Mashed Potato And Ground Beef Casserole Topped With Bacon-Wrapped Zucchini

We don't know about you, but our preferred way to spend the cold months of fall and winter is with a hearty meal that warms you up from the inside out. With casseroles being our go-to dish this time of year, we figured we had to develop the ultimate casserole recipe, once and for all. We're proud to present to you our mashed potato and ground beef casserole topped with cheese-stuffed, bacon-wrapped zucchini. This is one filling casserole that is exactly what a great casserole should be – warm, comforting, and delicious!

You'll Need:

For the ground beef filling:

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 red onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper

For the potatoes:

• 2½ lbs potatoes, boiled
• 4 egg yolks
• ⅓ cup corn starch
• ⅓ cup bread crumbs
• salt & pepper to taste

For the zucchini:

• 5 zucchinis
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella
• 15 bacon slices

Extra:

• springform pan

Here's How:

1. Cut off the stalks of the zucchinis at the front and back and put them in a sieve. Place the sieve in a pot filled with water, put the lid on, and steam the zucchinis for 25 minutes until tender. Let the zucchinis cool down afterwards.

2. In the meantime, boil the potatoes in salted water. Mix all the ingredients for the ground beef filling and spread the mixture on the bottom of a greased springform pan. Cook the ground beef in a preheated oven set to 400°F for 15 minutes.

3. Drain the potatoes, mash them, mix in the egg yolks, corn starch, and bread crumbs, and season with salt and pepper.

4. Spread the mashed potatoes over the cooked ground beef mixture in the springform pan.

5. Cut about a ½-inch thick strip from the zucchinis, hollow them out, and fill them with shredded mozzarella before wrapping each zucchini in bacon.

6. Place the zucchinis in a circle on top of the mashed potatoes before putting the springform pan back in the oven for 40 minutes at 325°F.

This casserole is a whole new kind of wonderful!  Sure, it might be a little more labor-intensive than your standard weeknight casserole, but that little bit of effort is totally worth it. Once you cut into this casserole and are greeted by the sight of oeey-gooey cheese dripping from those bacon-wrapped zucchinis, you'll want nothing more than to take a huge bite!