Shipwreck Casserole

This shipwreck casserole is layered with rice, beef, potatoes, bacon, tomatoes, all covered with a beefed-up tomato soup broth and topped with cheese.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword ground beef and rice casserole, ground beef casseroles

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 1 30

Total Time 1 55

Servings servings

Calories 609kcal

Author Kathleen

Ingredients

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pound ground beef
1 1/2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1/2 pound bacon
1 medium onion, minced
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
3 medium potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/4 inch thick rounds.
1/2 cup uncooked long-grain white rice
1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes, including juices
2 tablespoons butter, slice into cubes-1/4 X 14 inch pieces.
1 (10.5-ounce) can tomato soup
1 full soup can measure water
3/4 cup water
1 tablespoon beef flavored Better Than Bouillon
1 1/2 cups mozzarella, shredded

Instructions

Arrange an oven rack to the lower third of the oven. Preheat oven 350ºF (177ºC). Generously butter, or spray a 9X13-inch baking dish.
Add 1 tablespoon oil to a large skillet then brown and crumble the beef (1 pound) until there is no longer any pink in it. While the beef cooks, sprinkle with Cajun seasoning (1 1/2 teaspoons) and Italian seasoning (2 teaspoons). Drain and discard excess fat, then transfer beef to a paper towel-lined plate.
Sauté the chopped bacon (1/2 pound) over medium heat, until crispy. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate, leaving 2 tablespoons of the drippings in the skillet. If there aren't 2 tablespoons of bacon drippings, add vegetable oil to make up the difference.
Sauté chopped onion in bacon drippings over medium heat, until translucent. Stir in garlic (1 tablespoon) and continue to sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Sprinkle uncooked rice (1/2 cup) in the bottom of prepared baking dish.
Arrange petite diced tomatoes (1--14 ounce can) with their juices over rice.
Arrange sautéd onion and garlic in a layer over rice.
Arrange potato slices (3 medium) over onions. Dot with butter.
Sprinkle cooked bacon over potatoes.
Arrange cooked beef over bacon and potatoes.
Heat the 3/4 cup water in the microwave and dissolve 1 tablespoon beef flavored Better Than Bouillon. Crush and whisk the mixture until the lumps have dissolved.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together tomato soup, one soup can of water, and 3/4 cup water with dissolved Better Than Bouillon, until smooth. Pour over layered casserole and cover tightly with foil. Place on a rimmed baking sheet.
Bake for 1 hour 30 minutes or until potatoes and rice are cooke through and tender. If all liquid is absorbed and the rice isn't cooked, add 1/2 cup more of water. Recover with foil and cook until rice is tender.
Remove from oven, uncover, and sprinkle with cheese (1 1/2 cups). Return to oven, uncovered, and cook until cheese is melted and beginning to brown. Let it cool for about 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

Cool It! To prevent browning, I place the peeled potatoes in a large bowl with cold water. As I slice each potato, I put them back in the water until I assemble the casserole.
Melt It: Don’t skip the step about heating the water and melting the Better Than Bouillon in it. This little step will ensure that the lovely beef broth will be evenly distributed.
Variations: Add corn, canned or frozen, and add taco spices to the meat and omit the bacon and Italian seasonings. Use cheddar cheese in this case for a nice Mexican-based flavor. Add a frozen peas and carrots layer for more veggies.
Different Potatoes: Instead of fresh potatoes, use frozen hash browns (1 30-ounce package). Directly substitute and layer the hash browns instead. Use 2/3 of the hashbrowns in the first layer, then top the casserole with the remaining hash browns, season with salt and pepper. Bake and cover with cheese as directed.

Nutrition