A coworker shared her hamburger pie recipe when I was a young bride. But Judy called it hamburger fluff pie because it is topped with mashed potatoes. Judy met her husband when his truck ran into her car in a blizzard, but that's a story for another day.
This is a dish I have been making for over fifty years now, so I guess it must be called a vintage recipe! Am I vintage by now? I guess so! It fell out of our rotation for a long, long time for some silly reason.
Our youngest granddaughter joined us for lunch one day, so I decided it was time to bring out the hamburger pie recipe again because she loves mashed potatoes. The truth is, ALL our grandkids (but one) love mashed potatoes and request them often. (She may come around someday!)
A cast iron skillet makes a great vessel for this casserole, and everything I serve in cast iron seems special because it looks extra tasty. You can make the meat mixture right in the skillet, then top it with potatoes, slide it into a hot oven until the cheese is beautifully browned, and put it on the table to serve!
Cast iron is wonderful for any recipe that starts on the stove and ends up in the oven because it retains heat so well and can withstand high temperatures. When used properly, cast iron can last for generations. All of mine are even older than me!
Cast iron can be restored if you scratch one or let it get rusty or crusty. Every relationship should be so forgiving! I love the crispiness of anything cooked in iron and how gorgeous food looks against the jet-black background of well-seasoned iron!
No cast iron? Please don't let that stop you! This hamburger pie looks and tastes great in a casserole dish, too!
I'd say the only tricky part of this hamburger pie recipe is knowing your audience and measuring their love of potatoes. According to the US Department of Agriculture, a "serving size" of mashed potatoes is one cup. It takes about two medium potatoes because they lose volume when boiled.
If you feed small children, they will eat less, of course, but teenage boys would laugh to call that a serving. You can pile mashed potatoes high on the hamburger pie, and I doubt anyone would complain. Since the meat is fully cooked, the pan only needs to be in the oven long enough for the cheese to brown!
Start the potatoes before you make the meat mixture. The key is to cut the potatoes into uniformly sized chunks so they cook evenly. The potatoes should be tender and easily pierced. I use my cake tester! Keep them warm and set them aside to mash while the meat cooks.
I use butter and milk or half and half to make mashed potatoes. I've made them so often I know I could make them in my sleep! Of course, if you are in a hurry, you can make instant mashed potatoes like the Idahoan brand or use some of the good refrigerated kinds like the ones made by Bob Evans.
But please make them from scratch if you can! They're so much better, and it saves a lot of money! My new favorite way to make mashed potatoes is to boil them and mash them right in my Pampered Chef Rockcrok.
Put the onion right in the skillet when you brown the ground beef to ensure it is fully cooked. Then season the beef the way your family likes it. I used garlic powder, seasoned salt, and black pepper for our hamburger pie.
I love this clever hack for dealing with hamburger grease from Karen at The Food Charlatan. (I love her posts!) Drain any excess fat off the ground beef. Empty grease into a bowl lined with foil, then stick it in the fridge to set up, crumple it, and toss it. Grease is "no bueno" for your drain, and once it's solid, it's tidier in the trash can!
When the beef is browned, drained, and seasoned the way you like, add one 10.5-ounce can of tomato soup and two tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce.
Next, drain a 14.5-ounce can of French-cut green beans and spread them on top of the meat mixture. I prefer French-cut because with French-cut every bite of hamburger pie gets some beans!
Now spread the mashed potatoes on top and sprinkle it with shredded cheese. I always recommend shredding cheese from a block because bagged shredded cheese has a coating on it that keeps the shreds from sticking together. That coating keeps the cheese from melting as well.
And, of course, I sprinkled on some parsley for color, as usual, because I think parsley is green magic that makes everything taste better! Isn't that casserole gorgeous? It makes my mouth water as I get ready to make it again for dinner right now!
Hamburger pie is a complete meal in a pan! I served it with a tossed salad and some garlic toast. Fruit would be a wonderful accompaniment!
I love one-pot meals and casseroles because the cleanup is so much quicker and easier. I do not store leftover hamburger pie in my cast iron skillet, though. I always transfer it to a dish I can put in the oven or the microwave to reheat. At our house, we eat a lot of leftovers, but we call them plan-overs. 😉
Here are some more casseroles that are popular at our house. I think your family will like them too! Reuben Casserole and my most popular recipe, One-Pot American Goulash.
Here's a cozy vintage dish: hamburger pie. It uses the most basic ingredients in the kitchen, and everyone loves it. Hamburger pie is a complete meal in a pan! You can make it in a 10" cast iron skillet or bake it in a greased 2-quart casserole dish.
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