Shipwreck Casserole

Shipwreck Casserole is a vintage ground beef recipe that comes together easily with layers of hamburger, potato, kidney beans and tomato soup. Zesty taco seasoning, bacon, cheese, and a buttery Corn Flake topping finish off the flavorful dish!

Course Dinner

Cuisine American

Keyword ground beef casserole, layered hamburger potato casserole, shipwreck casserole

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 1 10

Total Time 1 30

Servings - 8 people

Calories 528kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

Ingredients

1 ½ lbs. ground beef
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
Pinch cayenne
1 ½ lbs. (about 3 medium) russet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced (less than ¼-inch thick)
1 (16 oz) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 cans (10.75 oz each) condensed tomato soup, not diluted
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 cup crushed Corn Flakes cereal mixed with 1 tablespoon melted butter

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish; set aside.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the beef, onion and garlic until the beef is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the chili powder, salt, oregano, cumin and cayenne.
In the prepared baking dish, layer half of the potatoes to cover the bottom of the pan (overlapping some is fine). Season the potatoes with a little bit of salt and pepper. Top with half of the beef mixture, half of the beans and half of the bacon. Pour one can of soup over top. Repeat the layers once more, starting with potatoes (seasoned with salt and pepper), then beef, beans, bacon and soup.
Cover with foil and bake 1 hour. Remove foil, sprinkle the cheese and buttered Corn Flakes on top, and return to the oven (uncovered) for about 10-15 more minutes (or until the cheese is melted, the topping is golden brown, and the potatoes are tender). Garnish with fresh parsley just before serving.

Notes

Total baking time may vary depending on the type of casserole dish that you’re using and on how thinly you slice your potatoes. I use a mandoline to quickly and easily slice the potatoes very thin. This ensures that the potatoes are tender and cooked evenly after about 70 minutes. If you slice your potatoes thicker, you can increase the baking time as necessary. Just tent the dish loosely with foil if the top starts to get too dark before the potatoes are done.
Cooking for a Smaller Family? Cut all of the ingredients in half and bake the casserole in an 8-inch square dish. The baking instructions remain the same. You can even prepare the full recipe, but divide the ingredients between two 8-inch pans and freeze one casserole for later.
For an extra cheesy casserole, feel free to add 1 cup of grated cheese into the layers. Any good melting cheese will work -- cheddar, American, Monterey Jack, Colby, Gruyere, or Pepper Jack!
Garnish the casserole with fresh herbs (such as parsley, thyme, basil or oregano) for a bright, fresh touch. Sliced green onions would also be good.

Nutrition