valmg’s Ground Beef And Rice Casserole

This casserole is very filling and very heavy. I make it when I’m going to have a busy week so we have leftovers.

You’ll need:

• 1 pound ground beef
• 4 cups uncooked rice
• 1.5 cups of Shredded Cheddar Cheese
• 1 can Cream of Celery soup
• 1 container (16 oz.) sour cream
• 1 package onion soup mix
• Salt and pepper to taste.

Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Cook the ground beef.
Cook the rice.
While these are cooking add the onion soup mix to the sour cream and set aside.
Lay the cooked rice in a baking pan.
Stir in the can of cream of celery soup.
Add the ground beef into the baking pan.
Add one cup of cheese into the baking pan.
Stir the contents of the baking pan, mixing well.
Sprinkle the remaining half cup of cheddar cheese across the top.
Place in oven and bake for 15 minutes.

Serve with salt and pepper to taste.

This can be reheated in the oven or the microwave.

Hamburger Cream Cheese Casserole

• 1 pound hamburger
• 1 onion — chopped
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 2 cans tomato sauce — 8 oz each
• 1 package noodles — 8 oz each
• 1 cup creamed cottage cheese
• 8 ounces cream cheese softened
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/3 cup green onions — sliced
• 1/4 cup green peppers — chopped

Brown hamburger and onion in butter, breaking up chunks of meat.
Stir in salt, pepper and tomato sauce.
Remove from heat.
Cook noodles according to directions on package and drain.
Combine combine cottage cheese, cream cheese, sour cream, green onion and green pepper.
Spread half of noodles in a greased 3 quart casserole.
Cover with cheese mixture.
Top with remaining noodles.
Pour hamburger mixture over top.
Bake in a preheated 350~F oven about 30 minutes.
8 servings.

This casserole may be frozen. Thaw thoroughly before reheating.

Beef, Brown Rice and Feta Casserole

• 6 Dried mushrooms
• 2 cups Cooked brown rice
• 1 1/2 cups Cooked beef chunks
• 3 ounces Crumbled feta cheese
• 6 Pitted black olives
• 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
• 1 Chopped onion
• 1 tablespoon Oil
• 1 1/2 cups Canned tomatoes
• 1 Minced garlic clove

Freshly ground pepper
Put the dried mushrooms in 1/2 cup hot water and let stand 20 minutes.
Saute the onion in the oil slowly for 5 minutes, then add the tomatoes and garlic, and let cook gently uncovered about 10 minutes.
Pepper to taste, then add the dried mushrooms, cut in quarters if large, with any tough stems removed, and the mushroom soaking liquid.
Cook another 5 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Line the bottom of 1 1/2 qt casserole with 1 cup of the rice, add the cooked beef, and strew over the top the feta cheese, the olives, and half the sauce.
Add the remaining rice and the rest of the sauce, and sprinkle with Parmesan.
Bake 20 minutes.
Serves 1.

Asparagus Cheese Casserole

• 4 tablespoons Unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon Unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons Flour
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1/4 teaspoon Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon Ground mace
• 1 cup Milk
• 1/2 cup Whipping cream
• 10 1/2 ounces Frozen asparagus spears - Cooked and drained
• 2 large Eggs — hard-cooked
• Peeled & coarsely chopped
• 3/4 cup Grated sharp Cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup Minced blanched almonds
• 1 cup Soft white bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup Freshly grated Parmesan

Preheat oven to 350F.
In a medium saucepan set over moderate heat, melt the butter.
Spoon 4 teaspoons of the melted butter into a bowl.
Set aside.
Blend the flour, salt, pepper and mace into the rest of the butter and let it sit over low heat for 1-to-2 minutes.
Add the milk and cream and cook the sauce, stirring constantly for about 3 minutes, until it has become thick and smooth.
In a well-buttered, 2-quart casserole, alternate layers of the asparagus, eggs, cheddar cheese and almonds.
Pour the cream sauce over the layers.
Combine the reserved butter, bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese and scatter the topping over the layers.
Combine the reserved butter, bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese and
scatter the topping over the surface of the casserole.
Bake the uncovered casserole for about 30 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the topping is tipped with brown.
Seres 6.

Ham And Chive Potato Cake

• Unsalted butter, softened (for the pan)
• 2 lb. boiling potatoes
• 1 heaping tbsp. coarse sea salt
• 4 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
• 1 med. onion, finely chopped
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Freshly grated nutmeg to taste\
• 4 lg. egg yolks
• 4 oz. unsmoked salt-cured ham, such as prosciutto, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 c. fresh chives, snipped with a scissors

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
Coat the bottom and sides of the cake pan with butter.
Set aside.
Peel and rinse the potatoes.
Place in a saucepan, and cover generously with cold water.
Add the salt and cook over moderate heat — do not boil — until a skewer inserted in a potato comes away easily, about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, combine 1 tablespoon of the butter and the onions over moderate heat.
Season lightly, and cook until the onions are soft and translucent, 3 to 4 minutes.
Set aside.
As soon as the potatoes are cooked, drain them well.
Pass them through the fine grid of a food mill into a large mixing bowl. With a wooden spoon, stir in the nutmeg, the remaining 3 tablespoons butter, and the egg yolks, one at a time.
Continue stirring vigorously until the butter and egg yolks are
thoroughly incorporated. The mixture will be thick and slippery.
Fold the onions, ham, and chives into the potato mixture.
Transfer the mixture to the cake pan, and smooth it out with the back of a spoon.
Place it in the center of the oven and bake, uncovered, until the potato cake is firm and the top is browned, 45 to 50 minutes.
Remove the potato cake from the oven and transfer it, browned-side up, to a large platter.
Slice into wedges and serve warm or at room temperature.
Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

VARIATION: For very pretty individual potato cakes, bake these in nonstick muffin tins.