Cowboy Casserole

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How has your meal planning and cooking changed during this time of quarantine? 

I have relied a lot on recipes that do not require a lot of ingredients. This has made it less stressful when shopping. The first time I went out for supplies, there were several items out of stock. There really was no rhyme or reason for it, but I learned to keep it simple.

We are also trying to rely on a lot of non-perishables as much as possible, so I don’t have to go out of the house very often. I have several issues that make me immunocompromised, so I am staying home as much as possible.

The other day I had a moment that was a combination of Aha! and Duh!. Out of the blue, I thought about Bisquick. It was Aha! because Bisquick is non-perishable, inexpensive, and allows you to easily use less meat and other breads in your meals.

I say inexpensive, but don’t try to buy Bisquick online right now. There is some major price gouging going on these days. I was able to find it at my local store at the regular price, though. I bought two big boxes. It was Duh! since I hadn’t thought about it before.

Since I got all excited about the possibilities, but haven’t used Bisquick in several years… I shopped for a Bisquick cookbook. There were several on Amazon. I bought Betty Crocker’s Ultimate Bisquick Cookbook.

There are 416 pages of deliciousness between the covers. The first recipe that I just HAD to make was Cowboy Casserole. When I told Hubby about the recipe, he requested it ASAP.

I served it last night with dressed up green beans (2 cans of green beans with a little bit of cooked bacon and onions) and Avocado Ranch Chopped Salad. We hadn’t had canned green beans for years, so I wanted to dress these up. They definitely did not taste like they were canned.

It uses only seven ingredients that are all rather quarantine-friendly including: only one pound of ground beef, baked beans, BBQ sauce, Bisquick, milk, butter, and a bit of shredded cheese.

Check it out and let me know if you make it and what you think.

Ingredients

1 lb lean ground beef
1 can (16 oz) baked beans
1/2 cup BBQ sauce – I used KC Masterpiece
2 cups Bisquick mix – Gluten Free, Original, or Heart Smart
1/2 cup milk – I used Almond Breeze unsweetened original almond milk
1 tbsp butter – softened
1/2 cup sharp shredded Cheddar cheese (you can use regular Cheddar, if desired)

Directions

Part 1

• Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees.
• In a skillet (10-inch or larger), cook beef over a medium-high heat until cooked through (about 5 to 7 minutes), stirring frequently and chopping it up smaller as you go.
• Stir in the baked beans and BBQ sauce.
• Heat to boiling, stirring occasionally.
• Pour into an ungreased 2-quart casserole dish.

Part 2

• Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, stir in Bisquick mix, milk, and butter until a soft dough forms.
• Drop dough by 12 spoonfuls onto beef mixture.

Part 3

• Bake uncovered for 18 to 22 minutes or until topping is a golden brown.
• Sprinkle with cheese.
• Bake about 3 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.