Cheesy Baked Beef Casserole

---

Cheesy Baked Beef Casserole

🧾 Ingredients

• 500 g (1 lb) ground beef
• 2–3 medium potatoes, thinly sliced (or pasta instead)
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup diced tomatoes or red bell pepper
• 1½–2 cups shredded mozzarella (or mozzarella + cheddar mix)
• ½ cup grated Parmesan (optional)
• 1 cup heavy cream or milk
• 2 tbsp olive oil or butter
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp paprika
• ½ tsp dried oregano or Italian seasoning
• Fresh parsley (for garnish)

---

👩‍🍳 Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).
2. Cook the beef
   • Heat oil in a pan.
   • Sauté onion until soft.
   • Add garlic, then ground beef.
   • Cook until browned.
   • Season with salt, pepper, paprika, and oregano.
   • Stir in diced tomatoes or red pepper. Remove from heat.
3. Prepare the base
   • Lightly grease a baking dish.
   • Arrange a layer of sliced potatoes (or cooked pasta).
   • Spoon some beef mixture over it.
   • Sprinkle cheese.
   • Repeat layers until finished.
4. Add cream
   • Pour cream or milk evenly over the dish.
5. Top with cheese
   • Add remaining mozzarella and Parmesan on top.
6. Bake
   • Cover with foil and bake 30–35 minutes.
   • Remove foil and bake another 10–15 minutes until golden and bubbly.
7. Finish
   • Garnish with chopped parsley.
   • Rest 5–10 minutes before serving.

---

🍽️ Tips & Variations

• Add mushrooms or zucchini for extra veggies
• Use béchamel sauce instead of cream for a richer version
• Swap potatoes for penne or rigatoni
• Add chili flakes for heat 🌶️

If you want, I can also give:

• a quick version
• a low-carb version
• or adjust it to ingredients you already have 😊