by Diana Rattray
The seven layer casserole dates back to the 1950s. The all-in-one meal comes from a vintage ad for Hunt’s Tomato Sauce. The ground beef casserole, baked in a 2-quart baking pan, is a complete meal. Layers of vegetables, rice, ground beef, and tomatoes are topped with bacon strips and cheese.
There are plenty of ways to tailor this to suit your tastes. Add a can of chili-style tomatoes to one of the layers along with some taco seasoning, and top the casserole off with shredded or sliced pepper jack cheese. Or omit the bacon and add Italian seasonings and a topping of mozzarella cheese.
There are many more possibilities for one-dish meals. You might like this beef and bean taco casserole or this hearty spaghetti casserole.
PrintSeven Layer Casserole
This old-fashioned seven layer casserole is a complete meal, with layers of ground beef, corn, rice, tomato sauce, and strips of bacon.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Casseroles, Ground Beef
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 cup long-grain rice (raw)
- 1 cup whole kernel corn (thawed if frozen)
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 (8-ounce) cans tomato sauce (divided, Hunt’s)
- 3/4 cup water (divided)
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
- 1 pound ground beef (raw)
- 4 strips bacon
- 1/2 to 1 cup shredded cheese
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350 F.
- Grease a 2-quart baking dish.
- Put the rice in a fine mesh sieve and rinse thoroughly; spread it in the prepared baking dish.
- Sprinkle the corn over the rice layer and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Combine 1 can of the tomato sauce with 1/2 cup of water; pour over the corn layer.
- Sprinkle the chopped onions and bell pepper over all.
- Crumble the ground beef over the onion and bell pepper layer and sprinkle with more salt and pepper.
- Combine the second can of tomato sauce with 1/4 cup of water and pour over the beef layer.
- Arrange the strips of bacon over the top and cover the baking dish tightly with foil.
- Bake for 1 hour.
- Uncover bake the casserole for an additional 25 to 30 minutes. If desired, sprinkle with cheese about 5 minutes before it comes out of the oven.
