Recipe du Jour Marathon, First Post: Christine's Hamburger Pie

When I was in graduate school, I had a few good friends who would occasionally feed me or play Atari games all night and drink beer. Dennis was one of these good friends. And he had a wonderful girlfriend, Christine, who could really cook. Oh, nothing fancy; we were all starving students, after all. But she knew how to make great comfort food on a tight budget, and have enough in the pot to include me at least once a week.

She made this simple version of hamburger pie about once a month. It was a favorite with Dennis, and it didn’t take long for me to join the fan club:

• Hamburger Pie à la Christine

There are so many variations possible on this simple meal. We’ve made it with corn, mixed veggies, or baby lima beans. The topping can be made with Bisquick, although I must say, we all strongly prefer the taters. I’ve also found that cooking the beef and onions with a bit of celery and some mild curry powder makes a very tasty dish that has a completely different aroma, and is still as satisfying as ever.

This casserole can be made up ahead of time and reheated; allow the dish to come to room temperature before popping into the oven, and I’d suggest adding the Cheddar just as you’re ready to heat. That way, it won’t get soggy and make a mess on top of your taters…

Enjoy the (Christine’s Legacy) Heat!