Snow on the Mountain

When my kids were little, I used to cook in advance and freeze dinners to make life easier when I got home from work. If I didn't take the time to do once a month cooking, dinner might not get served until 8:00 pm.

"Snow on the mountain" was one of our family's favorite dishes as it took little time to prepare and it could be made in advance. I used to put it in a metal baking dish and cover and freeze it, then take it out as I needed. This was also an excellent choice to take to a covered-dish event. It can be cooked in advance and reheated with little effort. It is a nice all-in-one meal.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds ground hamburger or turkey
• 2 cans tomato soup
• 2 cans green beans, short cut or French cut, drained
• 8 servings of mashed potatoes (instant or real) or tater tots
• Grated cheddar cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste. I also like to add season salt and basil to taste.

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Brown hamburger or ground turkey in a skillet.
3. Drain grease.
4. Grease a 9 x 12 baking dish.
5. Combine meat, tomato soup, and drained green beans in baking dish.
6. Mix thoroughly.
7. Top with mashed potatoes or tater tots. Note: I prefer to use instant potatoes for this recipe as they are lighter in consistency.
8. Bake 30 minutes at 400 degrees
9. Top with cheese, bake an additional 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

We used to play with the basic recipe to have variety. You can substitute your favorite vegetable for the green beans. You can also use cream of mushroom or golden mushroom soup for a change of pace. I have also substituted hamburger for cubed chicken. If you choose this option, use cream of chicken or cheese soup instead of tomato. This can be a versatile option to meet any family's likes or dislikes.

I'm not a fan of instant mashed potatoes as a rule. However, homemade mashed potatoes can be quite heavy, so I prefer to use instant in this particular recipe. If you choose to top the casserole with homemade mashed potatoes, I'd recommend making them thinner than usual.

Since this meal already has meat, starch and vegetables, I serve with a tossed green salad or mixed fruit. Warmed dinner rolls make the meal complete.