Hobo Casserole
Hobo Casserole perfectly combines savory flavors in a hearty dinner dish. It’s simple to prepare with minimal steps and can be customized to your family’s tastes!
A LAYERED CASSEROLE RECIPE
Hobo Casserole is the ultimate comfort food that’s hearty, belly-filling, and budget-friendly. This casserole recipe is based off my Hamburger Hobo Packets and my Meat and Potato Packets usually cooked on the grill. Making this as a casserole means it is the perfect dinner to whip up on those busy weeknights, especially if you make it ahead of time. If your family are full of meat and potato lovers like mine, then this is the meal for them! The combination of ground beef, carrots, potatoes, and cheese creates a hearty, comforting dish that is a whole meal in one!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
Yes. I’d assemble it the day before and then cover it before popping it in the fridge. Then, the next day when you are ready to bake it, you can pop it in the oven from cold and add some more cooking time on it (I haven’t personally tested it so can’t give you an exact time but your potatoes and carrots should be soft and cooked through). Or, you can pull it from the fridge a little early to let it come to room temperature before popping it in the oven as normal.
No. This casserole isn’t overly garlic or onion flavored despite the various different types of onions and garlic used. There are lots of layers of onion flavors here for sure. But if you aren’t an onion lover, you can leave the diced or minced onion flakes out to lower the onion flavor a tad. I still don’t think this is a crazy strong flavor, but each variation of onion brings something different to the table. Same with the garlic. It may seem like overkill when you read through the ingredient list, but trust me, each ingredient holds its own flavor but feel free to adjust as your taste buds prefer..
You can add bell peppers, mushrooms, green beans, or bacon to the dish. Pretty much anything you like and think will work well with these flavors, you could add.
You can keep the leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days. Freeze for up to 3 months.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)
- lean ground beef – If you don’t use lean beef, you will need to drain the fat from the pan.
- yellow onion
- garlic cloves – I used fresh garlic here but you can use the jarred stuff if you prefer.
- all-purpose flour
- beef broth– as always, you can use low sodium beef broth or no sodium added beef broth if you are sensitive to sodium
- dried minced onion flakes – I know, we’re adding onion so why add onion flakes and onion powder? They all bring a slightly different flavor to the mix but if you don’t have these on hand, just skip it, it’ll still taste great.
- onion powder
- garlic powder
- Worcestershire sauce
- salt and pepper – you can always wait to add this until you taste your serving if you are sensitive to sodium and season as you see fit.
- shredded cheddar cheese– If you need to, other cheese can be used. I think Colby Jack would be fantastic, or if you like a little heat kick, try adding some Pepper Jack.
- sour cream– I don’t think this brings a strong sour cream flavor, but if you don’t care for it (or have a family member who doesn’t care for it), you can use substitute it with plain Greek yogurt instead. If that’s still not something you’d like to use, try Cream of Chicken Soup (or Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup) so you can still get that creaminess.
- russet potatoes– you can peel the potatoes if you prefer. I leave the skins on though. If you do leave the skins on, be sure to rinse and scrub the potatoes well before using them.
- carrots– you can shred the carrots if you prefer shredded carrots over diced, or you can omit the carrots altogether if that is what you prefer.
HOW TO MAKE HOBO CASSEROLE:
Preheat your oven to 400°F. In a sauté pan add the ground beef, onion, and minced garlic over medium heat. Saute for 5 to 7 minutes or until the juices run clear.
Add the flour. Stir for 1 minute. Add the broth and seasonings. Stir for 1 minute.
Add 1 cup of cheese and the sour cream. Mix until combined.
Transfer the meat mixture to the baking dish. Add the potatoes and carrots.
Stir until combined. Top the casserole with the remainder of the cheese.
Cover the dish with aluminum foil. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender. Sprinkle the parsley on top.
CRAVING MORE RECIPES?
- Chicken Bacon Ranch Potato Casserole
- Cattle Drive Casserole
- Hamburger Hobo Packets
- Chicken and Stuffing Casserole
- Slow Cooker Poor Man’s Stew
- Chicken and Potato Foil Packs
- Tuna Noodle Casserole
- Philly Cheesesteak Casserole
- Twice Baked Potato Casserole
- Sloppy Joe Casserole
- Doritos Taco Casserole
- Ground Beef and Rice Casserole
- Stuffed Pepper Casserole
- Reuben Casserole
- Beanie Weenie Casserole
- 30 Comforting Casserole Recipes
- 100 Ground Beef Recipes
Hobo Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- ½ cup diced yellow onion
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 Tablespoon dried minced onion flakes
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese (divided use)
- 1 cup sour cream
- 3 cups diced (about 1-inch thick) russet potatoes (about 3 small russet potatoes)
- 1 cup diced carrots
- 1 Tablespoon dried parsley (optional, for garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a sauté pan add 1 pound lean ground beef, 1/2 cup diced yellow onion and 2 garlic cloves, minced over medium heat. Sauté for 5 to 7 minutes or until the juices run clear.NOTE: If not using lean ground beef, you will need to drain excess grease.
- Add 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour. Stir for 1 minute.
- Add 1 cup beef broth, 1 Tablespoon dried minced onion flakes, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Stir for 1 minute.
- Add 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese and 1 cup sour cream. Mix until combined.
- Transfer the meat mixture to the baking dish.
- Add 3 cups diced (about 1-inch thick) russet potatoes and 1 cup diced carrots. Stir until combined.
- Top the casserole evenly with the remainder 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese.
- Cover the dish with aluminum foil.
- Bake on the middle rack for about 30-35 minutes or until the potatoes and carrots are fork tender. NOTE: Oven times can vary so please go by done-ness and not necessarily the exact baking time. Check with a fork, if the potatoes are not fork tender, allow it to cook for longer.
- Evenly sprinkle 1 Tablespoon dried parsley on top before serving.
Notes
- Please refer to my FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
This was really good! I didn’t have sour cream so I substituted a can of mushroom soup instead as Will definitely make again!
you don’t know how to cook and shouldn’t leave reviews until you figure it out
This came out perfect! Flavor was delicious and hubby said I had to put it on regular rotation!
So delicious. Love casseroles.
This looks yummy. Gonna use veggie broth.