There is no doubt this is the busiest time of year for most people, and that certainly rings true for our little familia.  With the hubs coaching  5 days a week {yes, I said FIVE!} and with a practice or activity for one or more of my boys every night of the week, fall is just insane.  But, I wouldn’t have it any other way.  We all truly enjoy the busy-ness and hustle and bustle of the season.

But, with that comes the added pressure to not only stick with a meal plan each week, but to find things that I can whip up quickly and inexpensively since we’ve got growing appetites here.  I’ve recently used Country Crock as one of my standby ingredients to help me quickly prepare my cassroles for serving.  It is one of my go-to ingredients for busy weeknight meals because it contains no partially hydrogenated oils, has no cholesterol, and is 70% less fat than butter per serving.  

I feel like I am constantly using my casserole dishes to cook, save and store meals for my family and find that this is the easiest way to make sure everyone’s fed and ensures that mealtime runs more smoothly for me.

One of the great things about a casserole is that you can use just about any ingredients you have on hand to throw something together.  I recently did just this while balancing a busy week of soccer, football, and baseball practices.  My family is usually pretty excited when I try something new and they have no qualms about giving me their completely honest opinions about my recipes.  I’m proud to say they all equally loved my Beef, Potato, and Cheesy Casserole.  I hope you will too.

Beef, Potato, & Cheesy Casserole

What you need:

2-4 potatoes, sliced thin or cubed
1 pound lean ground beef {I use 85% or 93%}
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. cumin powder
salt & pepper, to taste
1 can diced tomatoes {drained}
1 – 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese {I like Monterey Jack & Cheddar mixed} 

What to do:

Saute the onions and potatoes in Country Crock, stirring gently until softened.

Cook ground beef  over medium-high heat until done, then drain.  Add salt pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and cumin.  

Add diced tomatoes to potato mixture

Pour in seasoned meat and mix well.

Meanwhile, grease a casserole dish lightly with Country Crock.

Pour in the entire casserole mixture and spread well.

Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.  Then, at the end add cheese and stick back into the oven until the cheese hot is and bubbly.

This recipe is so simple and can also allow for a ton of personalization.   For example, add a can of corn {or other favorite veggie} to the mix.  You can also serve this inside of a warm homemade tortilla as a taco.

What are your tips for preparing and serving weeknight meals? 

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.