Cheeseburger with Fries Casserole

When I was in middle school, a fundraiser was done to help raise money for the Make A Wish Foundation. There was always a talent show that you had to either have a dance taught by a dance instructor or a song taught by a singing coach to get a spot in the show. This was about the same time that the movie Sister Act came out. My mom, along with a few other parents, decided that it would be a cute idea to have some of us dress up as the choir of nuns and perform the final song of the movie, "I Will Follow Him." I remember practicing and practicing, as I was the small red head that had the solo and didn't want to mess it up.

We made it through the auditions without anyone hearing of our routine. We attended private rehearsals with the director of the talent show as not to be seen by the other groups ahead of time. This was the best kept secret and everyone wondered what we would do.

So the time comes and the announcer says, "and please welcome to the stage, Sister Act." The crowd howled with laughter at all of us in our little nun habits (which were done respectfully, since it was a Catholic school). Everyone loved it - our routine was a hit.

The one thing that I clearly remember from that night was in the first act, fellow school mates dressed as cheeseburgers and fries, dancing to the song "Cheeseburger in Paradise." Silly I know, but the first thing that comes to mind when I saw this recipe. Leave it to me to remember the food items from the evening.

I adapted this recipe to add a few more veggies into the mix and lessen the amount of canned products that were added. I loved the fries on top of the meat mixture, it was perfect. This made a great weeknight meal that was easy to pull together and didn't dirty too many dishes. Give it a try!

Ingredients

• 2 pounds lean ground beef
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• 1 pepper, chopped
• 1 can diced tomatoes, drained
• salt and pepper to taste
• garlic powder to taste
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed Cheddar cheese soup
• 1 (16 ounce) package frozen French fries
• 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. Combine the ground beef, onion, and pepper in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally until beef is no longer pink, the onion is translucent, and the peppers are soft. Drain off excess grease, and season with salt, pepper and garlic powder.
3. Return to the heat, and stir in the diced tomatoes and cheese soup until well blended. Heat through, and remove from stove. Transfer the mixture to a 9x13 inch baking dish. Cover the ground beef mixture with a layer of frozen French fries.
4. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven. When the fries are golden brown, remove the casserole from the oven, and sprinkle cheese over the top. Return to the oven, and bake just until cheese has melted.

Source: Bettina_J, Allrecipes