Are you hungry?: Easy Cheesy Ground Beef Casserole

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Easy Cheesy Ground Beef Casserole

Limited time, colossal flavor - Easy Cheesy Beef Casserole

Mother loved cooking and cookbooks. Over the years I’ve received numerous cook books as gifts. On one occasion Mom gave me this super cookbook entitled, ‘One Dish Meals the easy way’’. A cook book made for the busiest of moms. “One dish meals the easy way is a cornucopia of recipes for delicious, wholesome meals, all with one thing in common: the convenience of serving a complete meal in a single dish.” Whether you need to feed a bunch of people or your family, prepare something in advance, whip up a fast meal or slow cook this cook book will have something for you.

The last few weeks have been very busy and stressful. Planning for anything was unattainable, including preparing meals. I am so thankful to have been given this cookbook. The meals I prepared were simple, delicious, and clean up was a snap!

Beef in Mushroom Sauce without Mushrooms [big sigh] - I called it, well you know the title

1 lb lean ground beef or pork - I used beef. If your meat is not lean, you will need to reverse cooking steps 1 and 2 in order to drain the fat off.
2 tablespoons oil, butter, or margarine - I used evoo.
½ cup finely chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups frozen mixed vegetables, thawed and drained
4 oz medium-wide egg noodles
1 can cream of mushroom soup - I used what I had in the pantry, cream of celery.
1 cup milk
8 oz can mushrooms with liquid - I didn’t have these, figures huh. [another sigh]
2 tsp Dijon mustard - I used Honey Dijon.
½ tsp thyme
½ tsp marjoram
Salt and pepper
1 cup coarsely shredded Gruyere cheese OR ½ cup each Gruyere and grated parmesan - I had no Gruyere so I used sharp cheddar.

Preheat your oven to 350 F. 1- Sauté vegetables until slightly soft, 3-5 minutes. 2- Add the beef, marjoram, thyme, salt, and pepper. Cook until the meat is no longer pink. 3- Add the soup, milk, mushrooms, and mustard. Bring to a simmer, add the uncooked egg noodles, and stir. 4- Spoon the mixture into a greased 11 x 9 x 2 baking dish or a shallow 2 ½ quart casserole dish. Sprinkle with the cheese and bake, uncovered for 35 to 40 minutes or until bubbling and light brown.