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Baked Cajun Beef and Potatoes with Cheesy Cajun Sauce

Baked Cajun Beef and Potatoes with Cheesy Cajun Sauce
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A hash brown crust, spicy ground beef, and a creamy pepper jack cheese sauce top this hearty Cheesy Cajun Beef and Potato Bake!

Ingredients

Scale
  • 20-ounce package refrigerated shredded hash brown potatoes, such as Reser’s or Simple Potatoes (use defrosted zero-point hash browns if following the WW Purple plan)
  • 2 tbsp. Olive oil + 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, divided
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, ground
  • 1/2 cup onion, chopped
  • 1/3 cup chopped bell pepper (I used red pepper, but green or any other colour would work)
  • 1 pound of 95 per cent lean ground beef, uncooked
  • 1 tablespoon blackened or Cajun seasoning
  • 3 tbsp. sliced light butter (I used Land O’Lakes)
  • flour (three tablespoons)
  • 1/2 gallon skim milk
  • 8 oz. fat-reduced 8 oz. fat-reduced 8 o shredded pepper jack cheese (I used Cabot)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Set aside a 9×13 baking dish lightly sprayed with cooking spray.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, toss the shredded potatoes with 2 tablespoons of the oil. Stir in the salt and pepper until all ingredients are completely combined. Transfer the potatoes to the baking dish and press them down to make a “crust” along the bottom of the pan, partially up the sides and across the surface. Preheat the oven to 350°F and bake the dish for 35 minutes.
  3. While the potatoes are baking, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk in the flour a little at a time until it’s completely incorporated with the butter. Whisk the milk into the flour mixture a little until smooth and well blended. Increase the heat to medium for a few minutes to warm the milk. Whisk together the shredded cheese and the remaining ingredients. Continue to cook, occasionally stirring, for another 3-5 minutes, or until the cheese has melted into the sauce. At the same time, completing step 4, set aside to thicken.
  4. In a skillet, heat the remaining teaspoon of oil over medium heat. Cook for a few minutes until the onion and bell pepper are softened. Continue to cook the ground beef, breaking it up into small pieces with a frying spoon until it is cooked through. Stir in the Cajun or blackened spice until everything is fully mixed.
  5. Remove the potatoes from the oven when they are done (edges will be brown). Fill the potato crust with the meat mixture and smooth it out evenly. Return the dish to the oven for another 15-20 minutes to bake the cheese sauce on top of the meat.

Notes

WW SmartPoints per serving (equivalent to 1/8 of the recipe): WeightWatchers.com’s recipe builder was used to compute the serving size (SP).
Each colour represents nine SmartPoints, while blue and purple each represent nine SmartPoints (if using zero-point hash browns, if not, then use Blue points)
Weight Watchers Points Plus: a supplement to the standard points system

Weight Watchers’ recipe builder calculates 8 (P+) serving size.

Nutrition

Keywords: Baked Cajun Beef and Potatoes with Cheesy Cajun Sauce

Find it online: https://alazharfoodie.com/weight-watcher-ground-beef-recipe/