My Mom's Hamburger Casserole

I had a tough time taking a picture of this dish. It isn't photogenic! Have you ever made one of those totally disgusting looking, but very tasty meals? Well this hamburger casserole would definitely fit into that category. It's also in the extremely easy and affordable category too. The entire casserole came in at about $3.73! Now that's cheap eating :) I grew up eating this meal. A lot of times my parents were low on money. My mother felt strongly about being a stay-at-home mom, so there were a lot of times my parents came up short. Mom remembers regularly only having about $20 a week to spend on groceries. My mom wasn't the type of cook to try new things, but I never remember feeling like we didn't have food or not eating what she had made. I was not as picky as my kids tend to be, but I knew if I didn't finish my supper I would be hungry because I didn't get a lot of snacks. This was one of my favorite things mom made. I also remember her no-bake cookies (I will have to get her recipe and make them to post) and my very favorite potato chip casserole. Don't let the looks of this dish turn you away. This really is a great recipe. Enjoy :)

MOM'S HAMBURGER CASSEROLE
1 pound lean ground beef
1 can tomato soup
1 sliced onion
4 peeled and sliced potatoes (about 1/4 inch thickness)
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350. Spray casserole dish and line the bottom with 1/2 of the potatoes. Salt and pepper potatoes well and then top with 1/2 of the hamburger, crumbled. Top hamburger with 1/2 of the onions and lightly salt and pepper again. Layer again with potatoes, hamburger and onion being sure to season with salt and pepper. Dump the can of soup in a bowl and mix with 1/4 can of water. Pour evenly over the top of casserole and cover. Bake for 1 - 1 1/2 hours, or until potatoes are tender. (It depends on the size casserole dish you use. Mine took about an hour for a good sized oval casserole dish, but it would take longer if your dish was smaller around and taller)