Description
Hearty Loaded Potato and Meatloaf Casserole brings comfort food to new heights with its rich layers of savory meat and creamy potatoes. Cheese, bacon, and green onions crown this midwest classic that satisfies deep hunger with classic American culinary charm.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 ½ lbs (680 g) ground beef
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup (60 g) breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup (60 ml) milk
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ cup (60 ml) ketchup
- 2 tbsps Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp mustard
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 3 cups (about 4 medium) potatoes, peeled and cubed
- ½ cup (120 ml) milk
- 4 tbsps butter
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 ½ cups (150 g) shredded cheddar cheese
- 6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 2 green onions, sliced (for garnish)
Instructions
- Potato Preparation: Submerge potato cubes in salted water, boil until fork-tender around 15 minutes. Drain and whip into creamy mashed potatoes by blending milk, butter, salt, and pepper until silky smooth.
- Meat Mixture Creation: Thoroughly combine ground beef with onions, garlic, breadcrumbs, milk, eggs, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, and seasonings until uniformly integrated. Gently press mixture into greased baking dish, ensuring even distribution.
- Initial Baking Phase: Roast meat foundation in preheated oven until meat browns and releases clear juices, indicating complete cooking. This foundational layer will provide robust flavor and structural integrity.
- Potato Layer Application: Spread mashed potatoes evenly across meat surface, creating a seamless, elegant coverage that completely conceals underlying meat layer. Aim for consistent thickness to ensure balanced texture in each serving.
- Cheese and Bacon Embellishment: Sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese generously over potato landscape, followed by crispy bacon fragments. These toppings will add rich, indulgent dimensions to the casserole’s flavor profile.
- Final Baking and Melting: Return casserole to oven, allowing cheese to transform into a golden, bubbling blanket. Remove when cheese appears completely melted with slightly crisp edges, signaling optimal doneness.
- Serving Presentation: Let casserole rest briefly for flavor melding. Garnish with delicate green onion slices and serve immediately while piping hot, presenting a comforting, multilayered culinary experience.
Notes
- Potato Perfection: Ensure potatoes are cut uniformly for even cooking and drain completely to prevent watery mashed potatoes.
- Meat Mixing Mastery: Avoid overmixing ground beef to prevent tough, dense meatloaf texture; gently combine ingredients just until integrated.
- Cheese and Bacon Balance: Shred cheese fresh for optimal melting and use crispy, well-drained bacon to prevent excess grease pooling on the casserole surface.
- Temperature Control: Let casserole rest 10-15 minutes after baking to help layers set and make cutting easier, maintaining structural integrity when serving.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Lunch
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 553
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 667 mg
- Fat: 35 g
- Saturated Fat: 18 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 32 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 124 mg