Beef and Bean Casserole

This is a dish that anyone would love, even kids.  Not only that, but it's got to be one of the most simple casseroles to prepare!

This is a well-loved recipe that my mom made for our family from the time I was a little girl.  We would request that she make this meal often.  This is one of many recipes she gave to me when I got married and my family loves it too!  This dish gets all 9's on the Melnarik rating scale!

I begin by placing the ground beef in a large saucepan and cooking it over high heat.  I break up the meat as it cooks until it is no longer pink, then I drain off the fat.

To the beef, I add the salt, beans, brown sugar, and onion.  When I open the can of beans, there is that little cube of mostly fat (it's the pork part of the pork and beans) on the top.  I always remove it, so I'm not adding extra fat, before adding the beans to the dish.  I stir these ingredients to combine them thoroughly.

Then I stir in the barbecue sauce and heat until bubbly.  I aways use K.C. Masterpiece brand barbecue sauce.

I transfer the hot mixture to a 2 quart baking dish.  After removing the biscuits from the can, I cut them in half and arrange them in an eye appealing pattern on top of the beef mixture.  I then put the dish in the oven to bake at 375°F for 25 minutes.

I then remove the dish from the oven, sprinkle the cheese evenly over the biscuits and return it to the oven for an additional 5 minutes to melt the cheese.

It doesn't get much simpler than that!  This recipe serves four people, so if you have hearty eaters or more than four to feed, I suggest doubling the recipe as my mom did and bake it in a 9- x 13-inch baking dish.  Every time I make this casserole, it takes me back to when I was a little girl!  Enjoy!

Beef and Bean Casserole

1 pound ground beef

1 teaspoon salt

1 (15 oz.) pork & beans

¾ cup barbecue sauce

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon instant minced onion

1 can (7.5 oz.) biscuits

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 375°F.  In a skillet, cook ground beef until no longer pink; drain.  Stir in salt, beans, barbeque sauce, brown sugar, and onion; heat till bubbly.  Transfer to a 2 qt. baking dish.  Remove biscuits from can and cut in half to form half circles.  Place on top of beef mixture.  Bake at 375°F for 25 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown.  Sprinkle cheese on top of biscuits; return to oven for an additional 5 minutes to melt cheese.

Yield:  4 servings