Stews/Casserole recipes

[Tally]

I've got this old casserole dish sitting in the back of the cupboard and I don't know what to cook in it. Casseroles would be the ideal meal to take to work and microwave for my lunch. Apparently casseroles are often better heated second time around anyway, though I'm not sure that applies when you're microwaving it.

 

I like beef, lamb, chicken and turkey, but I'm not keen on pork or fish (can you even casserole fish?)

[Mumble]

I like sausage casserole with piles of hot buttery mashed potato - yum tum tum

 

[bid]

Dead easy!

 

Dice up some chicken and bung in casserole dish. Add chopped onion, carrots and mushrooms.

To cheat, add half to a pint of gravy made from gravy granules, plus Worcester sauce and dried oregano. Maybe a squirt of tomato paste too.

 

Put in the oven on about Gas 6 and leave for about 2 hours.

 

Serve with either crusty bread, mash or jacket potato cooked alongside casserole.

 

I just do variations on this, sometimes using beef, and any veg I have lurking!

 

Boho

Edited March 9, 2009 by bid

[baddad]

Also, bung in a tin of mung beans or chickpeas and you won't need to thicken with gravy, just stock. And chilli and garlic etc. Try leeks instead of ungyuns

The other big advantage is cheap cuts and lots of flavour (cheaper cuts tend to be stronger tasting - i.e. chicken thighs; lamb shanks/neck; dogs B****** ), but remember with cheap lamb cuts to separate and ditch the fat otherwise it'll get a bit greasy... in fact, browning in a frying pan before casseroling is always worth it if you've got time.

And - yes - many do taste better second time around

 

[Tally]

Well, one beef casserole is in the oven as we speak! I have to add the carrots in an hour. I made the mistake of preparing them already, so I don't know how many will be left in an hour. I exchanged some of the stock for red wine as I couldn't track down any bay leaves this afternoon and needed something for flavour . . . it's a good excuse anyway. It should be ready just in time for my Tuesday night telly session

[baddad]

Well, one beef casserole is in the oven as we speak! I have to add the carrots in an hour. I made the mistake of preparing them already, so I don't know how many will be left in an hour. I exchanged some of the stock for red wine as I couldn't track down any bay leaves this afternoon and needed something for flavour . . . it's a good excuse anyway. It should be ready just in time for my Tuesday night telly session

 

OH NO!! red wine and beef! Didn't anyone warn you that red wine makes beef taste rancid?

 

 

 

Only joking! I'm sure it'll be delish did ya fall for it, though, did ya? Did ya??

 

L&P

 

BD

[Kathryn]

Hope you enjoyed your casserole Tally.

 

Mushrooms are good in a beef or chicken casserole too.

 

Kx

[Emum]

Well, one beef casserole is in the oven as we speak! I have to add the carrots in an hour. I made the mistake of preparing them already, so I don't know how many will be left in an hour. I exchanged some of the stock for red wine as I couldn't track down any bay leaves this afternoon and needed something for flavour . . . it's a good excuse anyway. It should be ready just in time for my Tuesday night telly session

 

Carrots stand up quite well to long slow cooking, particularly if you cut them quite chunky, so next time you could put them in with the meat from the beginning, which makes them harder to nibble on while the casserole is cooking. The only vegetable which needs to be added towards the end of cooking time in my experience is mushrooms. If you cook them for too long they go a bit slimy and limp!

 

How about irish stew if you fancy ringing the changes? You slice lamb fillet and fry to brown. Brown some onions and carrots too. Stick them all in a casserole dish and barely cover with chicken stock (from a cube or powder is fine). You can use lamb stock if you want but its not necessary. Season very well with salt and pepper. Slice your potatoes thinly on top and cook in a low oven for about an hour and a half. You can add other vegetables in as well (eg swede or turnip), or pearl barley to stretch out the meat but the Irish purist in me baulks at that!

[call me jaded]

lol my 'genuine irish stew' recipe is nothing like that one.

[baddad]

lol my 'genuine irish stew' recipe is nothing like that one.

 

I have to make a terrible confession that tinned irish stew is a 'guilty pleasure'... haven't eaten it for years, but even the memory makes my mouth water!

Another one was Goblin tinned steak and kidney puds, and in the days when i could eat pastry without getting heartburn i had a big thing going on with Bird's eye chicken pies -best bit o' readymeal shortcrust EVER!

 

Hope you enjoyed your casserole, tally.

 

L&P

 

BD

[Mad cat lady]

Chicken, but instead of gravy, I use chicken stock, tomatoes, red pepper and carrots and add whatever herbs I have in the garden like marjoram, basil.

 

 

[baddad]

Oh - beef: Bung in loads of Paprika, then half hour from end take off lid and bung in thick slices of bread wot you've buttered on the underside with mustard and topped with butter and cheese. When that's all melty on top and gravy-gooey underneath slip off the 'toasties' and stir through some sour cream. Carbonnade of beef

serve with buttered noodles or jacket spuds and a green salad with lots of lovely peppery watercress!

 

(plain Soya yog is okay for a dairy free version)

 

Evesham chicken : quarters of chicken cooked in cider and cream with apples. if you want to go continental call it Normandy chicken and maybe add a splash of calvedos

 

Another 'tip' beef casseroles, especially if you've got wine in them improve 100% if you stir a 'leetle' bit of brown sugar in to cut the tanin. lemon juice too, gives another level of flavour, but just a few drops.

 

 

Edited March 11, 2009 by baddad

[Tally]

My casserole turned out nice! I have some more left to take to work later.

 

I didn't fool for the wine turning beef rancid because I put red wine in bolognese sauce all the time

 

I'm not keen on mushrooms, so I'll give them a miss.