Throw raw ground beef patties in the glass casserole dish and 4 simple pantry staples to get a meal so amazing your family will be begging for more.

This little casserole is what I reach for on those long Easter weekends when the house is full, the budget is tight, and nobody wants to fuss. It comes straight out of the kind of cooking I grew up with in the rural Midwest—open the pantry, see what you’ve got, and stretch it into something comforting. You literally throw raw ground beef patties into a glass casserole dish, pour over four simple pantry staples, and let the oven turn it into a tender, savory meal that tastes like you worked a whole lot harder than you did. It’s humble, hearty, and the sort of thing that has everyone circling back for seconds.

Serve this poor man’s Easter weekend beef with fluffy mashed potatoes or buttered egg noodles to soak up the gravy-like sauce. A simple side of canned green beans, peas, or a tossed salad rounds out the plate nicely. Warm dinner rolls or slices of buttered white bread fit right in with the old-fashioned feel and are perfect for swiping up every last bit of juices from the casserole dish.

Servings: 4

1 1/2 pounds ground beef, formed into 4 even patties

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Set out a rectangular glass casserole dish (about 9x13 inches).

Shape the ground beef into 4 even patties, about 3/4-inch thick. They don’t need to be perfect—just roughly the same size so they cook evenly.

Lay the raw ground beef patties side by side in a single layer in the glass casserole dish. They can be close together but should not overlap. This should look like a neat row of patties ready for the oven.

In a medium bowl, stir together the condensed cream of mushroom soup, beef broth, onion soup mix, and black pepper (if using) until well combined. The mixture will be pourable but still a little thick.

Pour the soup mixture evenly over the raw patties in the glass dish, making sure each patty is coated and some of the mixture runs down into the bottom of the dish.

Cover the glass casserole dish tightly with aluminum foil to help the beef stay moist and let the flavors meld into a rich, gravy-like sauce.

Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes. Carefully remove the foil, then return the dish to the oven and bake uncovered for another 10–15 minutes, or until the patties are cooked through (no longer pink in the center) and the sauce is bubbling and slightly thickened.

Remove the casserole from the oven and let it rest for about 5 minutes. The sauce will thicken a bit more as it sits. Serve the patties with plenty of the savory sauce spooned over the top.

For a creamier, milder flavor, you can swap the cream of mushroom soup for cream of chicken or cream of celery—use whatever your pantry offers. If you like a little texture, scatter a thin layer of sliced onions or mushrooms over the patties before pouring on the sauce, though that will take you beyond the basic four-ingredient idea. You can also form smaller patties to stretch the meat for more people; just keep an eye on the baking time, as smaller patties may cook a bit faster. If you prefer less salt, choose low-sodium broth and soup, and use only part of the onion soup mix packet. Leftovers reheat beautifully in a skillet with a splash of water or broth, and the sauce is wonderful spooned over toast or leftover potatoes for a simple next-day lunch.