This ground beef casserole or commonly called Shipwreck Casserole is a comfort food meal that always gets rave reviews. This easy version is made with ground beef, rice, potatoes and lots of veggies, baked together in the most delicious tomato sauce.
Casseroles like this one are a staple in my house. My family loves cabbage roll casserole, quesadilla casserole, potato hamburger casserole so you know they love this hearty beef, rice, potato, and veggie dish.
You can never go wrong with a good casserole, and this one happens to be a childhood favorite. It’s loaded with all the goods – ground beef, rice and veggies, making it a complete meal. This recipe is also so easy to customize to your tastes, which makes it perfect for even the pickiest eaters.
What Is Shipwreck Casserole?
Shipwreck Casserole is an old-fashioned recipe that is loaded with lots of tasty ingredients like ground beef, rice and veggies. It’s the kind of food your grandmother would make.
It’s called a Shipwreck Casserole because it’s a conglomeration of ingredients that are thrown together a bit like a shipwreck and it totally looks like a shipwreck. Spoon it out and you’ll see that it’s messy and all over the place. There is no rhyme or reason to the layers ( they always fall apart) and it looks like a catastrophe, aka a shipwreck. Believe me, though, Shipwreck Casserole is a good catastrophe and SO deeeeelicious!
Ingredients In Shipwreck Casserole
The typical ingredients in Shipwreck Casserole are very simple and budget-friendly. Here’s the roundup:
- Rice
- Onion
- Potatoes
- Ground beef
- Garlic
- Carrots
- Celery
- Tomato soup
- Tomatoes
How Do You Make Shipwreck Casserole?
This recipe seriously could not be easier because you don’t even have to cook any of the ingredients before baking this casserole. Yes, even the ground beef goes in uncooked. It will cook in the oven along with the rest of the ingredients.
Start with a 13×9 casserole dish. The first layer is the uncooked rice. Add the rice to the bottom of the greased dish and then layer on the onion, potatoes, ground beef, garlic, carrots, celery, water, tomato soup, diced tomatoes. Sprinkle salt and pepper on each layer as you go.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 2 hours. It’s that easy. Don’t you love it?
Can Ground Beef Casserole Be Made In Advance?
Yes, you can make this beef casserole in advance. Simply layer all of the ingredients in the baking dish as instructed, then cover and refrigerate. Right before you’re ready to bake your casserole, add the foil on top and pop it in the oven. You’ll need to add about 10-15 more minutes to the bake time to compensate for the fact that you’re starting with a chilled casserole.
Variations:
This shipwreck casserole is a great basic recipe that can be altered in different ways to be customized to your tastes. Some variations include using ground turkey instead of beef, and adding more vegetables like peas or green beans. You could even add extra ingredients like macaroni or egg noodles and try topping this with a layer of cheese before baking.
If you’re craving comfort food tonight, grab a package of ground beef at the grocery store and try this casserole. You won’t be disappointed!
What Do You Serve With Ground Beef Casserole?
For a cozy meal this fall and winter, you can’t beat this casserole with a side salad and crusty bread. This meal is already filled with lots of goodness, so I like to keep the sides really simple, or just have it without any sides at all.
I love a good casserole, and this beef casserole is always on our regular dinner menu rotation. Put this one on your list of recipes to try! Bake it up all warm and bubbly, then serve it to your family and watch their faces enjoy!
More Casserole Recipes To Enjoy:
Cauliflower Cheddar Cheese Casserole
Easy Shepherd’s Pie
Carrot Casserole
Tomatillo Casserole
Stuffed Pepper Casserole
Meatballs & Potato Casserole
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Ground Beef Casserole (Shipwreck Casserole)
PrintIngredients
- ½ cup uncooked rice
- 1 medium onion diced
- 2 medium potatoes peeled and sliced
- 1 lb ground beef uncooked
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup carrots sliced
- ½ cup celery chopped
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1 10 ounce can tomato soup
- 1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Butter a 9×13 baking dish. Add rice to the bottom of the baking dish.
- Layer ingredients in this order: onion, potatoes, ground beef, garlic, carrots, celery, water, tomato soup, diced tomatoes. Sprinkle salt and pepper on each layer.
- Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 2 hours.
Rand L says
I grew up with as a kid. I have 9 siblings,had to make a dollars stretch. We are divided. About half my family loves, it,the other half,not so much! I remember everything,except the celery,and couldn’t remember if you cooked the rice in advance and to partially cooked potatoes and carrots. I know we used can tomatoes with the juice and my mom would add Bay Seasoning I think Worcestershire sauce and a little cider vinegar(may have been white) and added that to canned or crushed tomatoes. She also seasoned the ground beef(can’t remember what) but,I was so excited to see this! Thank you ,I can’t wait to make this!
Sue says
We are sailing around the world so the name is unfortunate, however, I made this the other night and my husband loved it. I am about to make a large batch to freeze for our passage across the Atlantic. Thank you!