Lighthouse Casserole

This is a kitchen-sink casserole in the best way possible. Ground beef, kidney beans, creamed corn, mushrooms, and sliced olives all get tossed with macaroni in a chili-tomato sauce that’s savory, slightly sweet, and just spicy enough to keep things interesting.

The recipe makes a huge batch on purpose. Divide it into smaller casserole dishes, freeze the extras, and you’ve got future dinners handled with zero extra work. It reheats from frozen without losing its texture.

The microwave-colander trick for cooking the ground beef is worth noting. Crumbling the meat into a colander set over the casserole dish lets the grease drain away as it cooks, so you end up with leaner, cleaner-tasting meat without having to blot it with paper towels.

Creamed corn adds a natural thickness and subtle sweetness that binds everything together. It’s the ingredient that keeps this from tasting like plain chili mac.

Pro Tips

• Use small shell pasta instead of elbows if you can. The shells catch the sauce and bits of meat in their cups.
• Drain and rinse the kidney beans to cut sodium and prevent the sauce from getting murky.
• Don’t skip the olives. Their briny saltiness balances the sweetness of the creamed corn.
• Top with shredded cheddar in the last few minutes of reheating so it melts but doesn’t burn.

Variations

• Swap kidney beans for black beans and add a teaspoon of cumin for a Southwestern spin.
• Stir in diced green chiles or jalapeños for more heat.
• Use ground turkey instead of beef for a lighter version.