French Fry Casserole

You want to make a toddler happy?

Give him a plate of French Fry Casserole

So I had this recipe for awhile in my recipe folder but never made it. For some odd reason I was in the mood for a good comfort food casserole tonight. So I busted it out and it lived up to its expectations. I am not sure what expectations one would have for a french fry casserole but they were met. And Jackson had a full belly so a good dinner was had by all.

French Fry Casserole

Borrowed from......it was saved before I started blogging so I don't really know & didn't know it would be important

INGREDIENTS

1 pound lean ground beef or turkey ** I used 93% lean **
salt and pepper to taste
garlic powder to taste
burger seasoning to taste
a few shakes of Worcestershire sauce
1/2 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cheddar cheese soup
3/4 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup **Iused 98% fat free**
1/2 (16 ounce) package frozen French fries
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F .

Bake french fries on baking sheet for 10 minutes while preparing beef. **only bake them for 3/4 of the time listed on the package--it varies depending on brands**

In a skillet over medium-high heat, brown the beef.

Cook, stirring occasionally until beef is no longer pink.

Drain off excess grease, and add seasonings and Worcestershire sauce.

Return to the heat, and stir in the mushroom and cheese soups until well blended.

Heat through, and remove from stove.

Transfer the mixture to a 8x8 inch baking dish.

Cover the ground beef mixture with a layer of partially cooked French fries.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven (mine took much less - maybe only 15 minutes?).

When the fries are golden brown, remove the casserole from the oven, and sprinkle cheese over the top.

Return to the oven, and bake just until cheese has melted.

yummy cheesy goodness

VERDICT

Well...it was good, quick, comforting and Jackson loved it. Was it the healthiest thing I have ever made? Not by a long shot. I did use 93% lean beef, 98% fat free mushroom soup and reduced fat cheese so I did the best calorically I could. One of the things I didn't like was that the recipe didn't use the entire cans of soup. That seems wasteful too me and I am not sure what you could do with already opened soup. I did like that in the time it took for the fries to bake you could cook the meat and everything finished at the same time. So the entire family liked it and I could totally see this being a great meal for a cold winters night.......maybe not the ideal meal for 80 degree sunny summer weather but it got the job done and to put a toddler to bed with a full belly is all I can ask.