Beef Swede Casserole Food

BEEF & VEGETABLE CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3 and put the kettle on.
• Put 2 thickly sliced celery sticks, 1 chopped onion, 2 chunkily sliced carrots, 5 bay leaves and 1 whole thyme sprig in a flameproof casserole dish with 1 tbsp vegetable oil and 1 tbsp butter.
• Soften for 10 mins, then stir in 2 tbsp plain flour until it doesn't look dusty anymore, followed by 2 tbsp tomato purée, 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce and 2 crumbled beef stock cubes.
• Gradually stir in 600ml hot water, then tip in 850g stewing beef and bring to a gentle simmer.
• Cover and put in the oven for 2hrs 30 mins, then uncover and cook for 30mins - 1hr more until the meat is really tender and the sauce is thickened.
• Garnish with the picked leaves of the remaining thyme sprig.

SWEDE CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Simmer swedes in lightly salted water (in covered pan) for about 20 minutes or until tender. Drain and mash or press through a sieve with a wooden spoon.
• Add the flour and half the butter, stirring all the time, then slowly beat in the cream until the mixture is light and fluffy.
• Season to taste with salt,pepper,nutmeg and sugar.
• Add the egg and pour the mixture into a well buttered oven proof dish. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs on to, dot with reamaining butter and bake in oven at 180c for about an hour, until the top is lightly browned.

BEEF AND CHEDDAR CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Oil a 2-quart baking dish.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook to al dente according to the package directions. Drain and put in the prepared baking dish. Toss with the sour cream, Parmesan and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
• Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook, stirring, until no longer pink, about 4 minutes. Add the bell peppers and scallions and cook until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Make a space in the pan, add the tomato paste and toast for a minute. Sprinkle with the Italian seasoning and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add the diced tomatoes, stir and bring to a simmer. Cook until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.
• Pour the beef mixture over the noodles and sprinkle with the grated Cheddar. Bake on the middle rack until the cheese is melted and the edges are bubbling, 15 to 20 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

SWEDISH SAILOR'S BEEF STEW

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Toss all the ingredients except the beer into a large ovenproof casserole.
• 2. Pour the beer over the stew, cover, and cook until the meat is very tender, the potatoes are breaking apart, and the beer is absorbed, about 2 hours.

BALSAMIC BEEF STEW WITH VEGGIE MASH

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 170C/150C fan/ gas 3. Heat the oil in a heavy-based ovenproof casserole, then fry the onions for about 8 mins, stirring, until golden. Add the beef and garlic, and stir-fry over a high heat until browned all over.
• Pour 500ml boiling water over the dried mushrooms in a bowl to briefly hydrate, then pour into the casserole with the liquid, and stir in the balsamic vinegar, tomato purée, bouillon and mustard. Pile in the carrots, chestnut mushrooms, thyme and some seasoning. Cover, then put in the oven for 3 hrs until the meat is tender. Towards the end of cooking, add a splash of water if the stew is looking dry.
• When the stew is nearly ready, make the mash. Boil the swede and potatoes together for 12-15 mins in a pan over a medium heat. Drain well, then mash with a grating of black pepper. Steam or boil half the broccoli for 5 mins until tender. 4 Serve half the stew with the cooked broccoli. The remaining stew will keep chilled for up to three days and frozen for up a month. Defrost thoroughly before reheating. Reheat the stew and mash in the microwave and steam or boil the remaining broccoli on the night to help preserve the vitamins.

BEEF, LEEK & SWEDE CUMBERLAND PIE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Put the leek whites, carrot and celery in a flameproof casserole dish with the butter, oil and a pinch of salt, and soften, without colouring, over a gentle heat.
• Meanwhile, brown the mince in a non-stick frying pan. Cook in batches to keep it brown and avoid it going grey and soggy. If you've used a lean mince, you may need to add a drop of oil. Break up the mince well with a wooden spoon as you go.
• When the veg is soft, stir in the bacon lardons, turn up the heat a little and cook until everything is golden. Stir in the mince, followed by the flour, 3 thyme sprigs, Worcestershire sauce and Marmite. Gradually stir in the stock and bring everything to a simmer, then cover and transfer to the oven. Cook for 2 hrs until the sauce is thickened and rich, and the beef tender, removing the lid and stirring in the leek greens halfway through.
• While the beef bakes, put the swede and potato into two separate pans. Cover with cold water, bring to the boil, then simmer until tender - about 20 mins. Drain both well, then tip back into their pans over a low heat to steam-dry for a few mins. When both (but particularly the swede) look dry, combine them in one pan with the butter, milk, nutmeg and lots of seasoning. Mash until smooth.
• Transfer the mince to individual dishes or one baking dish (or leave in the casserole if you prefer, discarding the thyme sprigs). Cover with the mash, using a fork to fluff up the top. Rub the cheddar into the breadcrumbs with the leaves from the remaining thyme sprigs and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Sprinkle this mixture over the mash, dot with small knobs of butter, then increase the temperature to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and bake for 30 mins until golden and crisp on top. Can be made ahead and chilled, or frozen and defrosted. Bake for an extra 10-15 mins until the sauce is bubbling.

HEARTY BEEF STEW

Steps:

• Pre heat over to 150 degrees C/ gas mark 2.
• Chop the onion, carrots, swede and parsnip and add to a casserole dish. Peel the potatoes and cut into chunks. Add these also.
• Cut the braising steak into bite size pieces and add this, raw, to the casserole dish also.
• Sprinkle over the beef stock, then fill the casserole dish with cold water, so that the water just covers the ingredients.
• Put a lid on the casserole dish and place in the centre of the oven. Leave to cook for between 4 to 6 hours. The longer you leave it to cook, the more tender the meat will be. Stir every hour to make sure the ingredients don't stick. Approx. 15 minutes before the stew is ready, add the gravy granules to the mixture and stir well. Add a little at a time until the mixture is as thick as you like it. Add 4 or 5 shakes of tabasco sauce. Leave to cook in the oven for a further 15 minutes until warmed through. Serve immediately with crusty bread or in a giant Yorkshire Pudding.