This Farmer's Hearty Hamburger Casserole is a really amazing, filling meal.
I think what strikes me about this is that it truly has a little bit of everything in it. There’s something for everyone. Even if you don't like, for instance, green beans, there's probably enough other stuff in here that you will like.
This casserole is a cut above your typical throw-together casserole. There are green beans in the in the recipe, which fortifies it with a bit more nutritional value. You do have hamburger, and here’s the really neat part: you have a ring of mashed potatoes sealing in all the flavor.
This Farmer's Hearty Casserole reminds me of some of the more turn-of-the-century (turn of the 20th century) traditional dishes you’d find being served in an Amish home. There’s no cans of cream of mushroom soup in this, this is all basically scratch-made or home-raised stuff. In the early 20th century, actually up until the mid 20th century, the vast majority of Amish men were farmers. And it was hard hard work.
Farming is still hard work, but in the absence of any technological or equipment improvements, it was even more difficult 100 years ago. Most Amish farming was all manual labor from dawn till dusk. They really did truly need hearty dishes to fuel them for such calorie expenditures. Farmer's Hearty Casserole delivered those calories.
A Filling Meal!
Today, the Amish work ethic is a strong as ever, but there have been some concessions to technology, and that has taken the edge off some of the non-stop manual labor in Amish jobs, whether that be in the farm field or in the cabinet shop. Still, most Amish workers do work in jobs that are still quite physical. So whether the Amish person is a farmer or a cabinet-maker, this casserole is still a favorite!
Most Amish would use home-raised beef, so use the freshest hamburger possible.
The green beans and hamburger are an interesting pairing, but it works!
And then Farmer's Hearty Casserole gets even more interesting with the additional of tomato sauce. But, really, I mean, these are all ingredients you might find combined in a veggie soup.
Then you cover the whole border with mashed potatoes and bake!
Absolutely delicious!
🍲 Casserole Ingredients
- 1 pound of hamburger
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 pint of green beans, drained
- 1 can of tomato sauce
- 5 medium potatoes, boiled
- ½ cup milk
- 1 egg
- 1 /2 cup shredded cheese
📋 Instructions
- Brown hamburger and onion.
- Drain off fat.
- Pour into a greased casserole dish.
- Add beans and stir in tomato sauce.
- Mash potatoes, milk, and egg together in a separate bowl.
- Mold potatoes into a ring and shape over the bean-hamburger mix.
- Bake 30-40 minutes at 350.
- Sprinkle 1 /2 cup of your favorite cheese over the potatoes.
🍲 More Amish Casserole Recipes
Grandma Graber's Quick and Easy Casserole - So good!
Hearty Breakfast Casserole - Delicious!
Dairy Casserole - Wow!
Amish Ham Casserole - So good!
🖨️ Full Recipe
Farmer's Hearty Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 pound hamburger
- 1 pint pint green beans , drained
- 1 can tomato sauce
- 5 medium potatoes, boiled
- ½ cup milk
- 1 egg
- ½ cup shredded cheese
Instructions
- Brown hamburger and onion
- Drain off fat.
- Pour into a greased casserole dish.
- Add beans and stir in tomato sauce
- Mash potatoes, milk, and egg together in a separate bowl.
- Mold potatoes into a ring and shape over the bean-hamburger mix.
- Bake 30-40 minutes at 350.
- Sprinkle half a cup of your favorite cheese over it while warm and before serving.
Peggy
My mom use to make this and she would be 102 now. She used cram of tomato instead of tomato sauce. Didn’t know it was Amish. A lot of your (Amish) recipes my mother made and she wasn’t Amish. What actually defines what is a Amish recipe is? I’m not trying to be rude. Just wondering. Glad this one doesn’t take cream of mushroom soup. I think I will make this tomorrow.
Kevin Williams
Hi, Peggy - What makes an Amish recipe Amish? It's a fair question and I once wrote about the topic, this is part of what I wrote: what is Amish cooking" in the first place? I could write a whole book about that and maybe someday I will. But "Amish cooking" is more a state of mind than a specific food profile. For instance, cayenne pepper is a staple of Cajun cooking. Or refried beans are a key part of Mexican food. Amish cooking is a little tougher to quantify, it doesn't have a "signature ingredient" like those cultures. Certainly there are foods that are synonymous with Amish: shoofly pie, apple pan dawdy, chicken-corn soup, homemade cinnamon rolls, etc. Amish foods are characterized by being basic: sugar, flour, butter, salt.....but Amish cooks are also prolific "recipe swappers"....recipes get traded and passed down and swapped. Certainly a recipe for "deep dish taco squares" isn't one that is traditionally Amish, but it has been adopted by many Amish as one of their own. Ditto for "date pudding." And keep in mind that freshness equals taste. I can't emphasize enough the difference in the taste of something as simple as a cheese omelette when the eggs are plucked fresh out of the hen house from free-range birds and the cheese is bought local and fresh. A "chicken casserole" becomes an "Amish chicken casserole" when the meat used is from free-range birds and is seasoned with herbs from their own garden, etc. Other times an "Amish recipe" is simply one that is popular with Amish cooks but knowing the history of the recipe is virtually impossible. I've seen Amish Cook recipes on Taste of Home and Taste of Home recipes in Amish cookbooks, but it's because recipes are traded, swapped, adopted, etc. It's all in fun generally, though, so I don't raise objections usually if I see Amish Cook recipes elsewhere even without attribution Hopefully this helps, Peggy. It's a good question!
Amanda K
This is Shepard’s Pie. Not an Amish recipe. You can order it at almost any restaurant.
Kevin Williams
Thanks, Amanda...came from an Amish cook, but, yes, many of the recipes in Amish cookbooks and on this site aren't "Amish per se", but they are adopted into Amish culinary culture and become a part of their traditions.
Beverly
what size can of tomato sauce?
how many cups of green beans are in a pint? (Yes, I know school is out for the summer. ha ha)
sounds delicious!
thanks!!!!!!!
Kevin Williams
About 2 cups of green beans, Beverly, and use a 15 ounce can of tomato sauce, that'd be best!
Rosemary Correia Correia
When my children were youngsters, I made this recipe quite often, only using tomato soup in place of the tomato sauce. I still make it now and again as my husband prefers this version instead of your typical shepards pie which uses either corn, peas or/and carrots.
Kevin Williams
Thanks,Rosemary, interesting...I knew this was a little different than a shepherd's pie, but forgot how...you are correct, SP would have corn, peas,and carrots and this doesn't...