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Greek Style Casserole

A baked casserole of potatoes, ground beef, tomato soup, and white sauce topped with cheese.

From the Recipes Wiki (Fandom) · 11 ingredients
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Why it works: Potato and onion are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 3% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 9,023 recipes. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓

Greek Style Casserole

Oven350°F
Time35–40 minutes

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare the potatoes

  1. Boil potatoes in skins until almost tender.

  2. Peel and slice the potatoes.

Make the meat filling

  1. While the potatoes are cooking, brown the ground beef.

  2. Drain the hamburger.

  3. Add butter and onion to the hamburger and slightly brown the onion.

  4. Add tomato soup and water to the meat and simmer for 5 minutes.

Make the white sauce

  1. Melt butter in a small saucepan, then mix in flour gradually over low heat.

  2. After mixing well, slowly add milk while stirring.

  3. Cook until thick.

  4. Remove from heat and add cheese.

Assemble and bake

  1. Layer potatoes in a greased 13 x 9 pan.

  2. Layer ground beef over the potatoes.

  3. Pour sauce over the beef.

  4. Repeat the layers.

  5. Pour all remaining sauce over the top and top with cheese.

  6. Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F until the top is lightly browned, about 35–40 minutes.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

847Calories
48 gProtein
44 gFat
66 gCarbs

Counts 9 of 12 ingredients. The other 3 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 9 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Beef100g cooked250
Potato1 medium (173g) baked161
Milk1 cup (244ml) whole149
Cheese1 oz (28g) cheddar113
Butter1 tbsp (14g)102
Onion1 medium (110g)44
Tomato1 medium (123g)22
Black Pepper1 tsp ground (2.3g)6
Salt1 tsp (6g)0
Soupnot in our table0
Waternot in our table0
Saucenot 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. Potato + oniontop 3% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together9,023 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).

  2. Potato + tomatotop 5% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together2,798 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).

  3. Beef + oniontop 7% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together17,092 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).

  4. Butter + milktop 7% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together81,283 recipes

    Shared aroma: (z)-4-heptenal (biscuit, cream).

  5. Tomato + peppertop 7% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together17,923 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).

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

What each ingredient does

Potatoes
Form the starchy layers that give the casserole its body and bulk.
Ground beef
Provides the savory meat layer and rich, browned flavor.
Tomato soup
Adds moisture, tomato acidity and sweetness to the meat filling.
Milk
Forms the base of the white sauce, adding creaminess and moisture.
Velveeta cheese
Melts into the white sauce, adding smooth texture and savory richness.

The step that matters

Cooking the white sauce until thick. Flour must be fully mixed into the melted butter and the milk added gradually while stirring, so the sauce thickens smoothly without lumps. Cooking it until thick lets the starch fully swell, so the sauce holds its body when baked.

Swap the onion

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (potato, butter, tomato, pepper, beef, sauce, milk):

  1. Capsicumfits better
  2. Onionthe original
  3. Carrotfits about as well
  4. Asparagusfits about as well

Fit is the average pairing score against potato, butter, tomato, pepper, beef, sauce, milk. 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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