• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Amish 365
  • About
  • Amish Recipes
  • Amish Culture
  • Amish Marketplace
  • Navigation Menu: Social Icons

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Amish Recipes
  • Amish Culture
  • About
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Amish Recipes
    • Amish Culture
    • About
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Amish Beef Dishes

    Easy 6-Ingredient Amish Shipwreck Casserole

    Published: Jan 24, 2022 · Updated: Jan 24, 2022 by Kevin Williams | 4 Comments

    Jump to Recipe

    6-Ingredient Amish Shipwreck

    I wax sentimental whenever I see a recipe for "Shipwreck", especially one like this written in the original Amish Cook's own hand. The Easy 6-Ingredient Amish Shipwreck Casserole is a close cousin of the handwritten version you see below.  This recipe is intriguing because it is very popular in Amish kitchens.

    You see, Shipwreck is a recipe that used to appear in many Amish cookbooks around the middle of the 20th century. By the time Elizabeth Coblentz included this in our cookbook materials the recipe was slipping out of culinary culture and you hardly see it today.  This is an early example of a recipe becoming popular in pop culture and then being embraced by Amish cooks.  They likely saw this as a hearty meal during lean times.  

    Jump to:
    • 🍲 Easy 6-Ingredient Amish Shipwreck Casserole Ingredients
    • 📋 Shipwreck Instructions
    • 🍲10 Comforting Amish Casseroles
    • 🖨️ Shipwreck Casserole

    As far as where this recipe and its name come from? I've seen people say that the recipe's roots are in Newfoundland and legend has it that as a ship was running aground, the sailors grabbed whatever food they could out of the onboard stockpile and made a comforting meal out of it once ashore. That seems a little far-fetched. If your ship is headed for the shoals, seems you are going to worry most about just getting out alive and not what you are going to eat once you get there.

    The casserole is not very attractive, but it makes up for it taste what it lacks in looks...so perhaps, some have speculated, that the name comes from the casserole's messy looks. That seems more likely to me. But then I have seen Southern versions that incorporate beans and Tobasco, so, you know, start with this Shipwreck and add on if you want.

    photo.16

    So obviously frugal Amish cooks found the recipe and then started "downsizing" it.  You can see the original recipe above only has four ingredients. But most Shipwrecks have six or seven, but if you want to only do four, feel free. If you go the four-ingredient route, what remains is a very skeletal shipwreck, but I guess they figured it was still plenty hearty enough this way to feed a hungry family.

    Brown and drain the hamburger before using in the Shipwreck.

    Use lots of potatoes, slice them or dice them.

    Again, this Easy 6-Ingredient Amish Shipwreck Casserole won't win any beauty contests, but it tastes great. Some Amish cookbooks pare down the recipe further by eliminated the cheese.

    🍲 Easy 6-Ingredient Amish Shipwreck Casserole Ingredients

    • 1 pound hamburger
    • 1 medium onion
    • 5 medium potatoes
    • 1 can cream of mushroom soup
    • ¾ soup can full of Milk
    • Shredded cheese

    📋 Shipwreck Instructions

    1. Brown hamburger and put into a casserole dish.
    2. Dice in a layer of onions and then potatoes.
    3. Pour soup on top and cover with milk.
    4. Bake at 350 degrees for 75 minutes.
    5. Remove from oven and cover with cheese.
    6. Bake 15 more minutes.

    🍲10 Comforting Amish Casseroles

    Here are 10 more comforting Amish casseroles!

    🖨️ Shipwreck Casserole

    6-Ingredient Shipwreck Casserole

    Amish Shipwreck Casserole

    Just what is sounds like -- a delicious shipwreck of hearty ingredients!
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Cook Time 1 hr 30 mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine American, Amish

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 pound hamburger
    • 1 can cream of mushroom soup
    • ¾ soup can milk
    • 2 cups Cheddar cheese optional

    Instructions
     

    • Brown hamburger and put into a casserole dish.
    • Dice in a layer of onions and then potatoes.
    • Pour soup on top.
    • Pour milk on top.
    • Bake at 350 degrees for 75 minutes.
    • Remove from oven and sprinkle cheese over and return to oven for 15 more minutes.
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
    « Sausage and Pancake Casserole
    The Amish Cook's Healthy Fudge Brownies »

    About Kevin Williams

    Hi, my name is Kevin Williams and I am owner of Oasis Newsfeatures and editor of The Amish Cook newspaper column.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Gayle Ann

      March 19, 2021 at 3:02 pm

      It really is a variation of shepherd's pie. Ground meat covered by potatoes. One could throw in some mixed vegetables with the ground beef if desired. Perhaps add some garlic or garlic powder.

      Reply
      • Kevin Williams

        March 19, 2021 at 5:27 pm

        Good idea on the garlic powder, Gayle....definitely could use little flavor booster, I think...

        Reply
    2. Diane

      March 19, 2021 at 4:08 pm

      I have been making this for years, but I put mixed veggies before the potato layer. Quick easy meal. So good!

      Reply
      • Kevin Williams

        March 19, 2021 at 5:28 pm

        The mixed veggies are a good idea, would balance out the starchiness of the potatoes!

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Kevin Williams - The Amish Editor Amish Cook Column

    Hi There, I'm Kevin!

    Welcome to Amish365, where I share my knowledge of Amish cooking and culture! I’ve spent almost three decades exploring Amish settlements and kitchens from Maine to Montana and almost everywhere in between. I’ll occasionally throw in stories of my travels, journalism adventures (I’m a Pulitzer prize-nominated journalist), fascination with grocery stores and Kmarts, and much more!

    More about me →

    Latest Amish Recipes

    • Can Brown Sugar Meatloaf Save A Marriage?
    • How Do The Amish Keep Warm During Winter?
    • The Bishop's Overnight Chicken and Macaroni Casserole
    • Sour Milk Cookies and 4 other Amish Recipes Using Sour Milk
    dutchcrafters

    Download The "Almost Amish" Ebook

    Footer

    Footer

    About

    • About The Amish Editor
    • Download "Almost Amish" Ebook
    • Amish Communities
    • Amish Marketplace

    Contact

    • Work With Us
    • Contact

    *As a member of various affiliate programs I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2000 - 2020 Amish 365 | Powered by Touch The Road