Poor Man’s Meal
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Poor Man’s Meal is probably my favorite comfort food in the entire world. There’s not much to it. It’s pretty simple. It’s easy to make and require just a handful of ingredients. It won’t be winning any awards for most distinguished culinary dish ever, but that’s not why I love it so much.
The holidays bring lots of memories and they always, always make me think of my dad. This was our third Christmas without him and I always get a little weepy thinking about it. I miss him so much. He was real salt of the earth type of man. He was a good man. He worked hard every single day of his life to make sure that his family was taken care of, that we had everything we needed and a lot of what we wanted. It wasn’t always like that though. My parents had some tough times when they were first married, my dad was a welder and he was laid off many times before he found serious stability around the time my older sister was born. This was a meal that he and my mom made because back then apparently ground beef was about 50 cents per pound. How amazing would that be now? I’ve heard my mom say many times that she had to get super creative to feed the two of them. Now-a-days, all groceries are expensive so I don’t feel like the title is perfect, but It’s what I grew up calling it so, I’ll continue to call it Poor Man’s Meal. Even when things got much better for my parents my dad stayed fairly true to himself. He was a simple man who was happy with food in his belly, t-shirts and jeans, socks, peanut butter & crackers, and his girls by his side. Honestly, that’s all he really ever wanted if I really had to pin point it. He’d be a little annoyed with you if you got him anything more than a nice card for a gift. To see his girls taken care of was all that mattered to him. I admire him for that. I really do, and I think we could all take a page or two from his book and think about how sometimes, Simple is just perfect. All in all, this meal continued to be one of his absolute favorites for his entire life. Simple meat & potatoes! He didn’t like a lot of spices. He didn’t like a lot of fuss. He just wanted a hot plate of food after a long days of work. There was a certain delicious smell that comes from the kitchen when my mom would make this and I remember always being so excited about it the moment it hit my lil nose.
Fast forward, 15-ish years and here I am making this dish for my family. Pepper loves it! I found that not only is it insanely easy to throw together on busy nights, it’s super easy to keep the ingredients on hand, and to my surprise by using lean ground beef instead of ground chuck it’s quite calorie/weight watchers friendly! I always figure anything in my life that I used to eat on a regular basis is terrible for me, but that’s so not the case. Sometimes I just need to change one or two things up and I’m able to revisit childhood favorites with no problem. And sometimes, I just need to use a measuring cup!
How to make Poor Man’s Meal
Throw a pound of lean ground beef in a large skillet and generously salt and pepper it before it browns.
When the beef is browned. Set aside. The ground beef I use on a regular basis is not very fatty at all. It’s 93/7. I left a little of the grease which probably wasn’t even a teaspoon in the pan to cook the potatoes with along with the vegetable oil.
Add one tablespoon of vegetable oil into the skillet along with your frozen hash brown potatoes. I also lightly spray the top of the potatoes with cooking spray because it’s a lot of potatoes so you want them all to get a little oil to cook up nicely.
Add about 2 teaspoons of Season Salt. (Yep, that’s the only seasoning you’ll need for this one, folks! (okay, besides a little pepper!) Season Salt was a staple in my house growing up. It was simple. It was good. It was easy. I still use it in a lot of my cooking. It’s honestly perfect. I do try to watch my salt intake while eating healthier, but honestly… I just drink more water if I’m eating something with higher sodium. It works for me!
Continue cooking the potatoes until cooked through and a little brown. About 10-12 minutes over medium-high heat.
Add in some corn with the potatoes when they are done cooking. Stir it up a cook another couple minutes.
Add your ground beef back in with the corn and potatoes. Salt & Pepper to taste!
And that’s it! You’re all done. It’s simple, it’s quick. It tastes like my childhood. It’s something my meat and potato lovin’ midwestern heart really needs every once and awhile!
And… well, if you have been reading this little ol blog for awhile. You might know that I love cheese. I add cheese on top of just about everything I eat. So in true DDOP fashion… I topped it with a couple tablespoons of reduced fat Colby Jack! Ahh… Perfection. BUT, It doesn’t need it. You don’t have to do it!
And on top of that? a little ketchup, because it’s perfect that way.
I hope you enjoy this simple little skillet meal! I’ve made it so much that I figured I share it with you all. I’ve been thinking about my dad a lot more than usual lately and I really wanted to put one of his favorites on here for other families to enjoy!
With love from my kitchen to yours,
Star
Poor Man’s Meal
Ingredients
- 1 lb lean ground beef, raw 93% lean/ 7% Fat
- 7 cups frozen hash brown potatoes I use Ore Ida
- 1 ½ cups corn fresh or canned
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2-3 tsp Lawry's Seasoned Salt or your favorite all purple seasoning blend works
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- Cooking Spray
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat brown the ground beef and break it up with a spatula. Generously season the beef with kosher salt and pepper while the meat is cooking.
- When cooked thoroughly remove from heat and set aside in a dish. In the same skillet over medium heat, add oil and hash brown potatoes. (I also spray a bit of cooking spray on top of the potatoes) Cook on medium high-heat until the potatoes are lightly crispy and cooked through- about 10 minutes. Sprinkle season salt and pepper onto the potatoes and add corn. Cook for a couple minutes until corn is warm. Add ground beef back into skillet and mix thoroughly. Salt & Pepper to taste. Top with some cheddar, optional. Enjoy!
- Cook on medium high until the potatoes are lightly browned with some crispy edges (don't expect lots of crispy potatoes) and cooked through. This will take about 10 minutes.
- Sprinkle seasoned salt and pepper onto the potatoes and add corn. Cook for a couple more minutes or until corn is warm. Add ground beef back into skillet and mix thoroughly until everything is warmed through.
- Salt & Pepper to taste. Top with some cheddar and ketchup if you want to!
Notes
328 Calories 12g fat, 3g saturated fat, 35g carbohydrates, 4g fiber, 4g sugar (0g added sugar, 0g sugar alcohols), 30g net carbs, 20g protein, 403g sodium
This is one of my favorites. Quick and easy to throw together. Easy to swap out things for whatever I have on hand. Ground turkey instead of ground beef or green beans instead of corn. My mom made something similar growing up but didn’t use potatoes and my dad always said it needed potatoes. Anyways, this dish makes me feel a bit nostalgic.
At 1-1/2 cups per serving, how many servings in the recipe?
6
Do you thaw hash browns 1st ?
Was thinking of trying w/ ground turkey ?
I don’t thaw them, but you can for quicker cooking. Ground turkey will work too
I went online to Google poor Man’s because I make the same dish and many times I boil potatoes and use them to chop up in the pan and make hash browns and sometimes I use the Frozen ones. Pleasantly surprised to find out this is a real dish that other people make. It’s delicious and it’s comforting and I liked the story about your dad. I miss mine as well and he was the same.
Do you find it necessary to check your frozen potatoes for black spots? The past few times I bought them, I had to toss a lot of pieces. I love this recipe! Thank you!
I really don’t- I haven’t had that trouble. Over the years I do remember every once and while picking one out while cooking. That being said, I know quality control lately isn’t the best. Hopefully it won’t happen too often!!
Easy for meal prep!! Taste delicious.
Oh my gosh Star……just fantastic!! I’m an older lady that has made “tons” of your recipes, and they’re just delicious!! Growing up, my mom used to make homemade hash out of venison, my dad was a hunter. It was more ground up then this, but us kids loved it! That’s what this recipe reminds me of! I added onion (cuz I’m such an onion lover) and some green pepper too….omg!! I could eat this every day and not get sick of it!! Thank you Star for your wonderful recipes!
I love this meal sooo much! You can make any kind of substitution if you don’t have something on hand and it is always delicious. Makes excellent leftovers too!!
There is no link for the PP and no sodium content to calculate the points. Is that accurate?
Reminds me of my Dad who passed away last year, the story & the recipe! Life’s not the same without him, but every so often finding treasures like this one makes it bearable!
sending you a big hug.
Love this because it’s quick and easy and so delicious! If you need to make something in a hurry, this is the dish!
So easy and SO damn tasty
I love this easy, peasy meal. It’s delish. I make it at least once a month. I tried to used half diced potatoes, and half shredded potatoes….don’t do it. haha. I didn’t have a full bag of the diced onse and tried to improvise.
Silly question but could we just dice potatoes for this? Thanks!
You sure can! It might take a little longer to cook up though
Yum!! I made this yesterday and it was just what I needed: quick comfort food. Hubby even said this recipe is a keeper – and he’s hard to please!!
Thank you, Star!
YUM!!! This was SO good! Simple food for the soul. This recipe definitely a keeper.
This looks SO good – can’t wait to try it. I may half the ground beef and add a can of pinto beans!
May be a stupid question, but do you serve anything with it?
You sure can! In the summer we do more fresh chopped salads on the side and in the winter I’ll do roasted vegges or canned green beans
This is so easy to whip up when you want a great dinner but don’t want to dirty a bunch of pots/pans and have it take forever!
This is one of my favorite dishes. It’s so easy and simple. Such a great combo. Thanks Star for this and all your recipes.
Quick and easy one skillet dinner. Perfect for an week night dinner.
#top2021
We make something similar for breakfast called Krish Krish (old family tradition) with eggs, sausage and hashbrowns. When I saw this I was so excited for the idea to turn it into a dinner version – we eat this ALL the time, topped with a little cheese! #top2021
This is SO good—real comfort food with a healthier twist, which I love! Thanks so much for sharing…I’ve forwarded this recipe to family members and will definitely add to my meal rotation.
I love this recipe and have made it many times. Easy to make and a nice change from a plain hamburger and potatoes meal. I’ve made it with shredded cheese on top, and I’ve also used shredded mozzarella cheese…whatever is on hand at the time. I usually add a little garlic powder and a few drops of Frank’s Red Hot Buffalo Wing Sauce, for a little extra zest.
I love recipes like this, so comforting. Definitely worth repeating! #top2021
I love recipes like this, so comforting! Definitely one worth repeating.
I made this as the recipe states and it was good! We have made it a couple times. I wanted something a little different tonight, so I remade it with a little onion, worcestershire sauce and brown gravy mix and water just enough to add some moisture, topped it with cheese and stuck the pan in the oven to get all melty. Mmmmm!
So easy to make and full of flavor! One of our favorite quick dishes to throw together. Love it as is, or in a tortilla topped with cheese.
One of our favorites that is quick and easy! And we always have these staples on hand. I like mine with a little cheese, some ketchup and sriracha sauce for a kick!
Love love LOVE this recipie. It’s very easy to make and super filling. It’s hearty and a very comforting meal to eat.
Do you drain the corn if it is canned
yep
My Irish grandparents ate this often growing up and when they were raising their 6 kids. I had my grandpa live with me during the early months Covid and he requested this. I googled and found your version. He loved it and so did we!! Thank you!
This makes me so happy! I hope he’s doing well.
So simple and so satisfying!! A great budget meal and versatile to what you have on hand.
I used this recipe to make a quick and easy dinner and it was amazing!!! I made my whole family try. I like to compare it to an easy shepherds pie.
@jesscoelhooo_
This is in constant rotation in our house! So easy, so delicious!!!! Great for lunch the next day as well! Yum!!
@vickiemcleod
My husband and I eat this weekly! It is our go to meal. We always have everything on hand. I like to use the ore ida O’Brien potatoes. So much flavor. Thanks so much for all the love you put into your recipes Star. You’ve made my husband think that I can actually cook, ha!
(Instagram name- wwmichele7)
I just made this for the first time and I am officially OBSESSED! This is so good! It is warm, comforting, and filling! I actually topped mine with an over easy egg and the runny yolk was a great addition!
Yay to having another dish for the family rotation! My 5-year-old called out for tortillas immediately and we enjoyed it as tacos with a little shredded cheese. Look forward to next time!
YUM! so happy yall enjoyed =)
This recipe is amazing in mini tart shells
Ahhh , the memories! My mom made this in her pressure cooker, I’m sure an Instapot would be perfect! It was my fave 35 years ago and now my family loves it too! I peel and slice my own potatoes, fry onions and jalapeño with my hamburger, stir in taters, salt and pepper add a splash of water seal tightly and bake at 350 for an hour or so. Then I add pats of butter for extra flavor…serve with your favorite blueberry bread or muffins…heaven! Thank you for sharing ! (The leftovers make amazing breakfast burritos, just add scrambled eggs, cheese and wrap in foil-bake! Yum! )
Could you use sweet potato as an option?
for sure! i think it would taste delicious.
I’ve added this to my meal plan for next week. I’m thinking about mixing things up and using hominy instead of corn and adding some canned green chilies. My husband loves them. I’m thinking this will be a hit over here at my house. Tha is so much for the recipes. We LOVE your summer pasta salad with corn in it. OMG. So good!
Small world! I too have very fond memories of this dish. Though it was my grandma and she called it mash whilst my grandpa affectionately called it mush! It has been my favorite meal forever, so glad to see that it brings joys to more than me and my family!
I love it! Mush. What a name. Haha!
Poor Man’s Stew is what it was called in our house growing up. My mom had a special pan she would make this in. She would start it out on the stove then place biscuits on top and finished it in the oven, it was one of our favorites! Thanks for the memory, will have to make this for my family now.
I like this idea and will definitely have to give it a try. The ingredients may make the dish I knew as “A Poor Man’s” meal a little healthier. My dad would simply combine browned 80/20 hamburger (not drained), creamed corn and chunks of bread to soak up the juices. Let it cook, stirring frequently for about 10 mins then cover and let stand for about 5 or 10 mins and the meal was ready to serve. One of my favorite meals he cooked and probably one of the easiest on his pocketbook!!
How would i do this with regulat potatoes? Just cut them into small pieces and then fry?
Yep! Small cubes and basically follow same steps. It may take a few extra minutes to cook, but other than that all the same. I hope you enjoy!
Just Brown your hamburger with salt and pepper add cubed potatoes cover with water and cook until potatoes are done then add a can of green beans Frozen or not
Thanks for sharing! I didn’t have the correct potatoes, so I used the ore Ida potatoes with peppers and onions! It was great! The only other thing I changed is I sprinkled the top with creole and shredded cheese!! We loved it!
I grew up on meals like this, sometimes we would use venison and other times beef. We also made this as foil meals. After browning the burger, we would put everything into a foil packet, put in hot coals around a campfire and you have an excellent meal. On occasion when we were growing up, we would add mushroom soup to the mix for a little different flavor. Thanks.
How do you say I love your recipe. I couldn’t have said it better. Reminds me of my childhood. I love you blog and I also wanted to thank you very much for sharing this have a wonderful wonderful spring blessings to you
Thank you so much for those kind words, Jeanie!
Hi Star!
I absolutely loved the story of your father. He sounds like a great man! Reminds me of my grandfather who was just the same. Worked every day and all he asked for was a hot meal and his family when he got home. He’s literally the reason why I work so hard each day.
I am going to try this meal this week. I’m 26, single, live alone and simple hearty meals is perfect for me! (Not the greatest cook)
I was thinking instead of corn (not to much my thing) maybe some chopped onions and diced carrots. Also gonna try dicing my own potatoes. 🙂
Look forward to more of your dishes!! 🙂
Another Skinnyish win!! This recipe is on point with heartiness and flavor! I added diced onions and some chili powder to mine for extra zip. Aside from “user error” – I used frozen shredded hash browns and then tried to cook in cast iron..you can imagine the mess! Lol but after switching to a non-stick, all went perfectly! I’m DEFINITELY making this again! Thanks Star!!
I’m so happy you enjoyed it so much!
Makes great burritos also
If I made this with 99% lean ground chicken would you happen to know what the SP would be?
I don’t have that info handy sorry, but it would probably be a couple’a points less.
Can I make this with frozen corn and regular potatoes
Yep!
Hello. I’ve lived with my parents for a while and have started looking to move out. My biggest worry, as dumb as it sounds, is what am I going to feed myself? I looked for easy recipes and came across your recipe, here. This was the first meal Ive cooked by myself: it was easy to make and one of the most delicious dishes I’ve had in a long time. This will certainly be my go to recipe for when I move out. Thanks so much!
Hi Christoper! I am SO happy you loved this. It’s one of my go to’s around here. Good luck with your move!
Hello. I’ve lived with my parents for a while and have started looking to move out. My biggest worry, as dumb as it sounds, is what am I going to feed myself? I looked for easy recipes and came across your recipe, here. This was the first meal Ive cooked by myself: it was easy to make and one of the most delicious dishes I’ve had in a long time. This will certainly be my go to recipe for when I move out. Thanks so much!
Hi Christoper! I am SO happy you loved this. It’s one of my go to’s around here. Good luck with your move!
Similar to a sheppard’s Pie without all the work of mashing the potatoes. I love it!
Similar to a sheppard’s Pie without all the work of mashing the potatoes. I love it!
One of our favorites Hamburger/Potato Burittosa lil taco sauce and sour cream or some cheese . Great keep on budget meal
One of our favorites Hamburger/Potato Burittosa lil taco sauce and sour cream or some cheese . Great keep on budget meal
Do you know the Spanish name for this recipe?
No Sorry
Do you know the Spanish name for this recipe?
No Sorry
I made the recipe as instructed and then made a package of the white gravy that you use in the biscuits and gravy recipe. After it was ready I mixed it in the poor man’s dinner and it was delicious and so worth a few extra points. Thanks for another great recipe!
I made the recipe as instructed and then made a package of the white gravy that you use in the biscuits and gravy recipe. After it was ready I mixed it in the poor man’s dinner and it was delicious and so worth a few extra points. Thanks for another great recipe!
The easiest, most delicious family favorite! We love this dish, and there’s always the ingredients on hand!
This is a favorite in our house. My 2 year old loves it and so do her parents 🙂
This is a favorite in our house. My 2 year old loves it and so do her parents 🙂
Hi, I made this tonight and it was delish the only thing is that it was dry.. followed the recipe perfectly…I was supposed to drain the corn right? I did since the recipe didn’t say not to.. It was delish anyway.. Loved it..
Hi there! I am so happy you loved it despite being a bit dry. The only thing I can guess is that the hamburger may have gotten a bit over cooked possibly? And yes, the corn gets added when being drained. I can’t say for sure what could have gone wrong. I’m sorry to not be that much of help!
We add cheese and let it melt through and then top with sour cream. Soooo good!
And it’s bomb with a fried egg on top for breakfast with the leftovers!
Hi, I made this tonight and it was delish the only thing is that it was dry.. followed the recipe perfectly…I was supposed to drain the corn right? I did since the recipe didn’t say not to.. It was delish anyway.. Loved it..
Hi there! I am so happy you loved it despite being a bit dry. The only thing I can guess is that the hamburger may have gotten a bit over cooked possibly? And yes, the corn gets added when being drained. I can’t say for sure what could have gone wrong. I’m sorry to not be that much of help!
Poor Mans Meal was called Ground Beef Hash when I was growing up.
For a treat my mom served it with a scrambled egg on the side and southern gravy when affordable. I serve it to my kids with tortillas – seems to be the thing nowadays.
Great for breakfast, brunch, or upside down day (breakfast for dinner)!
Sounds great. I’ve never seen anyone else make it before! I ate it a lot growing up as well. It’s one of those things that just taste like home to me. The addition of the egg and/or tortilla sounds really delicious. I’ll definitely be trying it that way next time I make it!
Poor Mans Meal was called Ground Beef Hash when I was growing up.
For a treat my mom served it with a scrambled egg on the side and southern gravy when affordable. I serve it to my kids with tortillas – seems to be the thing nowadays.
Great for breakfast, brunch, or upside down day (breakfast for dinner)!
Sounds great. I’ve never seen anyone else make it before! I ate it a lot growing up as well. It’s one of those things that just taste like home to me. The addition of the egg and/or tortilla sounds really delicious. I’ll definitely be trying it that way next time I make it!
Thank you for this amazing recipe. My parents made something similar when I was growing up. Add a can of cream of mushroom soup and instead of hash browns, throw it over some mashed potatoes. I loved reading about your dad, he sounds like the man I hope to be one day. He reminds me alot of my father-in-law, he inspires me to be a better person. Clearly your father has inspired you, and I thank you for sharing this.
Thank you for the kind comment. He was a great man and I’m definitely the woman I am because of both my parents. So happy you enjoyed this dish because it’s a lil taste of home for me!
Thank you for this amazing recipe. My parents made something similar when I was growing up. Add a can of cream of mushroom soup and instead of hash browns, throw it over some mashed potatoes. I loved reading about your dad, he sounds like the man I hope to be one day. He reminds me alot of my father-in-law, he inspires me to be a better person. Clearly your father has inspired you, and I thank you for sharing this.
Thank you for the kind comment. He was a great man and I’m definitely the woman I am because of both my parents. So happy you enjoyed this dish because it’s a lil taste of home for me!
This was absolutely delicious! Hubby and I are currently eating some leftovers for lunch!! I added cheese and ketchup too! Love your recipes!
This was absolutely delicious! Hubby and I are currently eating some leftovers for lunch!! I added cheese and ketchup too! Love your recipes!
I love the different.recipes. give me something to cook
so happy you enjoy them!
I love the different.recipes. give me something to cook
so happy you enjoy them!
We have always made this with leftover roast beef and potatoes. This was a first of trying it with hamburger and frozen potatoes. My husband says it is one to keep in the rotation. Thanks for another great recipe.
SO happy you enjoyed! roast beef sound delicious too!
We have always made this with leftover roast beef and potatoes. This was a first of trying it with hamburger and frozen potatoes. My husband says it is one to keep in the rotation. Thanks for another great recipe.
SO happy you enjoyed! roast beef sound delicious too!
I made this for lunch today! Super easy to make and YUM! Might try ground turkey next time. I added just a tiny bit of shredded cheddar on the top. Looking forward to trying more of your recipes. Just bought ingredients for a few of them!
I made this for lunch today! Super easy to make and YUM! Might try ground turkey next time. I added just a tiny bit of shredded cheddar on the top. Looking forward to trying more of your recipes. Just bought ingredients for a few of them!
Hi! I’m getting ready to make this tonight and I just plugged the nutrition info in the calculator for smart points and it came out as 8! Just wanted to pass that along! Can’t wait to try it!
Thanks for the info, Elyse. Different brands can mean different points! I’m glad you double checked. Enjoy dinner!
Yes I know that! I’m sorry I meant when I put in the nutrition info listed after the recipe. But it was very delicious and soooo easy!
Hi! I’m getting ready to make this tonight and I just plugged the nutrition info in the calculator for smart points and it came out as 8! Just wanted to pass that along! Can’t wait to try it!
Thanks for the info, Elyse. Different brands can mean different points! I’m glad you double checked. Enjoy dinner!
Yes I know that! I’m sorry I meant when I put in the nutrition info listed after the recipe. But it was very delicious and soooo easy!
I made this recipe last week. The only thing I did differently was add a diced onion to the ground beef when it was almost done cooking. It was so yummy! Thank you for sharing. I love the blog.
I’m so happy you love my blog. Diced onion with it sounds GREAT! I love how you can really customize this one.
I made this recipe last week. The only thing I did differently was add a diced onion to the ground beef when it was almost done cooking. It was so yummy! Thank you for sharing. I love the blog.
I’m so happy you love my blog. Diced onion with it sounds GREAT! I love how you can really customize this one.
As soon as I started reading this recipe I said to myself, a bit if cheese on top would make this perfect! Then I read to the bottom and saw uou added some cheese!! Yes! This looks so simply delicious and I cant wait to make/eat it!
haha I almost always add cheese to everything! I hope you enjoy. Let me know how it goes!
As soon as I started reading this recipe I said to myself, a bit if cheese on top would make this perfect! Then I read to the bottom and saw uou added some cheese!! Yes! This looks so simply delicious and I cant wait to make/eat it!
haha I almost always add cheese to everything! I hope you enjoy. Let me know how it goes!
This post and recipe reminds me of my stepfather – he liked simple meals too! Thanks for sharing your sweet memories and inspiring my own. Recipe looks delicious and easy, and you had me at ketchup…. (though I might throw some diced tomatoes in too!)
This post and recipe reminds me of my stepfather – he liked simple meals too! Thanks for sharing your sweet memories and inspiring my own. Recipe looks delicious and easy, and you had me at ketchup…. (though I might throw some diced tomatoes in too!)