Budget-friendly potato casserole: A heartwarming family favorite
I often face the challenge of feeding my large family a tasty and filling meal without breaking the household budget. That's when potato casserole comes to the rescue—a true queen of simple, homemade dishes. This dish is so versatile that it always disappears from the plates in the blink of an eye, and most importantly, it takes less than an hour of active preparation.
When I don’t know what to make for a quick and satisfying dinner for the whole family, I always turn to the tried-and-true potato casserole recipe. This dish is easy to prepare and exceptionally economical—perfect when I want to feed several people without spending a fortune.
Potato casserole – simplicity that always works
Potato casserole with ground meat is a real hit in my kitchen. Soft, creamy potatoes, aromatic tomato sauce with pieces of juicy meat, and melting cheese—the combination always pleases everyone. Moreover, its preparation doesn't require advanced culinary skills, and I often already have most of the ingredients at home.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs of potatoes
- 1.3 lbs of ground meat (beef-pork blend)
- 1 large onion
- 1 stalk of celery
- 1 large carrot
- 3 tablespoons of oil
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 4 tablespoons of tomato paste
- 1 cup of tomato purée
- 5 oz of mozzarella
- Salt, pepper, sweet paprika, oregano (optional)
- Fresh chives or green onions
Instructions
- Boil the potatoes in their skins for about 17-20 minutes. After cooling, slice them.
- Heat the oil in a pan and sauté the chopped onion, celery, and grated carrot.
- Add the ground meat, spices (salt, pepper, paprika, oregano), and minced garlic. Cook until the meat is browned.
- Add the tomato paste and purée. Simmer on low heat for about 20 minutes.
- Layer the potatoes, meat sauce, and mozzarella in an ovenproof dish. Repeat until all ingredients are used.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and bake the casserole for about 30 minutes.
- After baking, sprinkle with fresh chives or green onions and serve.
Quick dinner for any occasion
The whole dish goes into the oven preheated to 350°F and bakes for about 30 minutes. Once out of the oven, the potato casserole is ready to be served—creamy, aromatic, with a slightly crispy top thanks to the cheese. It's one dish that tastes great, freshly baked, and reheated the next day.
This potato casserole is always my savior when I'm out of dinner ideas. It only takes an hour to prepare a delicious, filling meal for the whole family that won't strain the household budget.
