A vintage and delicious recipe.
Here’s a recipe that definitely deserved a rewrite. First there’s ground beef. Next you have tomatoes, long grain rice, and layered potatoes. Finish that with a layer of melted cheese. Thats what shipwreck casserole is all about. You read that correctly, it’s got a double header of carbs. Potatoes and rice. What can I say, the recipe is vintage. You won’t be leaving the dinner table hungry we promise.
Why is it called shipwreck casserole?
To be honest, I haven’t got a clue why it’s called shipwreck casserole. If I were to hazard a guess, it probably has something to do with the mishmash of ingredients. Since I’ve never been stranded on a deserted island I can only muse that in the ships galley there are enough ingredients to hammer out this casserole. Maybe it’s simply the way it looks after it’s been cooked. It’s not photogenic but it’s delicious.
What you need to make shipwreck casserole
- 1 large cooking onion
- 4 stalks of chopped celery
- 1 medium white potato (skin on, thinly sliced)
- 1 lb of lean ground beef
- ¼ cup of uncooked long grain rice
- 1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
- 1 cup of grated old cheddar cheese
- ⅛ tsp pepper (divided)
- 1 can of tomato soup mixed with ½ can of water
- ⅛ tsp salt (divided)
- ⅛ tsp paprika (divided)
Layer the flavours
Shipwreck casserole is layered in flavours. First a layer of chopped or thinly sliced onions on a greased 9 x 13 x 2″ casserole dish. The next layer is the sliced potatoes. Slice the potatoes thinly and rinse well. This will help to eliminate any starch. The best potato for this is white or yellow. Russet or baking potatoes may break down to much. After evenly layering the potatoes over the onions, dust with paprika, salt and pepper.
Next, crumble the ground beef evenly over the potatoes and dust with paprika, salt and pepper. Spread the chopped celery evenly over the ground beef and cover evenly with the stewed tomatoes. Dust with paprika and finish with the tomato soup mixed with half a can of cold water.
It’s ready to bake
It’s now ready to bake in an oven preheated to 350℉ for 1½-2 hrs. The potatoes should be fully cooked. Check them by poking with a sharp knife. Return the casserole to the oven for a few more minutes if not. Otherwise top the casserole with grated cheddar cheese. Return it to the oven and allow the cheese to melt. Remove from heat. Let stand for five minutes before serving.
Serve and enjoy
Cut into squares and serve with crusty bread.
Shipwreck Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 large onion chopped
- 1 medium potato (skin on, sliced thinly)
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- ¼ cup long grain white rice
- 4 large stalks of celery chopped
- 1 28 oz can of diced tomatoes
- 1 can tomato soup (mixed with ½ can of water)
- 1 cup grated old cheddar cheese
- ⅛ tsp salt divided see notes
- ⅛ tsp pepper divided see notes
- ⅛ tsp paprika divided see notes
Instructions
- Spray a 9 x 13 x 2 pan with no stick cooking spray.
- Spread the onions evenly in the bottom of the panLayer the potatoes evenly on top of the onions, sprinkle with salt, pepper and paprika.Evenly crumble the ground beef over the potatoes and sprinkle with rice. Add little more salt, pepper and paprika.Layer the celery evenly.Add diced tomatoes in an even layer. Add a little more paprika.In a small bowl, mix the tomato soup with ½ soup can of water. Pour over the casserole.
- Bake at 350℉ for 1½ - 2 hrs. When potatoes and celery are cooked, top the casserole with grated cheddar cheese and return to oven until cheese is melted.Let stand for 5 minutes, cut into squares and serve.
