How To: Make Betty's cheaseburger and fries casserole

With all those cheese and fries casseroles out there, why not add some hearty ground beef to the mix? Betty shows you her unique recipe for a scrumptious delight.

Ingredients:

1 pound lean ground beef
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon butter, melted
½ medium onion, chopped
3 tablespoons butter, melted
¼ cup flour
2 cups milk
2 cups Velveeta shreds (You may use shredded or cubed cheese of any type that you like with a burger.)
approximately ½ of a 22-oz. bag of frozen French fries that have thawed for about an hour
cooking oil spray

Saute ½ chopped onion in 1 tablespoon butter in a small skillet. In a large skillet, place 1 pound of ground beef and 1 teaspoon salt, and brown, stirring frequently, until it is crumbly, and no pink is showing. Drain off any excess fat. In a medium saucepan, melt 3 tablespoons butter, add ½ cup flour, and stir until there are no lumps. Add 2 cups of milk and 2 cups of shredded Velveeta cheese. Stir to combine, and then place over low heat, stirring constantly, until the cheese sauce is smooth and thickened. Spray a 13-inch by 9-inch by 2-inch baking pan with cooking oil spray. Add the sautéed onions to the cheese sauce, and stir. Pour the onion/cheese sauce over the browned ground beef in the large skillet. Mix well. Pour the mixture into the greased baking dish. Place about ½ bag of (partially-thawed) frozen French fries carefully over the top of the casserole. Bake for 30 minutes, or until bubbly and browned on the top. Serve immediately. To stay true to the cheeseburger and fries theme, I served my casserole alongside a couple of dill pickle strips, some fresh lettuce, topped with tomato slices, with some ketchup and mustard at the side—plus a glass of iced tea! This is a nice hearty meal that I hope you will like!