Shipwreck Casserole is an old-fashioned layered dinner baked in one dish: sliced onions, potatoes and carrots on the bottom, seasoned ground beef on top, uncooked rice scattered over it, and tomato soup poured over everything. Nothing is cooked ahead. Under a sheet of foil, the beef cooks, the rice soaks up the tomato liquid and the vegetables turn soft and sweet. It serves 6.
How to make it: Layer onions, potatoes and carrots in a greased 9×13-inch dish, spread seasoned raw ground beef over them, sprinkle on the rice, and pour tomato soup mixed with water over the top. Cover with foil and bake at 350°F for 2 hours, until the vegetables are soft, the rice is cooked and the center reads 165°F.
Why You’ll Love It
- No pre-cooking: raw beef, raw rice and raw vegetables go straight into the dish.
- One dish, whole dinner: meat, potatoes, vegetables and rice all bake together.
- Pantry ingredients: potatoes, onions, carrots, a pound and a half of beef, rice and a can of soup.
- Hands-off: once the foil is on, the oven does the work for 2 hours.
Ingredient Notes
Onions: Two white onions, sliced. They go on the bottom, where they soften in the juices and flavor everything above them.
Potatoes: Four medium potatoes, sliced. Thin, even slices cook through in the same time as the rest of the layers.
Carrots: Two cups, sliced, for sweetness and color.
Ground beef: A pound and a half, raw. It cooks in the oven on top of the vegetables, and its juices run down into them.
Seasoning salt: Half to three-quarters of a teaspoon, mixed into the beef. It’s the only seasoning in the dish, so don’t skip it.
White rice: Half a cup, uncooked. It cooks in the tomato liquid between the beef and the soup.
Tomato soup and water: One 10-ounce can of condensed tomato soup stirred together with 1 1/2 cups of water. Roasted red pepper tomato soup works too, or any tomato soup you like.
Ingredients
- 2 white onions, sliced
- 4 medium potatoes, sliced
- 2 cups sliced carrots
- 1 1/2 pounds ground beef, uncooked
- 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon seasoning salt
- 1/2 cup uncooked white rice
- 1 can (10 ounces) condensed tomato soup
- 1 1/2 cups water
How to Make Shipwreck Casserole
1. Heat the oven. Heat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9×13-inch baking dish well.
2. Layer the vegetables. Place the sliced onions in the bottom of the dish. Add the sliced potatoes, then the sliced carrots.
3. Add the beef. Mix the seasoning salt into the uncooked ground beef, then spread the beef over the vegetables.
4. Add the rice. Sprinkle the uncooked rice over the beef.
5. Pour on the soup. Stir the tomato soup and water together and pour the mixture over the top.
6. Cover and bake. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 2 hours, until the vegetables are soft, the rice is cooked and a food thermometer in the center reads 165°F.
Layering It Raw: Order, Foil and Doneness
This is a dump-and-bake dinner, but the order of the layers matters. Each one has a job:
| Layer | What it does |
|---|---|
| Onions (bottom) | Soften in the juices and season the whole dish from underneath |
| Potatoes, then carrots | Steam in the liquid that collects at the bottom |
| Seasoned beef | Cooks from both sides and drips its juices into the vegetables |
| Rice | Sits under the soup, where it absorbs the liquid as it cooks |
| Tomato soup and water | The cooking liquid for everything below it |
The foil is the lid. Cover the dish tightly so the steam stays in. That trapped steam is what cooks raw rice and tender potatoes in a dry oven. If the foil is loose, the top dries out before the bottom is done.
Give it the full time. Two hours at 350°F sounds long, but raw potatoes and raw rice under a layer of meat need it.
Check three things. A fork should slide easily into the potatoes and carrots, the rice should be soft, and a food thermometer in the center of the dish should read 165°F, the USDA FSIS temperature for casseroles. Soft vegetables alone don’t tell you the beef in the middle is done.
Tips for Success
Slice the potatoes thin
Thin, even slices, about 1/8 inch thick, cook at the same pace as the rest of the dish.
Grease the dish well
The onions sit right on the bottom for 2 hours, and a well-greased dish keeps them from sticking.
Spread the beef evenly
Press it out to the edges in an even layer, so no thick clump is left undercooked in the middle.
Variations
- Slow cooker: grease the slow cooker and layer it the same way, onions first, then potatoes, carrots, the seasoned beef, the rice, and the soup and water over the top. Lay foil over the top, put the lid on and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, until the vegetables are soft and the rice is cooked. Slice the vegetables thicker for an all-day cook. The beef must be fully thawed before it goes in, and USDA FSIS advises putting the vegetables in first, since they cook more slowly than meat.
- With beans and cheese: brown 1 pound of ground beef with salt, pepper and 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder, drain it, and stir in a drained 15-ounce can of kidney beans. Layer sliced onions and potatoes, pour over half of a mix of a 6-ounce can of tomato paste, an 8-ounce can of tomato sauce, a can of warm water and 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning, then add 2 stalks of celery, 2 cups of cooked white rice, the beef and beans and the rest of the tomato mix. Bake tightly covered at 350°F for 45 minutes, then uncover, top with 1 1/2 cups of grated cheddar and bake 15 minutes more.
- More vegetables: add a layer of chopped celery, thinly sliced parsnips, carrots and frozen peas over the beef, and season each layer with salt and pepper.
- Italian-style: add Italian seasoning and garlic, with mozzarella on top.
- Mexican-style: use diced tomatoes with green chiles, a cup of frozen fajita vegetables and a little taco seasoning.
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow covered containers. USDA FSIS says to eat them within 3 to 4 days, or freeze them for 3 to 4 months. Thaw frozen casserole in the refrigerator, or reheat it straight from frozen.
Reheat portions covered, in the oven or microwave, until they reach 165°F. Covering keeps the potatoes and rice from drying out. Don’t reheat leftovers in a slow cooker; FSIS advises against it.
What to Serve With It
Shipwreck casserole is a full meal on its own, so a green salad or some crusty bread is all it needs. If you like beef-and-potato bakes, the creamy ones are worth a try too: a hobo casserole, the easy 5-ingredient hamburger and potato casserole or a meat and potato casserole. For more beef and rice in one dish, make a cozy beef and rice casserole, a stuffed pepper casserole or an easy hamburger rice casserole.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a shipwreck casserole?
It’s a layered bake of sliced onions, potatoes and carrots, raw ground beef and uncooked rice, covered with tomato soup and water and baked under foil until everything is tender.
Do you cook the beef and rice first?
Not in this recipe. Both go in raw and cook in the oven. If you’d rather brown the beef and use cooked rice, follow the beans and cheese variation above, which bakes for a shorter time.
Can I make shipwreck casserole in a slow cooker?
Yes. Layer it the same way in a greased slow cooker, cover with foil and the lid, and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Use thawed beef and put the vegetables in first.
Can I add cheese?
Yes. The beans and cheese version bakes 1 1/2 cups of grated cheddar on top, uncovered, for the last 15 minutes.
How do I know when it’s done?
The potatoes and carrots are fork-tender, the rice is soft, and the center of the dish reads 165°F on a food thermometer.
Final Notes
Slice the potatoes and carrots while the oven heats, and the whole dish is ready to go in within 20 minutes. If you make it, tell me in the comments which version you layered.
Shipwreck Casserole
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Ingredients
- 2 white onions sliced
- 4 medium potatoes sliced
- 2 cups carrots sliced
- 1 1/2 pounds ground beef uncooked
- 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon seasoning salt
- 1/2 cup white rice uncooked
- 1 can condensed tomato soup 10 ounces; roasted red pepper tomato soup or your favorite tomato soup works
- 1 1/2 cups water
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9x13-inch baking dish well.
- Place the sliced onions in the bottom of the dish. Add the sliced potatoes, then the sliced carrots.
- Mix the seasoning salt into the uncooked ground beef, then spread the beef over the vegetables.
- Sprinkle the uncooked rice over the beef.
- Stir the tomato soup and water together and pour the mixture over the top.
- Cover the dish with foil and bake for 2 hours, until the vegetables are soft, the rice is cooked and a food thermometer in the center reads 165°F.
