I’ll admit it – this is a ‘lazy’ recipe. I used to believe that to be a good mom, I had to make every meal, every component of every meal, virtually from scratch. This caused a lot of stress, especially when I would leave the house at 7:30 AM to go to work and return home at 6:30 PM to start cooking.
That being said, this recipe that utilizes instant mashed potatoes and canned veggies doesn’t have to, so make it your own. This is my 7 year old’s favorite recipe to make, I think because he feels as if he is involved in every step of the making and the finished product is all his work!
1 pound of ground beef, browned and drained
1 can of Campbell’s Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 packet of Betty Crocker Creamy Butter mashed potatoes
1/2 can of french-cut green beans
1/2 can of sweet corn
Shredded cheddar cheese
Combine the soup with the ground beef, stirring in completely to coat. Prepare the mashed potatoes according to package directions. Use your favorite baking dish and remember that the smaller the dish, the thicker your ‘pie’ so you must be the judge of how thick you want it. Spread the ground beef mixture evenly over the bottom of the baking dish. Sprinkle the corn and green beans liberally over the meat (this is usually our thinnest layer, for reasons you can probably guess). Next, spread the mashed potatoes evenly over the vegetable layer. Last, sprinkle the cheddar cheese all over the top of the potatoes. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
When it comes out, it’s important to let it cool for at least ten minutes, because the meat layer is going to be much hotter than the potato layer. Also, allowing it to cool for this amount of time allows it to solidify somewhat, making it much easier to cut and serve. A great thing about this ‘pie’ is that you can substitute or add your favorite vegetables and the kids hardly taste them. Give it a try and leave me a comment with how much you enjoyed making it with your kids and what substitutions you made to make it your own. Enjoy!
