A Very Tasty Casserole - #Recipe #ThriftyOrganic

My Nan makes the best casserole, honestly if you've ever had a good casserole times it by a hundred million, add a touch of love and you'll have a casserole that is only a tenth as good as my Nan's. I always try to emulate her when making the casseroles that I make, and never have I made a casserole anywhere as nice as the ones she makes.

Until this Sunday.

I can't comment on if it was the ingredients (everything was organic), the time that I spent or the love that I gave each component of the meal but it was the best darn casserole ever and because I was sending pictures to Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and Instagram I had a few comments where I was asked for the recipe in order so they could make the most awesome casserole too.

With Casserole this good, how could I refuse to share?

Ingredients


One Onion
One Leek
Two Sticks Celery
Two Carrots
1/2 Butternut Squash
3 Cloves Garlic
Olive Oil
500g Diced Beef (you can use a cheap cut as it will "soften" during cooking)
2 Tablespoons Flour
750g Mushrooms (you can use 400g or less, but I like a mushroomy casserole)
2 Tablespoons Tomato Puree
Dash of Worcester Sauce
500ml of Beef Stock
400ml Beef Gravy (thick)
Salt and Pepper

Method


Diced OnionSliced Leek

Finely dice the Onion and the Leek. I know it sounds a lot of onion type flavours, but it's not honest.

Chopped Celery and diced CarrotButternut Squash with scattered crushed garlic

Dice two sticks of Celery and a couple of Carrots. Dice the Butternut Squash and crush the cloves of Garlic.

Gently pan fry the Vegetables and Garlic in a bit of Olive Oil for ten minutes. This isn't to brown them, but to start the flavouring process and also to soften the vegetables up a bit.

Whilst the vegetables are cooking, place the meat in a bowl, place two table spoons of flour over the top of the meat, season with salt and pepper and then mix. It's best to use your hands and if you come across any large pieces, cut them to smaller chunks.

Put the vegetables into the pot that you are going to put into the oven. Turn the Oven on to Gas Mark 5, or like me as high as it goes to warm it up faster.

Browning Floured BeefSliced Mushrooms

Gently pan fry the meat in a little more olive oil, this time to brown. 

Whilst the meat is browning finely slice your mushrooms.

After the meat has browned cook the mushrooms in the pan, to absorb the flavour and to absorb any flour in the pan.

Tomato Puree on top of CasseroleA Cooking Casserole

Add the meat to the vegetables, the Tomato puree and a dash of Worcester Sauce. 

Add the now cooked mushrooms and season again if you wish.

Add the Beef Stock and the Beef Gravy and stir well.

Place in the oven, with a lid for one hour at Gas Mark 5. 

After one hour, take the lid off cook for a further ten minutes whilst you bash your mash or butter your bread, make children wash their hands and lay the table and remember to put drinks on the table.

Stir the casserole well and serve.


If you make the casserole, don't forget to let me know and send me a picture or two too!

The ingredients were provided to me as part of the Organic Challenge, I'm taking part in.