Embrace the Casserole

A casserole is probably not what you think of as a romantic dinner but frankly, tasty is romantic! And this casserole is such a marvelous blend of favorite foods. And what's tastier and has more memories than a delicious cheeseburger?

This recipe is a family favorite that I grew up having for dinner. Actually, a wonderful neighbor brought it for dinner right after my mom and I came home from the hospital on February 12, 1987.

We have altered it by using plain mushroom soup rather than the tomato mushroom soup and we added more water. It has lasted years with the Chaston family and it's possible it could become a favorite in yours. So embrace the casserole. You won't be sorry!

To help you embrace the casserole, take a listen to "Embraceable You" sung by Ella Fitzgerald. And what is more romantic than an embrace to keep with the Valentine's Day theme?

CHEESEBURGER CASSEROLE

1 pound ground sirloin

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can cheddar cheese soup

1 ½ cans water

1 ½ cups grated cheddar cheese

1 pound frozen tater tots

1 pound frozen shoestring potatoes

garnish of grated cheddar cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Cook ground sirloin until browned then drain off any excess liquid.
3. Combine soups, water, and grated cheese. Add cooked ground sirloin. Mix together.
4. Place tater tots in a single layer in the bottom of a 9”x13” pan.
5. Pour soup and ground sirloin mixture over the tater tots, spreading to the edges of the pan to cover the tater tots.
6. Place the shoestring potatoes over the top in a haphazard way so that they are not pressed into the soup and ground sirloin mixture.
7. Cover the pan with foil.
8. Bake covered for 20 minutes.
9. Remove the foil and bake for 15 minutes longer until the shoestring potatoes are slightly crispy.
10. Serve with a garnish of grated cheddar cheese and put some ketchup on the side!