The Best Casserole Cookbook Ever (32 page)

Make this St. Patrick’s Day classic with either leftover corned beef that you’ve cooked yourself or the canned variety. This is perfect served with thinly sliced
Irish Wheat and Oatmeal Bread
and, for dessert,
Mixed Fruit Clafouti
.

•••••

4 tablespoons butter

4 cups chopped cabbage

1 cup sliced celery

¹
/
₂
cup chopped onion

¹
/
₂
pound mostaccioli or rotini pasta, cooked according to package directions and drained

2 cups cooked corned beef, diced, or 1 can (16 ounces) corned beef, crumbled

1 cup sour cream

¹
/
₂
teaspoon dry mustard

¹
/
₂
teaspoon caraway seed

¹
/
₈
teaspoon pepper

1 cup shredded Swiss cheese

•••••

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat a 2
   ¹
   /
   ₂
   - to 3-quart casserole with cooking spray.
   
2. In a large nonstick skillet, melt the butter and add the cabbage, celery, and onion. Sauté over medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have cooked down. Add the remaining ingredients, except for the cheese, and mix well. Spoon into the casserole and top with the cheese.
   
3. Coat a sheet of aluminum foil with cooking spray and cover the casserole. (At this point the dish can be covered and refrigerated for up to 1 day. Add 10 minutes to the baking time.) Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until heated through.
   

When I found this recipe in my late mother-in-law’s collection, I kind of doubted that it could be good. But then I thought, if you use good ingredients, it can’t be all that bad. So I tried it. We thought it was fantastic! This recipe requires no more effort than piling all the ingredients into a casserole dish, covering it, and sticking it in the oven. Serve it with cooked noodles or mashed potatoes and a salad.

•••••

1 pound lean beef stew meat

¹
/
₂
cup red wine

1 can (14 ounces) beef broth

1 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground pepper (about 7 turns of the grinder)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium onion, sliced

¹
/
₄
cup all-purpose flour

¹
/
₄
cup fine dry breadcrumbs

•••••

1. Preheat the oven to 275°F if you prefer to let the casserole bake for 6 hours, or 300°F if you’d like it to be done in 3 hours.
   
2. Combine all of the ingredients in a 2-quart casserole.
   
3. Bake, covered, for 3 or 6 hours, depending on the oven temperature, or until the beef is tender.
   

Made with ground beef or ground lamb, this hearty casserole is a popular dish throughout the Middle East. There are many variations.
Lamb and Potato Moussaka
, for example, is made with potatoes instead of the more traditional eggplant featured here. Sometimes moussaka is topped with a plain béchamel sauce, but here the sauce is thickened with eggs to make a custard-like sauce.

•••••

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons butter, melted

2 large eggplants (about 1 pounds each), cut crosswise into
¹
/
₂
-inch thick slices

2 pounds ground beef or lamb

2 large onions, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon salt

¹
/
₂
teaspoon ground nutmeg

¹
/
₂
teaspoon pepper

1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce

³
/
₄
cup dry red wine

1 can (14
¹
/
₂
ounces) diced tomatoes with their juice

¹
/
₂
cup minced fresh parsley

1 recipe
Béchamel Sauce

6 large eggs

•••••

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
   
2. In a small dish, mix the olive oil and butter and spread equally between 2 rimmed baking sheets. Arrange the eggplant slices on top of the oil and butter mixture, dividing the slices between the baking sheets. Turn the slices over to coat both sides of the eggplant. Place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Turn the slices over and bake for another 15 minutes, or until the
   eggplant is soft. Remove from the oven and cool on the baking sheets.
   
3. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
   
4. Place a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add the meat. Cook the meat, stirring and breaking it up, until it’s crumbled. Add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring often, for 10 minutes, or until the onions are soft. Discard any extra fat. Stir in the flour, cinnamon, oregano, salt, nutmeg, and pepper. Slowly stir in the tomato sauce, wine, diced tomatoes with their juice, and parsley. Cook, stirring, for 15 minutes, or until thick, and set aside.
   
5. Prepare the Béchamel Sauce and whisk in the eggs. Set aside.
   
6. Arrange half the cooked eggplant slices in the prepared baking dish. Spread with the meat sauce. Top with remaining eggplant. Pour the Béchamel Sauce over all. (The casserole can be covered and refrigerated at this point for up to 1 day. Add 10 minutes to the baking time.)
   
7. Bake, uncovered, for 50 minutes, or until the casserole is bubbly around the edges and the center is firm. Let stand for 15 minutes before cutting into squares.
   

This is a great way to give leftover roast beef a fresh new taste. For a quick meal, however, keep a can of corned beef in your cupboard.

•••••

2 cups chopped roast beef, or 1 can (15 ounces) corned beef, chopped

1 can (14
¹
/
₂
ounces) stewed tomatoes with their juice

5 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided

2 tablespoons butter

¹
/
₄
teaspoon salt

¹
/
₄
teaspoon chili powder

¹
/
₂
cup milk

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

2 large eggs, separated

•••••

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Coat a 1
   ¹
   /
   ₂
   -quart casserole with cooking spray.
   
2. Combine the chopped beef or canned corned beef, tomatoes with their juice, and 3 tablespoons of the flour in a medium bowl. Spread out evenly in the bottom of the casserole and set aside.
   
3. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons flour. Stir in the salt and chili powder. Gradually stir in the milk and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened. Add the cheese, stirring until melted and the sauce is well blended. Remove the sauce from the heat.
   
4. Beat the egg yolks in a small bowl and stir in a few tablespoons of the sauce. Add the tempered eggs to the saucepan, stirring well.
   
5. Beat the egg whites in a large bowl until stiff, and fold the cheese mixture into the egg whites. Pour the egg mixture over the beef mixture in the casserole dish. Bake, uncovered, for 35 to 40 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove from the oven and let stand for about 10 minutes before serving.
   

This is an easy, everyday kind of dish. You can put it together and refrigerate it to bake the next day, or bake it slowly right away while you do other things. Add a broccoli coleslaw and freshly baked biscuits to complete the meal.

•••••

1 pound top round beefsteak, cut into 1-inch cubes

1 large sweet onion, thinly sliced

¹
/
₂
cup cider vinegar

1 cup water

1 teaspoon salt

¹
/
₂
teaspoon pepper

¹
/
₄
cup tomato ketchup

2 tablespoons olive oil

¹
/
₄
cup dry seasoned breadcrumbs

•••••

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Coat the bottom of a heavy 2-quart casserole with cooking spray.
   
2. Put the meat in the bottom of the casserole and top with the onion. Pour the vinegar and water over all and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Mix the ketchup and olive oil together and pour evenly over all as well.
   
3. Sprinkle with the breadcrumbs, cover, and bake for 2 hours, or until the meat is very tender.
   

Nestled on top of egg noodles, the pork tenderloin slices cook really quickly, and they get an interesting flavor boost from blue cheese and green chiles. Serve with roasted asparagus and slices of rye bread for a standout meal.

•••••

6 ounces egg noodles

6 slices pork tenderloin, 1 inch thick

³
/
₄
teaspoon salt

³
/
₄
teaspoon pepper

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2
¹
/
₂
cups milk

³
/
₄
cup crumbled blue cheese

1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chiles

•••••

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
   
2. Cook the noodles according to package directions and drain. Transfer to a shallow 2-quart casserole.
   
3. Season the tenderloin with the salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of the butter in a nonstick skillet and brown the meat on both sides over moderately high heat. Place on top of the noodles.
   
4. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter to the pan. Add the flour and stir until the flour is lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the milk and bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Add the cheese and stir until smooth. Add the chiles. Pour the sauce over the meat and noodles.
   
5. Bake, uncovered, for about 30 minutes, until bubbly.
   

Serve this casserole, with its south-of-the-border flavors, over rice. For a refreshing dessert, offer fresh mango or papaya slices sprinkled with coarse salt.

•••••

2 pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut into 1
¹
/
₂
-inch cubes