Time must know when bank accounts are low because it feels like the hours pass with a torturing level of slowness. That is where a dish like Before Payday Casserole comes in. A mix of pantry and refrigerator staples team up with a pack of ground meat to create a hearty, filling, and satisfying casserole.
What’s In Before Payday Casserole?
Ground Beef — You can substitute for whatever meat they have on sale at the grocery store or what you have on hand in your house.
Mashed Potatoes —Here they’re made from instant mashed potatoes.
Vegetables — The recipe utilizes canned corn and green beans, but you can also use frozen vegetables.
Tomato Purée — You can also substitute for canned tomato sauce. Since jarred tomato sauces have extra added ingredients that’d contrast the meat too much, jarred pasta sauce isn’t recommended but can still be used in a pinch.
Cheese — Cheddar is the best option for the casserole as it’s still rich but has a bit of sharpness. You can use either sliced or shredded cheese.
The meat is cooked and then mixed with the vegetables and tomato purée, while the mashed potatoes are prepared in another bowl. After the meat and vegetable mixture is spread onto the bottom of the prepared baking dish, followed by the mashed potatoes.
Everything is baked covered for thirty minutes. After thirty minutes, the foil is then removed, the cheese is added on top, and it bakes for an additional ten minutes.
Before Payday Casserole is your homemade meal in a pinch that stretches across those last few days before your paycheck comes in. While this casserole stretches things, it’s far from bland. The meatiness of the ground beef bolsters the savoriness of the tomato-based gravy. These mashed potatoes, fortified with just enough butter and cream, make for a satisfying creamy contrast to the meat and veggies below.
Cheese adds that extra oomph of decadence that finishes each bite off with a satisfying bit of cheddar goodness.
Even if you are well-padded from those painful dry days before payday, it’s a great casserole to make with ingredients you have on hand.
Before Payday Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef (ground turkey, chicken, or pork can also be used)
- 3 1/3 cups dried potato flakes (or instant mashed potatoes)
- 3 1/3 cups boiling water
- 1/4 cup full-fat sour cream, room temperature
- 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 28-ounce can tomato purée
- 1 (about 14.75 ounce) can corn kernels, drained
- 1 (about 14.50 ounce) can green beans, drained
- 2 cups sliced or shredded white or yellow cheddar cheese
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 350°F and spray a 9x9 or 9x13 baking dish with baking spray, set aside.
- In a pan cook ground meat, seasoning it with salt and pepper and breaking it up with a spatula, transfer to a large bowl.
- Add tomato purée, corn, and green beans into the bowl with the meat, stirring to combine set aside.
- In another large bowl, combine instant mashed potato flakes with hot water, sour cream, and butter, mixing to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
- Layer the meat-vegetable mixture into the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
- Spread the mashed potato layer over the top.
- Cover the casserole dish with foil. Bake in the oven until the sides of the casserole are bubbling, about 30 minutes. Remove the foil, add the cheese on top and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until the cheese has completely melted. Serve immediately and enjoy.
Recipe adapted from Cookpad.