004 / 75 · Crisp-Topped and Potato Comfort

Beef and Sweetcorn Hash Brown Hotdish

One 9×13 in (23×33 cm) dish of at least 3.5 qt/3.3 L; 6 main-dish portions · Active 35 min · Total 1 hr 45 min

Print recipe · PDF

Shredded hash browns can make a crisp, lacy top, but only if their thawed water is squeezed away first. Underneath sits a tomato-rich beef and sweetcorn filling rather than a cream sauce. A wide pan gives the potatoes room to brown and keeps this supper from turning into a deep, soft mound.

Jump to ingredients

Marker-and-gouache beef and corn hotdish under crisp shredded hash browns.

Thaw in the refrigerator, not on the counter

The potato quantity is weighed before squeezing, after refrigerator thawing. Put the shreds in a clean towel and wring out as much liquid as you can without leaving them sitting warm while the filling cooks. Spread them loosely in a bowl before adding oil. Breaking up the compressed handful lets the oil reach more strands. This is not the same ingredient as ready-seasoned breakfast hash with added onion or fat; plain frozen shredded potato keeps the stated seasoning and texture predictable.

Reduce the tomatoes while the pan is still open

Browned beef and softened pepper need a sauce that holds them together. Simmer the crushed tomatoes and stock before assembly until a spoon dragged through the filling leaves a brief track. A watery base steams through the potato lid and defeats the work of squeezing it. The sweetcorn can enter frozen, but the filling must return to a full simmer and become hot throughout before you spread it into the baking dish. Use a thermometer for the beef and the final mixed dish; their safe endpoints are different.

Leave the shreds loose

Scatter potatoes across the filling with your fingers or two forks. Do not press them into a tight mat. Small uneven points catch the heat and brown, while the lower strands stay tender. A little cheddar goes under the potatoes, where it melts into the filling rather than sealing the top. Bake on a rimmed sheet and look for browned strands across the middle as well as at the edge. If the corners darken too soon, shield them loosely and keep cooking until the center reaches its temperature.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb 10 oz plain frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed in the refrigerator (750 g before squeezing)
  • 2 tablespoons neutral oil (30 ml), divided: 1 teaspoon/5 ml for skillet and 5 teaspoons/25 ml for potatoes
  • 1 lb lean ground beef (450 g)
  • 1 medium onion, chopped (150 g)
  • 1 large red bell pepper, diced (150 g prepared)
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped (6 g)
  • 1 can crushed tomatoes with juice (14 oz/400 g)
  • 1/2 cup low-sodium beef stock (120 ml)
  • 2 teaspoons mild smoked paprika (4 g)
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 2 cups frozen sweetcorn (280 g)
  • 3 oz cheddar, grated (85 g)
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine salt (3 g), divided equally between filling and potatoes
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Set out

Oven, Refrigerator for advance thawing, 9×13 in (23×33 cm) baking dish, at least 3.5 qt/3.3 L, 12-in/30-cm deep skillet, Clean towel, Mixing bowl, Rimmed baking sheet, Food thermometer, Suitable foil if the topping colors before the center finishes

Allergens

Milk; check stock and frozen-potato labels for additional allergens. Check labels and substitutions.

Make it

  1. Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Set the baking dish on the rimmed sheet. Squeeze thawed potatoes firmly in the towel, then keep them refrigerated while making the filling.
  2. Heat 5 ml oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef and onion, break up the beef and cook 8–10 minutes until beef reaches 160°F (71°C). Drain excess fat safely if needed. Add pepper and cook 5 minutes; stir in garlic for 30 seconds.
  3. Add tomatoes, stock, paprika, oregano, half the salt and pepper. Simmer uncovered for 8–10 minutes until thick and spoonable. Stir in frozen corn and simmer 5 minutes more, or its package cooking time if longer, until the filling is hot throughout.
  4. Transfer filling to the dish and scatter cheddar over it. Loosen the squeezed potatoes in the bowl, toss with the remaining 25 ml oil and remaining salt, then scatter loosely over the whole surface. Do not compress.
  5. Bake uncovered 35–45 minutes until the potato strands are crisp and golden and the filling reaches 165°F (74°C) in the center and several other places. Shield darkening edges loosely with foil if necessary. Rest 5 minutes before dividing into six portions.

Plan the thaw the night before

Set a covered bowl under the potato package so leaks stay contained in the refrigerator. Squeezing is part of the recipe, not an optional repair after the pan has already gone into the oven.

A useful detail

Refrigerator thawing is an advance step, usually overnight, and is additional to the 105-minute cooking-day total. Check the potato label. A deep round pan will give a thicker wet layer and is not an equivalent replacement.

Another way

  • Use 450 g ground turkey instead of beef, cooking it to 165°F (74°C) in the skillet. Retain the final casserole endpoint and thick tomato base.

Keep it well

Refrigerate shallow portions within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F (32°C), at 40°F (4°C) or below. Use within 3 days or an earlier ingredient deadline. Reheat to 165°F (74°C), uncovering near the end to dry the potato surface. Freeze promptly cooled portions for up to 2 months for quality; thaw in the refrigerator. The shreds will be softer after freezing.