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Cherokee Casserole

A casserole of ground beef, tomatoes, cream of mushroom soup, rice, and cheese baked until bubbly.

From the Recipes Wiki (Fandom) · 13 ingredients
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Why it works: Thyme and oregano match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 791 recipes. Both carry beta-phellandrene, which smells minty, terpene. The science ↓

Cherokee Casserole

Time5 minutes

Ingredients

Directions

Make the sauce

  1. Brown the ground beef in the oil over high heat.

  2. Add chopped onions.

  3. Reduce heat to medium and cook until tender.

  4. Stir in salt, pepper, garlic powder, thyme, oregano, bay leaf, crushed tomatoes, mushroom soup, and rice.

  5. Bring all to a boil.

  6. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

  7. Discard bay leaf.

Bake and serve

  1. Spoon into a 1 & 1/2 qt. casserole dish.

  2. Sprinkle cheese over top of the casserole.

  3. Broil just until cheese melts.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

841Calories
43 gProtein
45 gFat
68 gCarbs

Counts 14 of 15 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 14 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Beef100g cooked250
Rice1 cup cooked (158g) white206
Olive Oil1 tbsp (14g)119
Cheddar Cheese1 oz (28g)113
Cream1 tbsp (15ml) heavy51
Onion1 medium (110g)44
Tomato1 medium (123g)22
Mushroom1/2 cup sliced (35g)15
Black Pepper1 tsp ground (2.3g)6
Oregano1 tsp dried (1.8g)5
Garlic1 clove (3g)4
Thyme1 tsp dried (1.4g)4
Bay Leaf1 leaf (0.6g)2
Salt1 tsp (6g)0
Soupnot in our table0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

  1. Thyme + oreganotop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together791 recipes

    Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).

  2. Onion + garlictop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together29,058 recipes

    Shared aroma: furaneol (caramel, strawberry).

  3. Oregano + tomatotop 2% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together2,767 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-hexenal (green, leafy).

  4. Garlic + oreganotop 2% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together3,756 recipes

    Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).

  5. Garlic + tomatotop 3% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together14,076 recipes

    Shared aroma: furaneol (caramel, strawberry).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Ground beef
Provides the main body and savory flavor of the casserole.
Crushed tomatoes
Supply liquid and acidity that build the sauce base.
Cream of mushroom soup
Adds creaminess and thickens the sauce as it simmers.
Rice
Absorbs liquid and gives the casserole body and substance.
Cheddar cheese
Melts over the top and browns under the broiler for richness.

The step that matters

Broil just until cheese melts. Cheese turns greasy and dry when overheated, and the top can scorch quickly under a broiler. Watch it closely and stop as soon as the cheese is melted and lightly golden.

Swap the onion

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (beef, pepper, garlic, thyme, oregano, tomato, cream):

  1. Eggplantfits about as well
  2. Spinachfits about as well
  3. Capsicumfits about as well
  4. Onionthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against beef, pepper, garlic, thyme, oregano, tomato, cream. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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