Getting Started
Alright, so today I decided to tackle that Kennedale Casserole thing everyone seems to make around here. Seemed easy enough. First thing I did was get the oven going, set it to about 375F, let it heat up while I got everything else sorted.
I grabbed my big skillet, you know, the heavy one. Dumped in about a pound of ground beef. Started breaking it up and browning it over medium heat. While that was cooking, I chopped up an onion. Nothing fancy, just a regular yellow onion, diced it up pretty fine.
Putting It Together
Once the beef wasn’t pink anymore, I tossed the chopped onion into the skillet. Let that cook for a few minutes until the onion got soft and kinda see-through. Drained off most of the grease – didn’t want it swimming.
Then came the cans. I opened up a can of whole kernel corn, drained it, and threw it in. Did the same with a can of ranch style beans – gotta have those. Poured in a can of diced tomatoes too, juice and all. Gave it a good stir to mix everything up in the skillet.
For seasoning, I kept it simple. Salt, pepper, maybe a dash of chili powder for a little kick. Stirred it again. Some folks add cooked rice or pasta here, but I just went with the meat and veggies mix this time.
Baking and Finishing Up
Okay, next step was getting it into the baking dish. I grabbed my usual 9×13 casserole dish, didn’t even grease it. Just spooned that whole mixture from the skillet right into the dish, spread it out kinda even.
The best part, of course, is the cheese. Lots of cheese. I used a shredded cheddar blend, probably close to two cups, maybe more. Sprinkled it all over the top, making sure it was covered good.
Into the preheated oven it went. Let it bake for maybe 25, 30 minutes? Basically just wanted it hot and bubbly, and the cheese all melted and slightly golden. You could smell it all through the house.
Pulled it out carefully – that dish was hot. Let it sit for a few minutes before cutting into it. Served it up straight from the dish. Pretty straightforward, hearty meal. Cleans up easy too, which is always a plus. Definitely a solid weeknight dinner.
