Want a low hassle-high-taste meal? Go for this simple cheeseburger and fries casserole. You can make it in one pan for easy clean up, and, although it sounds pretty heavy-duty in terms of calories and fat, it's actually lightened up a bit. I use ground turkey for the "burger" and the fries aren't actually fried. They cook on top of the cheeseburger mixture, adding seasoning and soaking up the flavorful sauce. The casserole dinner is easy, reasonably inexpensive, and your kids will love it. You will, too. It's got all the cheeseburger and fries flavors packed into one simple dish. And the recipe is a lot easier to make on your stove/in the oven than on the grill, especially when it's raining or too hot or too cold outside.
One Pan Cheeseburger and Fries Casserole Dinner -- Serves 4+
1 tablespoon of canola oil
1 small/medium onion, chopped (about a cup)
16-20 ounces of lean ground turkey (93 percent)
1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of pepper
2 tablespoons of flour
1/4 cup of ketchup
1 15-16-ounce can of diced tomatoes
1/4 cup of mustard (Dijon, spicy-brown, whatever you like on your burgers)
1/4 cup of pickle relish (sweet or dill, you choose)
1 1/2 cups of shredded Colby-Jack cheese (or cheddar is fine, too), divided
4 cups of seasoned steak/plank fries (about half a 25-30-ounce bag)
Toppings of your choice (chopped green onions, bacon, mushrooms, etc.)
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large, oven-proof skillet or chef's pan. Add the onion and saute it for about five minutes, then add the ground turkey, garlic powder, salt, and pepper and cook the mixture until the ground turkey is cooked through, about eight minutes. Sprinkle on the flour and stir it into the mixture for a minute or two. Reduce the heat to medium and add the ketchup, diced tomatoes (with their juice), mustard, and relish to the mixture. Cook the mixture, stirring it periodically, until it thickens--about five minutes. Stir in half the cheese, and keep stirring until the cheese melts into the mixture. Top the mixture with the seasoned fries, placing them in one layer on the top of the meat mixture. Place the pan, uncovered, in the oven and bake the mixture for about 30 minutes or until the potatoes are browned and the mixture is bubbling. Sprinkle on the remaining cheese evenly and bake the casserole for about five minutes more or until the cheese has melted. Remove the pan from the oven carefully and let the casserole/bake/dinner stand for 5-10 minutes before serving it. If you'd like, sprinkle on chopped green onions, bacon, mushrooms, whatever you like on your cheeseburgers and fries.
