Tonight's Dinner: Chinese beef casserole

I love making casseroles; they're easy and they're always great when you have a little of this and a little of that, which is exactly what I had in my freezer. More specifically, it was a half a bag of frozen peas and carrots and a couple pounds of ground beef. Separately they don't sound like the most appetizing meal, but mix in some soy sauce and cream of mushroom soup and you've suddenly put a Chinese spin on a quick and easy casserole.

What makes this casserole from Taste of Home especially wonderful is that it takes less than an hour to make and my toddler—who's a super picky eater these days—couldn't get enough of it. He wasn't the only one. Both my husband and I, who are huge Chinese food fans, had seconds and thirds. So, if you're as big a fan of Chinese food as I am, but hate spending the money, whip up this Chinese casserole. It's way better than take out and way cheaper, too.

Chinese Beef Casserole

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 10-ounces bean sprouts
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1, 8-ounce can sliced water chestnuts
• 1 cup frozen peas and carrots
• 1 cup crispy chow mein noodles

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large skillet, cook the beef, onion, and celery over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain grease. Return skillet to stove and stir in the salt, pepper, soup, bean sprouts, and soy sauce and bring to a boil; remove from heat; stir in water chestnuts and pour into a 2-quart baking dish.
3. Cover and bake for 30 minutes; uncover, stir in peas and sprinkle with noodles; bake for another 15 minutes, or until heated through. Serve immediately.

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