Cowboy Casserole

 

After all of the turkey and ham of the past week, we were craving something quite different for supper at the weekend.  We were also having company for supper and I thought they were probably a bit tired of turkey and the like as well.



I was right.   This casserole went down a real treat.  It is a little bit different than most Cowboy Casseroles which you may see out there in that I add herbs and vegetables to mine.


 

I still use the cream soup . . . but  the addition of Worcestershire Sauce, Mushroom ketchup, tomato ketchup really enhances the flavours of this lovely stand by.  It's like a cottage pie . . . but with a tater tot covering instead of mash.



If you keep ground beef, tinned soup and sweet corn, along with frozen tater tots in your store cupboard/freezer . . . then you always have the makings of this delicious and economical casserole ready to go.

 

This is a real family pleasing meal.  It's hearty and filling and so very tasty.  I like to make a salad to serve on the side and green beans.  The other night I added some garlic bread as it was a company meal.
Needless to say, the meal was well received.  I knew it would be.  Enjoy!

 

 *Cowboy Casserole*
Serves 6
Printable Recipe

This may not look very tasty, but trust me when I say it's delicious.  I like to make the meat mixture the day before and let it ripen overnight.  I think it's even more delicious when you do this.

500g of extra lean ground beef (2 1/2 pounds)
olive oil spray
a knob of butter
1 large leek, split, washed and thinly sliced
1 small onion, peeled and minced
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced (or 3 tsp Gourmet Garden crushed garlic)
1 tsp mixed dried herbs (thyme, summer savoury, marjoram)
2 dessert spoonful's of tomato ketchup
a good splash of Worcestershire sauce
a good splash of mushroom ketchup
fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 (340g) tin of sweet corn, drained (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 tin of condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
125ml of whole milk (1/2 cup)
4 heaped TBS sour cream
8 ounces strong cheddar cheese, divided (2 cups)
1 1/2 bags of frozen potato nuggets (tater tots)


Spray a large and deep nonstick pan with some cooking spray.  Add the beef and scramble fry, cooking until it is no longer pink and any liquid is totally evaporated.  Add the knob of butter and continue to cook,  until it begins to turn golden brown in places.  Add the leek, onion, garlic, and herbs.  Cover and cook over low heat until the vegetables are wilted.  Stir in the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, mushroom ketchup, corn, soup, milk, sour cream and 1/2 of the grated cheese.  Heat through.  Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary with salt and pepper.  Allow to simmer over low heat for about 15 to 20 minutes.  Do not let it dry out.  You want it slightly loose.  (If you are making it a day ahead, pour it into a plastic container at this point, cover and refrigerate.   The next day spread it into a 9inch by 13 inch glass baking dish which you have buttered and allow to come to room temperature before proceeding.)

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4.

Scatter the frozen potato nuggets over top of the meat mixture.  Cover tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes.  Uncover and sprinkle with the remaining cheddar cheese.  Return to the oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes longer until golden brown and the meat mixture is bubbling nicely.  Remove from the oven and let stand for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.  Serve hot.  I like to serve this with some salad and green beans.

Oven Roasted Smoked Sausage and Potatoes

Smoked Sausage was not something that was a familiar ingredient in my home when I was growing up. I had never even heard of it. I discovered it shortly after I moved out to Western Canada as a young Bride . . .



It was love at first bite. Kielbasa . . . Polish Sausage . . . whatever you call it. It's delicious and it's also a very versatile ingredient to have in your refrigerator or freezer. It comes in very useful and means that you will always have a delicious and quick, if simple, meal ready to hand when you want it.



This is something that I used make every so often for my family through the years. It used things that I always had on hand . . . potatoes, onions . . . smoked sausage, cheese . . . and it went together very quickly, which was a real bonus with 5 growing children and a big house to care for!



Simple, delicious and economical . . . all plus's in a young mum's books! Add to that the fact that my kids loved it, and you had a real winner on your hands.

It's not something I make really often these days . . . let's face it, my aging thighs don't need all those calories . . . and it's probably not the healthiest dish for people to indulge in very often, but as a once in a blue moon treat, and a store cupboard meal, it goes down as a real treat.

It's also very easy to double or halve, which makes it pretty convenient as well.



Oven Roasted Smoked Sausage and Potatoes
Serves 4
Printable Recipe

An easy and simple meal that is also economical . . . oh, and pretty delicious too!!

1 package of smoked sausage
(Peel if necessary, and slice into rounds)
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
5 large potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch cubes
olive oil
fine sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
sweet paprika
dried thyme
a handful of grated strong cheddar cheese



Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6. Line a large baking tray (with sides) with several sheets of foil, and drizzle with a bit of oil. Spread the oil out over the pan. Set aside.

Put the sausage rounds, onions and potatoes into a large bowl. Drizzle with a couple TBS of olive oil and season to taste with salt, pepper, paprika and dried thyme. Toss together with your hands until everything is evenly distributed. Pour this out onto the baking tray, and spread it out as much as you can.

Place into the heated oven and roast for 45 minutes to an hour, stirring every 15 minutes or so, until the potatoes are golden brown and tender. Turn off the oven. Scatter the cheese over top of the cooked meat and potatoes, Pop back into the oven a few minutes to melt the cheese. Serve immediately.

NOTE:  I would not use any more than 1/2 tsp of the dried thyme, unless you really, really like the flavour of thyme.

TIL NEXT TIME!!