Easy Beef and Potato Casserole

Yield: 8 servings
Prep time: 30 min.
Cook time: 45 min.

Ingredients

2 lb. lean ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 pkg. (10 to 12 oz.) frozen corn
1 can (10-1/2 oz.) cream of mushroom soup
½ cup milk
½ cup sour cream
½ tsp. each black pepper and onion powder
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided use
3 Tbsp. real bacon bits
6 cups (about ¾ of 32-oz. pkg.) frozen seasoned bite-size potato nuggets

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 375°F.
2. Brown meat with onions in large skillet on medium-high heat.
3. Drain meat mixture; return to skillet.
4. Add corn, soup, milk, sour cream, dry seasonings and 1/2 cup cheese; mix well.
5. Spoon into 13x9-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray; sprinkle with bacon bits.
6. Place potato nuggets in single layer over meat mixture.
7. Bake 40 to 45 min. or until potatoes are lightly browned and meat mixture is heated through.
8. Sprinkle with remaining cheese; bake 5 min. or until melted

Serve with roasted carrots and Brussels sprouts. Make it easy by roasting the vegetables while you bake the casserole. After placing the Easy Beef and Potato Casserole in the oven, cover a rimmed baking sheet with foil, then spray with cooking spray. Toss 1 lb. each baby carrots and Brussels sprouts with 1 Tbsp. oil; spread onto prepared baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper. Add the vegetables to the oven for the last 30 min. of the Easy Beef and Potato Casserole baking time, stirring the vegetables after 15 min. For added flavor, toss roasted vegetables with 1 Tbsp. melted butter, then drizzle with 1 to 2 tsp. honey or maple-flavored syrup before serving.

Special Extra
For added color and flavor, sprinkle with chopped fresh chives or parsley before serving.
Variation: Prepare recipe using your favorite variety of shredded cheese, and/or substituting frozen waffle fries or curly fries for the potato nuggets, and/or substituting 2 crumbled cooked bacon slices for the bacon bits.
Make it Your Own: Not a fan of onions? Omit chopped onions, and increase the onion powder to 1 tsp. Or for a cowboy casserole, substitute 1 tsp. chili powder or 2 Tbsp. taco seasoning mix for the onion powder, and stir 1 drained and rinsed 16-oz. can kidney beans or 1 drained 10-oz. can diced tomatoes and green chilies into the meat mixture before spooning into prepared baking dish and topping with the potato nuggets.

Cool and refrigerate any leftovers up to 3 days. Reheat just before serving.