I’ve been on a little nostalgic, retro kick lately! And this dish came to mind instantly! I know, it’s not the prettiest to look at, and I hope that my photo doesn’t turn you away. Because this dish has stood the test of time and it’s just plain delicious!

I’m sure anyone growing up in the 60’s and 70’s had one version or another of this childhood favorite, Hamburger and Rice Casserole! Seems every mom made it just a little different, depending on what they had on hand. And this is my own favorite way that I like to make it, that brings back those childhood memories!

I start by just sautéing my lean ground beef with onions, celery, and a little coarse ground black pepper. Then remove this mixture with a slotted spoon, leaving the grease behind, and transfer all to a sprayed 2 1/2 quart baking dish.

Add a cup of real, uncooked rice, give it a little toss to mix, and believe it or not, the “hard” part is done! Yea. It’s that easy! 😉

 

 

Next, you’ll just whisk the rest of the ingredients, (except any toppings and the butter), until creamy and blended. Pour this over your beef mixture…

 

 

….dot with butter….

 

 

…cover – – and pop into the oven to bake!

*I baked this for one hour, removed it from the oven and gave it a gentle stir. Then tossed it back in, for about 20 minutes to finish cooking, to get the rice done all the way through.

 

(Almost done!!)

 

 

And that’s all there is to it! So simple, so easy, and you won’t believe how wonderful your house will smell while this is baking!! Omg….just walk away from the oven…seriously.

 

 

I love the amount of time this dish takes to bake, too, because I can then make anything I want to serve alongside. I usually like to accompany this main dish with steamed and buttered broccoli, or a fresh, crisp, tossed garden salad, but we kept it super simple this time, because I had some tomatoes that had to be used up. And it was perfect! Exactly the way we would’ve had it when we were kids!

 

 

The only thing that I need to warn you about is the salt. We love, I mean LOVE, this dish as is, but the salt may be overpowering for some. So please, if you’re afraid that it will be too much for you, simply start by using low-sodium soy sauce, by all means. Next, substitute either beef broth for the consommé for moderately salty, and opt for a soup can of water instead of beef broth if you’re very sensitive to salt, and ta-dah!, you’ll be fine!

Everyone enjoys and tolerates salt differently, and I just want everyone to be able to enjoy this classic favorite equally. You know your own salt levels, so just be sure to follow my guide! 🙂

I hope this simple dish, that my hubby fondly calls, “That Good Hamburger Rice Stuff”, graces your table soon! Hoping that you enjoy my version, that it becomes a family favorite, and a helping hand when you need it!  Enjoy!! 🙂

 

 

 

Yield: 6 servings

That Good Hamburger Rice Stuff

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Ingredients

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 ribs celery, sliced 1/4"
• 1/4 tsp. coarse ground black pepper (*do not add salt)
• 1 cup long grain white rice
• 1 (10 1/2 oz.) can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 (10 1/2 oz.) can beef consommé, (*for less salty please use plain beef broth or water)
• 1 (10 1/2 oz.) can french onion soup
• 1/4 cup regular (or low sodium) soy sauce (*regular may make the dish too salty for some)
• 1/8 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp. more coarse ground black pepper
• 4 Tbl. butter
• 1 cup Durkee French Fried Onions, (or crunchy chow mien noodles as desired per serving*), optional

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350º F.

In frying pan, sauté ground beef, onion and celery with the pepper until done, breaking up ground beef as it cooks. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to sprayed 2 1/2 quart baking dish.

Add rice, toss together to mix.

In medium-sized bowl, whisk together mushroom soup and consommé until creamy, stir in rest of ingredients, except butter and French Fried Onions.

Pour mixture over hamburger and rice evenly.

Cut butter into 8 thin slices and place on top.

Place on lid, (or cover tightly with foil), and bake for 1 hour. Remove from oven, give it a quick stir, place lid back on and bake for 15 - 20 minutes longer.

Remove from oven and let rest, covered for at least 15 minutes. (It can sit for a half an hour actually, if you need time to get side dishes prepared).

While oven is still warm, toast some French Fried Onions on a small baking sheet, or small piece of foil, if desired, for just 5 minutes or until golden browned.

Serve hot with lightly toasted French Fried Onions (or Chow Mein Noodles) on top if desired, along with a side vegetable or salad, and bread and butter if you'd like.

Notes

*If you make this using Regular Soy Sauce and Campbell's Beef Consommé, warning, this dish will be quite salty. My hubby and I LOVED it that way, but not all do. So please use suggested substitutions if you're worried about the saltiness, and use my guide on this blog page to adjust to your own preference.