The 3 Ingredients You Need To Put Together This Old-School Ground Beef Meal

We've all been in this position: the dinner hour is fast approaching. You have a package of thawed ground beef, yet no earthly idea what to make for dinner with it. We're here to help you with a meal that couldn't be quicker, easier, or more delicious ... and it includes just three components. What you're making is a fast and simple cottage pie — and yes, there's a key difference between it and shepherd's pie — that simply uses ground beef, instant mashed potatoes, and canned soup.

All you need to do is brown your ground beef, which you can break up easily with a potato masher. Meanwhile, on a separate burner, whip up your instant mashed potatoes (any flavor that tickles your fancy will do). Meanwhile, grab a can of soup. This element of the process is ultra-flexible, as long as you're certain that it will taste good with meat and potatoes. French onion is a good choice, though beef and vegetable or even cream of mushroom will also work well here; ultimately, this list is by no means exhaustive. 

Whatever variety of soup you choose, mix it into your cooked ground beef to make a saucy meat mixture, feeling free to thin it out a bit with milk, water, or cream as you see fit. Season as desired. In a casserole pan, layer your beef mixture and top with your mashed potatoes. Pop it in the oven at 350 degrees until the top is crispy and golden. Just like that, dinner is served!

If you have a little more patience and a few more ingredienst on hand, you can really make this cottage pie your own without adding much more work. A canned or frozen veggie, like corn or peas and carrots, will taste yummy in between your meat and potato layer. This will also readily cook while your casserole is in the oven. Similarly, if you have a bag of frozen diced onion in your freezer or some jarred minced garlic, tossing it into the ground beef as it's in the pan will greatly improve the flavor of your protein. 

We also love topping the potatoes with whatever shredded cheese you happen to have on hand, such as the Parmesan that you are storing in your fridge. Got a splash of heavy cream and a few tablespoons of butter? You have all that you need to really zhuzh up your mashed potatoes and make them taste closer to homemade.

Any combination of these bonus steps will really amp up the deliciousness of your weeknight cottage pie, but rest assured, it's plenty good as-is with just three ingredients. We love a recipe that can dress up or down depending on the bandwidth and ingredients you're working with on any given evening, and this simple casserole fits the bill beautifully! Whether you are short on time or fridge supplies, this is a hearty, wholesome dinner that will fill you up without wasting a ton of energy after a long day.