Southern hospitality with a little personality!
Hungry Boys’ Casserole
Looking for a quick and hearty dinner the whole family will love? Hungry Boys’ Casserole has you covered! This classic meat and bean casserole is topped with fresh and flakey biscuits for a meal that sure to please even the pickiest eaters!
Prior to this cookbook exploration, I can honestly say I had never heard of “Hungry Boys’ Casserole.” In a time where everything is “whole” and “fresh,” a dump casserole made of canned pork n’ beans and catsup, isn’t exactly blowing up the Pinterest boards. However, after reading through the recipe I was intrigued. From the first bite, it tasted familiar. It was comforting and felt like being wrapped in a blanket your grandmother knitted. It was a recipe that was not only classic, but cheap and, most importantly, easy!
The name “Hungry Boys’ Casserole” inspired me to do some research. Although it was featured in mamaw’s cookbook, the name did not immediately ring a bell. Turns out, mamaw was truly a woman of her time. A brief google search showed me that “Hungry Boys’ Casserole” actually belonged to Mrs. Mira Kosicki of Detroit, Michigan, the $25,000 champion of the 1963 Pillsbury Bake-Off.
Her recipe called for homemade biscuits, a few more beans, and tomato paste instead of mamaw’s beloved catsup. However, that is what made this recipe even better. Mamaw knew what she liked and was able to adjust Mrs. Walilko’s recipe and make it her own. What she created was a cheaper, easier version of the recipe that is not only as delicious but unique and authentic. She knew how to be frugal and still feed a family and she was proud enough to share it with all of you.
Serving Suggestions and Adaptations
Homemade Biscuits: If you would rather stay true to Mrs. Walilko’s original recipe, feel free to use your favorite homemade biscuit recipe! If you need some inspiration, check out our 3 Ingredient Beer Biscuit Recipe!
Beans: The original recipe calls for canned Pork n’ Beans, however, if those are not available, feel free to spice it up with your favorite flavor of baked beans!
Vegetables: If you prefer a more veggie-heavy casserole, feel free to toss in anything you may have on hand! Veggies like carrots, peas, or even chopped tomatoes (yes I know they are technically a fruit) can be the perfect addition!
Vegetarian Option: Thanks to the many advancements in the world of meat alternatives, this recipe can easily be made vegetarian! Simply replace the Pork n’ Beans with a vegetarian bean and the ground beef with a ground meat alternative!
To Save for Later…
While this casserole is best enjoyed fresh, leftovers can be cooled and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week!
Hungry Boys’ Casserole
Ingredients
- ½ c celery chopped
- ¼ c onion chopped
- ¼ c green pepper chopped
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 (16 oz) can pork n' beans
- ¼ c ketchup
- ¼ c water
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp garlic salt
- 1 can refrigerator biscuits
Instructions
- Heat oven to 425°.
- Dice celery, onion and green pepper into similarly sized pieces.
- Sprinkle celery, onion, and green pepper in the bottom of a 12x8 inch baking dish.
- Crumble raw ground beef on top of celery mixture.
- Bake uncovered at 425˚ for 20 minutes.
- Remove from oven, stir in pork and beans, catsup, water, salt, and garlic salt until well blended.
- Return to oven for 10 minutes.
- While casserole cooks, cut centers out of biscuits using a small glass or biscuit cutter.
- Once casserole is removed from oven, reserve approx ½ cup of meat and bean mixture.
- Arrange biscuits outsides on the top of casserole. Spoon reserved bean mixture into each biscuit hole. Top with biscuit hole dough.
- Bake at 425˚ for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and biscuits are cooked through.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- This recipe calls for a 12x8 casserole dish. If one is unavailable or if you plan to use a smaller one you may need to halve the recipe or separate into two dishes as meat may not cook through in the times provided.
- This recipe is best prepared with smaller refrigerator biscuits, the ones that typically come in a 10 pack. If using grands sized or larger biscuits, they may need to be partially cooked ahead of time to ensure they are cooked through when added to the top of the casserole.
- If you do not have a biscuit cutter, feel free to use a small glass, knife, or whatever you can find to cut the holes in the center of the biscuits!
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4 Comments
I found this recipe about 45 years ago in a Pillsbury bake off recipe .It was called Hungry Boys Casserole.. The only thing different was the addition of a spoon of worcestershire sauce. It was great because of the way you cooker everything in the oven.
No way! That must be where she got it from! Always a fan of a one dish recipe!
We used to make this in Home Ec. I loved it then. And I will be making it again. Thanks for the memory 🙂
Of course! Love that it brought back such fond memories!