Cowboy Casserole

Recently, I was out at a fundraiser, and we (me and the women at my table) were discussing dinner and recipes.  I started to tell them that a few nights before I made Anne Burrel's Bolognese recipe, which takes about 4-5 hours.  I was met with a lot of "no way," 'I would never cook something that took that long" type comments.  I love to cook recipes that develop intense flavors over time, but I am starting to realize that you, my readers, may not feel the same way.  I should have taken the cue a long time ago because it's always my quick weeknight meals that seem to be my most popular.

When I decided to make a weeknight casserole, I really wanted to have my readers tastes in mind. So, I was thinking this casserole has to be kid friendly, but have a few vegetables in it too (we've got to keep the moms happy).  I dug back in my mental recipe catalog, and recalled something called a Cowboy Casserole.  I haven't a clue where I first saw it, but I know I've seen about a dozen variations, so here is my take.

Feel free to swap veggies.  I used a package of frozen mixed veggies which included green beans, asparagus, corn and carrots.  The other thing you can change to cater to your family is the cheese. I used a blend called "4 State Cheddar", which is a blend of sharp Wisconsin cheddar, sharp Vermont cheddar, Sharp New York cheddar and mild California cheddar but any cheddar or cheddar blend would work just fine.

COWBOY CASSEROLE

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INGREDIENTS:

• 1-1.5 lb ground beef
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 bag frozen mixed vegetables, prepared to package instructions 
• about 1 lb frozen potato puffs (tater tots) 
• 1 can cream of celery soup
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1/4 C sour cream
• 1/4 C milk
• 2 C shredded cheddar cheese (any variety) 

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 400. Spray or butter a 9x13 baking dish (casserole dish).
2. Brown the ground beef in a large saute pan, adding the onion & garlic about 2-3 minutes in.  Cook until meat is browned and onion is soft. Drain the grease and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, combine soups, milk, sour cream, vegetables & 1 C cheese & ground beef mixture.
4. Spread mixture into prepared baking dish.  Place the potato puffs on top of ground beef mixture and sprinkle the remaining cup of cheese over everything.
5. Bake 40 minutes until bubbly and potato puffs are crisp.  Allow to cool 5-10 minutes before serving.