper

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 (300 ml) can cream of celery soup

1 (300 ml) can cheddar cheese soup

1 (500 gram) package frozen French fries

2 cups shredded cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Cook the ground beef in a large frying pan until almost cooked.
3. Add in the salt, pepper, onion, and garlic.  Cook until the beef is fully cooked through.  Drain off any accumulated grease.
4. Add both of the soups and stir to combine thoroughly.
5. Spread the beef in the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch glass baking dish.
6. Spread the frozen French fries over top.
7. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, until the fries are crisp.
8. Spread the cheese over top the fries and continue baking until the cheese is melted.  About 5 minutes.

Slightly adapted from: Genius Kitchen