Beef stew and casserole are both easy and popular dinner options. They can be combined to make a beef stew casserole with variations such as adding vegetables, mushrooms, or topping with biscuits or pastry crust. Homemade gravy and fresh vegetables can enhance the flavor. Pasta or rice can be used instead of potatoes.
Every home cook is faced with the daily dilemma of what to make for dinner. Two favorites are constantly surfacing because they’re easy to prepare, can effectively incorporate leftovers, and are a hit with diners of all ages. Choosing between making a stew or casserole doesn’t have to be difficult for the smart cook, who knows they can be combined in a beef stew casserole that offers the best of both.
As with truly delicious recipes, there are both many variations on the theme and some useful shortcuts that can make casserole making easy. The simplest beef stew casserole uses frozen mixed greens, a can of drained and stewed tomatoes, and a jar of gravy in addition to the beef stew meat. One version adds diced potatoes and a pot-sautéed onion, and layering the top with buttermilk biscuits offers a real crowning touch.
Anything good in beef stew is welcome to toss in the casserole. A combination of wild and domesticated mushrooms give the dish an exotic flavor, while some sliced water chestnuts provide an unexpected little crunch. Instead of buttermilk biscuits, a sprinkle of seasoned breadcrumbs or crushed crackers that have been lightly browned gives the beef stew casserole a nice finish.
Other options for topping the casserole include whipping up a little cornbread batter in a box or pantry ingredients, then pouring it over the meat and vegetables to form a crust in the oven. For pastry lovers, a pastry crust is both beautiful and delicious. Cooks opting for this type of crust need to be sure to vent it by cutting a design into the dough; otherwise, the results will be mushy and not very good.
Using fresh garden vegetables instead of frozen or canned ones can make beef stew casserole more flavorful, as long as the veggies don’t sit on the grocery shelf too long. No cook will argue that potted gravy is convenient, but few would argue that it tastes as good as homemade gravy. For cooks with the time, creating a beef stew casserole that’s even more delicious than the quick and easy version is worth the extra effort.
Some cooks prefer egg noodles or other pasta instead of potatoes or in addition to them. Others skip both starches and cook a pot of rice, then pile the finished beef stew atop the rice when you serve it. There’s hardly any meal easier than a beef casserole, and few more delicious.
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