Velveeta Casserole: Dad Cooks Dinner

I'm away right now at a conference in Ventura for four glorious nights! “What?” I hear you gasping collectively, “You're leaving your husband alone with a two-year-old and four-month-old for four nights? Worst wife ever!” I know, I know. Whatever. I'm not leaving them without some decent food for dinner, though. I'm leaving them with all the ingredients for Velveeta casserole!

Can I just quickly comment on the fact that I'm grateful March is almost over so we can ditch this mustache?

Back in our college days, Nate used to make his famous Velveeta chili dip for parties and it was always a hit. Velveeta + chili = liquidy awesomeness. It's been quite awhile since we've had that, so when I spied Velveeta at the store, I had to grab a few to have on hand. “What's that?” you say, “You're leaving your husband alone for four days with abundant quantities of Velveeta? Best wife ever!” I know, I know. Whatever.

Cheesy chili cornbread casserole is a favorite of many households, but Velveeta makes it easy for Nate to whip up with minimal effort (so he doesn't end up ordering pizza or getting drive thru every single night I'm gone).

Yield: 6 servings

Velveeta Casserole

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Velveeta makes it easy for Nate to whip up a casserole with minimal effort.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 lb ground beef
• 1 package (10 oz) frozen mixed vegetables (corn, onions, bell pepper mix)
• 1 package chili seasoning packet
• 2 cups shredded Mexican cheese mix
• 1/2 lb Velveeta, melted
• 1 box Jiffy corn muffin mix
• 1/3 cup half and half
• 1 egg

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees Farenheit
2. Brown meat and vegetables in a large skillet. Mix in taco seasoning and shredded cheese. Spoon into a 13x9-inch baking sheet.
3. Pour Velveeta over the top.
4. Mix Jiffy mix with the half and half and egg, pour on top of casserole.
5. Bake 40 minutes.
6. Serve.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1 serving
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 818Total Fat: 54gSaturated Fat: 25gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 19gCholesterol: 258mgSodium: 1301mgCarbohydrates: 16gFiber: 1gSugar: 7gProtein: 64g

Velveeta Casserole Step-by-Step

I personally like to use a little half and half or milk with boxed cornbread mixes. I find it makes them extra fluffy.

Simply season the beef, then add the veggies and a bit of cheese to hold it all together.

Velveeta gets layered on top of the beef and vegetables. Mmmm, creamy cheese! This is making me really hungry. I'm waiting for room service in my hotel as I type this and I could seriously go for some Velveeta casserole right about now. I'm willing to bet it'll be a whole lot better than whatever's going to show up at my door in a few minutes.

And then the cornbread mixture goes right on top of that.

Tada! Velveeta casserole. Chili cornbread dinner that anyone can cook. Even a busy dad with two babies on his hands.

We've tweaked this Velveeta casserole all sorts of different ways with lots of differing underlying flavors. Perhaps swap in some taco seasoning instead of chili seasoning. Add in some cooked beans to deepen the flavor. You can even take it in a John Wayne casserole direction for breakfast with some breakfast potatoes and tomatoes, or go for a tortilla chip topping instead of cornbread. Or Fritos! Frito chili Velveeta casserole sounds like the best thing ever.

Have you ever made Velveeta casserole?