Hobo Casserole is a delicious easy weeknight family meal that is easy to prepare and everyone will love it. Easy casseroles are a family favorite for us and this one is no exception.
There is no special time of year for this casserole. It is just as good in the spring as it is in the fall, as it is in the winter. I would call it an evergreen casserole.
I like to cook it in a cast iron skillet. It's a nice, even distribution of heat and it's also a great camping recipe, should we need a casserole recipe for then.
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What makes this recipes so yummy
- Easy, inexpensive ingredients.
- It takes less than 10 minutes to assemble.
- It pretty much cooks itself so it's an easy meal.
- It's a full meal. You don't need any other sides.
- You could make this casserole on the camp fire or in the oven.
Groceries you'll need: Ingredients
- Lean Ground Beef
- Small Onion
- Russet Potatoes
- Cheddar Cheese
- Cream of Chicken Soup
- Cream of Potato Soup
- Worcestershire Sauce
- Milk (not shown in image)
- Creole Seasoning
- French's Fried Onions
- Salt and Pepper
See recipe card at the bottom of this post for quantities.
Recipe Walkthrough: Instructions
This is an overview of the recipe steps. For more detailed instructions visit the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Step 1: Pat ground beef into the bottom of your cast iron skillet and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Step 2: Sprinkle some diced onions on top of beef.
- Step 3: Slice medium potatoes and Layer evenly on top of the onion layer.
- Step 4: Sprinkle the grated cheese on top.
- Step 5: In a medium mixing bowl add both cream soups, the Worcestershire sauce, milk and Creole seasoning. Mix with a whisk.
- Step 6: Spoon mixture over the top of the cheese layer, evenly.
- Step 7: Cover with aluminum foil and bake in the oven for 90 minutes.
- Step 8: Remove from the oven and sprinkle the fried onions on top. Broil to give a slight brown-ness (about 2-3 minutes).
Hint: You could use a casserole dish instead, or even a dutch oven.
Recipe variations and substitute ideas
- Cream of Mushroom Soup - instead of chicken.
- Cheese Slices - instead of grated cheese.
- Green Beans - these could be added for extra vegetables.
- Hot Dogs - I've heard of this meat being used.
- Sour Cream - could be added for richness.
- American Cheese - instead of cheddar.
- Ground Turkey - instead of beef.
- Ground Venison - instead of beef.
- Chili Powder - to add a little extra spice.
- Tomato Sauce - for more tomato flavor.
- Hot Sauce - to add some heat.
- Garlic Cloves - add this with the onions.
- Barbecue Sauce - add a few spoons of this.
- Tomato Juice - for more tomato flavor.
- Green Bell Pepper - add with the onions.
- Tater Tots - instead of the potatoes.
- Pinto Beans - add some canned pinto beans.
- Smoked Sausage - chopped sausage could be good.
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Necessary gear: Equipment
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I use a 10" Cast Iron Skillet for this recipe. Plus a mixing bowl and whisk, but in a pinch you could use a regular large skillet (as long as it's oven proof).
A hobo dinner should be versatile.
You could also try making this hobo casserole in individual foil packets, for a great way to make this easy casserole outdoors.
I have some affiliate links in the recipe card below if you're interested to know more.
More Casserole Recipes I think you'll love
- Hamburger Potato Casserole
- John Wayne Casserole
- Big Mac Casserole
- Crockpot Cracker Barrel Cheesy Hash Brown Casserole
- Beef Pot Pie
Try finishing it off with these Banana Pudding Tacos, they're super popular right now and it's not hard to see why!
How to store leftovers
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
It does freeze well. Transfer to a freezer safe container and freeze for up to 3 months.
Mel's kitchen notes
The 'Cream Of' soups really give this recipe a great flavor. I find the combination of chicken and potato are perfect. Some people like cream of mushroom too. This is personal preference. If you've cooked this type of casserole before you'll know what you think you'll prefer. If you haven't tried it this way before though, I would give it a shot.
If you’ve tried this Hobo Casserole Recipe or any other great recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section below, how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers!
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Hobo Casserole
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 Pounds Lean Ground Beef
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 1 Each Yellow Onions diced, small
- 4 Each Russet Potatoes medium, peeled and sliced
- 8 Ounces Cheddar Cheese grated
- 10.5 Ounces Cream of Chicken Soup 1 can
- 10.5 Ounces Cream of Potato Soup 1 can
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
- ¼ Cup Milk
- 1 teaspoon Creole Seasoning
- ⅓ Cup Crispy French Fried Onions
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Add the ground beef to a 10" Cast Iron black Skillet (or a small casserole dish), and press down.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Sprinkle with diced onions.
- Lay the sliced potatoes over the top in an even layer.
- Sprinkle the cheese over the top of the potatoes, evenly.
- In a medium mixing bowl, add the chicken soup, potato soup, Worcestershire sauce, milk and Creole seasoning. Mix well with a whisk.
- Pour over the cheese and carefully try to evenly spread.
- Cover with aluminum foil and bake in the oven for 1-½ Hours.
- Remove from the oven, remove the foil and sprinkle the fried onions on the top.
- Place under a broiler for a few minutes to brown.
Nutrition
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Laura says
Do you put the meat in raw or do you brown it and then do the additional steps.
Melanie Cagle says
I put the meat in raw. Make sure to use lean ground meat and it doesn't get greasy.
Danielle says
Would it lessen the time in the oven if you did brown the ground beef first or doesn't that really make a difference?
Melanie Cagle says
The potatoes will still need to cook through, so I would say, the time won't change that much.
Lynn Rook says
I don’t normally have creole seasoning, don’t ever use it,! What else can I use without buying some creole that I will never use again?
Melanie Cagle says
You could use an All-Purpose seasoning, that will be fine.
Linda says
I forgot to purchase cream of potato. Would 2 cans of cream of chicken work?
Melanie Cagle says
it'll work, or cream of mushroom, or celery is also good.
Connie says
What if you don't have a cast iron pan.
Melanie Cagle says
If you don't have a cast iron skillet like I used, you could use a dutch oven.
Cindy Cooper says
What about cooking this in a crockpot?
Melanie Cagle says
You could most definitely cook this in a crock pot. Although I haven't done it, I would layer it exactly like in the original Hobo Casserole Recipe, in the crock pot then cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6. Adjust from there.
Yolanda Hall says
Me to I want to try it too