Showing posts with label economical. Show all posts
Showing posts with label economical. Show all posts
I was having my father over for supper the other night and wanted to cook him something that was substantial and yet healthy at the same time. Usually he likes beans and wieners, but I wanted to cook him something much nicer than that.
He has hotdogs fairly often and I don't get to have him at my house for supper all that much. I wanted to spoil him a tiny bit.
.JPG "Hamburger Vegetable Soup")
One of his other favorite things happens to be hamburger and I just happened to have some hamburger in the freezer ready to use. I thought to do something for him with that.
I had been wanting to make Hamburger Vegetable Soup all Winter, based on a recipe I spied on a page called The Rising Spoon. It looked really healthy and like it was filled with things I already had in the house.
.JPG "Hamburger Vegetable Soup")
I like to use what I have if I can. I also didn't want to use a recipe which used loads of canned vegetables. First of all, with there only being two of us, I didn't want to make a HUGE pot of soup.
One of the things that appealed to me about this recipe was that I could adapt it to what I thought we could reasonably eat with some leftovers for him to take home.You can easily cut back on fresh ingredients, but once you open a can, its open and you have to use it all.
.JPG "Hamburger Vegetable Soup")
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE HAMBURGER VEGETABLE SOUP
I am sure most of us have these things in our kitchens all the time. If not, you could easily adapt the fresh ingredients to include what you do have.
- 1 tablespoon of butter
- 1 small onion, peeled & diced
- 2 stalks of celery, thinly sliced
- 1 large carrots, peeled, quartered & thinly sliced
- 1/2 lb of ground beef
- 2 TBS tomato paste (concentrated tomato puree)
- 1 tablespoons of minced garlic
- 1 sweet bell pepper, cored & diced (I used red)
- 1 cup of shredded cabbage
- 1 medium russet potato, peeled & chopped
- 1 medium sweet potato, peeled & chopped
- 1 (14.5 oz/420g) tin of diced tomatoes in juice, undrained
- pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
- 3 tsp of Italian seasoning
- 1/2 TBS of sea salt or Kosher salt (plus more at the end, to taste)
- 1/2 tsp of black pepper (plus more at the end, to taste)
- 3 1/2 cups (840ml) of beef stock
- 1 tsp of Worcestershire sauce
- 3/4 TBS white wine vinegar or lemon juice
- 1 tsp of sugar
.JPG "Hamburger Vegetable Soup")
I buy my ground beef from a local farm market called Goucher's. It is locally sourced and organic free-range beef and is always very lean. You never have any fat to pour away after browning it, and it isn't full of nasty bits like gristle and bone.
Although she specified fire-roasted diced tomatoes, I just used regular diced tomatoes. For one thing I am not fond of having tomato skins in my food. The regular diced tomatoes worked fine and tasted delicious.
.JPG "Hamburger Vegetable Soup")
Tomato paste is what they call concentrated tomato puree in the UK. It is very thick. The vinegar/lemon juice and sugar help to cut back on the acidity of the tomatoes, so don't leave them out.
I tend to be quite judicious when I am using salt. All of us have high blood pressure and diabetes so we try to keep away from salt as much as we can. I also left out the crushed red pepper flakes as I was making this for my father, and he hates really spicy food.
.JPG "Hamburger Vegetable Soup")
The combination of chopped onion, celery and carrot is what is called a mirepoix in the culinary world. Generally speaking, they are diced very small. For this soup, they are left chunky in order to give the soup more substance.
Never underestimate the power of a mirepoix when it comes to flavoring things like soups, stews and sauces. It is almost like a magic elixir that elevates the flavors of these kinds of dishes and is very common in French cookery.
HOW TO MAKE HAMBURGER VEGETABLE SOUP
This is very simple to make. It does involve a lot of chopping, but if you prep all of your vegetables ahead of time, it goes together very quickly.
Measure the butter into a medium/large pot and set over medium/high heat. Once it begins to foam, add the onion, carrot, and celery. (This is called a mirepoix.) Season lightly, then cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the ground beef. Season lightly and cook for about 5 minutes, browning and breaking the meat into small chunks as you go.
Stir in the tomato paste and garlic. Cook for several minutes longer.
Add the chopped pepper, cabbage, both potatoes, the tomatoes and their juices, crushed red pepper, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and beef stock.
Mix well to combine and bring to a gentle boil. Cover and reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for one hour, or until the vegetables are tender.
Add the Worcestershire sauce, vinegar (or lemon juice), and sugar. Taste the soup for seasoning. If needed, add more salt, pepper, sugar, vinegar, or Worcestershire sauce one teaspoon at a time to balance the flavors of the broth.
Cook for about 5 minutes to meld the flavors.
Ladle the hot soup into heated bowls and serve. Crackers or crusty bread go nicely with this as does a sprinkle of cheese on top, if desired.
Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days and gently reheated. This also freezes well for up to 3 months in an airtight container.
.JPG "Hamburger Vegetable Soup")
I enjoyed my bowl of soup simply with some crisp crackers on the side. My father ate three baking powder biscuits with his and seemed to really enjoy this soup. He had a big bowl full.
I loved that it was healthy, low in fat and filled with lots of fiber. There was not an over-abundance of beef, but I feel that in a soup, that is quite okay! We all tend to eat far too much meat, so I found that quite pleasing.
He did ask me what the cabbage was halfway through the meal. He is not fond of cabbage, but he ate it anyways and then told my sister it was good. I take that as a win!
.JPG "Hamburger Vegetable Soup")
This is soup weather for sure. These cold winter months nothing is more comforting than a hot bowl of soup. Here are some other hearty soup recipes in The English Kitchen that you might enjoy:
Soup with dumplings? Count me in! Especially cheese dumplings. Simple to make and using simple everyday ingredients. It's also a great way to use up what's in the fridge. This is a deliciously hearty soup with plenty of vegetables, ham and fluffy cheese dumplings. I guarantee your family will love this!
A fabulously tasty soup filled with ham and white beans. You do need to plan ahead as the beans need soaking. One word describes this perfectly. Delicious. This is gorgeous ladled into heated bowls and served hot with some crusty bread.
Yield: 4
Hamburger Vegetable Soup
Prep time: 20 MinCook time: 1 HourTotal time: 1 H & 20 M
This is a delicious, hearty and healthy soup that your whole family will love. It keeps well in the refrigerator for several days and also freezes very well.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon of butter
- 1 small onion, peeled & diced
- 2 stalks of celery, thinly sliced
- 1 large carrots, peeled, quartered & thinly sliced
- 1/2 lb of ground beef
- 2 TBS tomato paste (concentrated tomato puree)
- 1 tablespoons of minced garlic
- 1 sweet bell pepper, cored & diced (I used red)
- 1 cup of shredded cabbage
- 1 medium russet potato, peeled & chopped
- 1 medium sweet potato, peeled & chopped
- 1 (14.5 oz/420g) tin of diced tomatoes in juice, undrained
- pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
- 3 tsp of Italian seasoning
- 1/2 TBS of sea salt or Kosher salt (plus more at the end, to taste)
- 1/2 tsp of black pepper (plus more at the end, to taste)
- 3 1/2 cups (840ml) of beef stock
- 1 tsp of Worcestershire sauce
- 3/4 TBS white wine vinegar or lemon juice
- 1 tsp of sugar
Instructions
- Measure the butter into a medium/large pot and set over medium/high heat. Once it begins to foam, add the onion, carrot, and celery. (This is called a mirepoix.) Season lightly, then cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the ground beef. Season lightly and cook for about 5 minutes, browning and breaking the meat into small chunks as you go.
- Stir in the tomato paste and garlic. Cook for several minutes longer.
- Add the chopped pepper, cabbage, both potatoes, the tomatoes and their juices, crushed red pepper, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and beef stock.
- Mix well to combine and bring to a gentle boil. Cover and reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for one hour, or until the vegetables are tender.
- Add the Worcestershire sauce, vinegar (or lemon juice), and sugar. Taste the soup for seasoning. If needed, add more salt, pepper, sugar, vinegar, or Worcestershire sauce one teaspoon at a time to balance the flavors of the broth.
- Cook for about 5 minutes to meld the flavors.
- Ladle the hot soup into heated bowls and serve. Crackers or crusty bread go nicely with this as does a sprinkle of cheese on top, if desired.
- Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days and gently reheated. This also freezes well for up to 3 months in an airtight container.
Thanks so much for visiting! Do come again!!
It seems these days that every time I go to the grocery store my shopping cart is costing me more and more. The cost of food is rising at an exorbitant rate! I don't know how families are making ends meet.
This tasty casserole recipe I am sharing with you today comes from the pages of my big blue binder and it is a great way of making a bit of this and a bit of that stretch a long way in a most delicious way. It is a store cupboard family favorite!
.JPG "Corned Beef and Macaroni Casserole")
My children used to love this when I made it for them. I confess, I love it too. Its creamy and delicious and quite hearty. All you need on the side is some crusty bread, a vegetable and perhaps a salad of some sort.
.JPG "Corned Beef and Macaroni Casserole")
These days it would be coleslaw of some sort as the cost of lettuce is going through the roof at the moment for some reason. I like this Deli Coleslaw.
This tangy cold salad is delicious. It's quite different than your usual creamy coleslaw in that there is no mayonnaise involved, just a simple oil and vinegar dressing. It goes great next to deli sandwiches or even on deli sandwiches!
And it makes the perfect side dish when you are serving a casserole. It also lasts for days in the refrigerator, unlike the mayonnaise kind.
.JPG "Corned Beef and Macaroni Casserole")
This Corned Beef and Macaroni Casserole is the type of dish your grandmother might have made or maybe even your mom. Hearty and delicious it goes together very quickly and uses basic store cupboard ingredients.
The recipe comes from the pages of my Big Blue Binder. I am pretty sure it is a recipe I got from my friend Leona probably 40 odd years ago now!
.JPG "Corned Beef and Macaroni Casserole")
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE CORNED BEEF AND MACARONI CASSEROLE
Simple store cupboard ingredients.
- 1 cup (116g) dry macaroni
- 1 (12 oz/340g) tin of corned beef
- 1 cup (120g) grated strong cheddar cheese
- 1 cup (240ml) whole milk
- 1 can (10.74 oz/400g) tin of condensed cream of chicken soup
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 small onion, peeled and minced
- 3/4 cup (45g) cracker crumbs
- 1 TBS butter, melted
.JPG "Corned Beef and Macaroni Casserole")
I am not a tinned corned beef snob. It comes in really handy. We enjoy it in Corned Beef hash and even in sandwiches. In the UK, you can buy it sliced and ready to pop into sandwiches and they are delicious!
I am also not a tinned soup snob. I always buy several cans when it comes on offer. It is very useful for things like casseroles such as this one. In the UK, know that I mean condensed soup, such as Batchelors. This is the kind of soup that you need to add milk or water to.
.JPG "Corned Beef and Macaroni Casserole")
HOW TO MAKE CORNED BEEF AND MACARONI CASSEROLE
This is a very simple and quick make, which makes it the ideal weeknight casserole for these busy days before the holidays when we don't know if we are coming and going!
Preheat the oven to 375*F/190*C/ gas mark 5. Butter an 8-inch square, 2-inch-deep baking dish. Set aside.
Cook the macaroni according to the package directions until just al dente. Drain well and then return to the saucepan. Mix in the milk and soup until well combined. Season lightly with salt and black pepper. Stir in the cheddar cheese and onion. Crumble in the corned beef.
.JPG "Corned Beef and Macaroni Casserole")
Turn this mixture into the prepared casserole dish. Stir together the cracker crumbs and melted butter. Sprinkle this evenly over top of the casserole dish. Cover tightly with foil.
Bake for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake for a further 15 minutes until the cracker crumbs are nice and golden brown and the casserole is bubbling.
Serve hot with a vegetable, some crusty bread and salad of some type on the side.
.JPG "Corned Beef and Macaroni Casserole")
If you are not fond of tinned corned beef you can use other meats in its place. Ham, cooked hamburger, chicken, etc. All work well. Even tuna or salmon would be nice.
It's a great way to make your food dollar stretch. For the smaller family, it also freezes very well. Just break it down into two casseroles, bake one and freeze the other.
I can say with authority as well that any leftovers are brilliant fried up in some butter in a skillet. (Yes, I am that person!)
.JPG "Corned Beef and Macaroni Casserole")
A delicious spin on an old family favorite with plenty of meat, sauce, pasta and vegetables. You can vary the cost depending on the meat you choose to use. Obviously ground steak will cost more than hamburger or ground turkey. This is comfort food pure and simple. The pasta helps to stretch things and keeps everything nice and hearty. A bit of bread and some salad on the side and dinner is served!
This easy recipe for sausage and potatoes in the oven has to be one of my most popular recipes on here. It has had literally millions of views. No surprise there. This is a FABULOUS recipe.
I love sheet pan suppers. They are so quick and easy to make and when you are talking about smoked sausage and potatoes, DELICIOUS as well! In this house we like to enjoy this with tinned baked beans! But any vegetable would work well on the side!
Yield: 4
Macaroni & Corned Beef Casserole
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 1 HourTotal time: 1 H & 10 M
This store cupboard special is a really tasty money saver! Old fashioned delicious. This is the type of dish your grandmother would have cooked.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (116g) dry macaroni
- 1 (12 oz/340g) tin of corned beef
- 1 cup (120g) grated strong cheddar cheese
- 1 cup (240ml) whole milk
- 1 can (10.74 oz/400g) tin of condensed cream of chicken soup
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 small onion, peeled and minced
- 3/4 cup (45g) cracker crumbs
- 1 TBS butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375*F/190*C/ gas mark 5. Butter an 8-inch square, 2-inch-deep baking dish. Set aside.
- Cook the macaroni according to the package directions until just al dente. Drain well and then return to the saucepan. Mix in the milk and soup until well combined. Season lightly with salt and black pepper. Stir in the cheddar cheese and onion. Crumble in the corned beef.
- Turn this mixture into the prepared casserole dish.
- Stir together the cracker crumbs and melted butter. Sprinkle this evenly over top of the casserole dish. Cover tightly with foil.
- Bake for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake for a further 15 minutes until the cracker crumbs are nice and golden brown and the casserole is bubbling.
- Serve hot with a vegetable, some crusty bread and salad of some type on the side.
Thanks so much for visiting. Do come again!
I had been craving some ham lately. Its not something I really buy for myself, unless I am buying sliced ham for sandwiches. I do like a nice ham steak once in a while, but to be honest . . .
I bought one of these the other night. My sister said to me, wow $7.27 for a ham steak. I said, yes, but I am going to make it pay for itself.
.JPG "cut up ham steak")
I took it home and cut it into four reasonable sized pieces, wrapping and freezing three of them. The piece with the bone in it I will use at a later date to make a delicious soup.
The other two pieces will be used for two separate meals. One, cubed and popped into a quiche. The final one I will enjoy just as a ham steak.
Each piece of ham will have cost less than $2.00 and mixed with a few other bits will feed two people quite adequately and economically! So four meals for two people and eight meals for myself!
This recipe I am sharing with you today is for a delicious Ham & Potato Pie, which is somewhat of a cross between a pot pie and a shepherd's pie.
First you have the delicious filling of ham and vegetables in a rich and creamy sauce. Then you have that buttery topping of cheese and onion mash. What's not to LOVE about this dish I ask you? Not a heck of a lot, I say! Not a heck of a lot!
.JPG "Ham & Potato Pie")
All you really need to serve along with this delicious casserole is perhaps a salad or some coleslaw. It is really quite satisfying and needs not a lot else to go with it.
Do be sure to place the baking dish on a baking sheet to bake it, however, as there is a risk of it overflowing when it bakes and bubbles up as you can see. My dish was a bit too small/shallow, so do make sure yours is deeper or you may have a mess on your hands.
.JPG "Ham & Potato Pie")
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE HAM & POTATO PIE
Simple store cupboard ingredients. There is nothing outrageous here.
For the ham filling:
- 7 ounces/200g ham steak, diced (about 1 1/4 cups)
- 2 TBS chopped onion
- 1/2 stick celery chopped
- 1 1/2 TBS butter
- 1 1/2 TBS flour
- 1 cup (250ml) chicken stock
- 1/4 cup (60ml) milk
- salt and black pepper to taste
- pinch of cayenne powder
- a spring of fresh thyme
- 1 cup (180g) frozen mixed vegetables (no need to thaw)
- 1 TBS grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
.JPG "Ham & Potato Pie")
For the cheese and onion mash:
- 1 large russet potato, peeled and cut into large cubes (3/4 pound)
- 2 - 3 TBS warm milk
- 1 TBS butter
- 2 ounces (50g) grated sharp/strong cheddar cheese
- 1 TBS finely grated onion
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 small egg yolk
- melted butter to brush on top and a scattering of Parmesan cheese (optional)
.JPG "Ham & Potato Pie")
I love those drips around the edges. So scrumptious! So are the bits which landed on the baking sheet. A cook's delight and treat. Yes. I am a glutton.
The chicken stock I used was the Campbells one in the small carton that you reconstitute with water. I find it works very well. If I was in the UK I would use Knorr stock pots. I wish we could get them here. I have found them once. That's all. They are the best.
I used frozen mixed vegetables. The mix with the peas, carrots, green beans, and corn. Am I mistaken or did there used to be baby lima beans in them? Not any more!
.JPG "Ham & Potato Pie")
I used a large russet potato for the mash. They make beautiful mashed potatoes because they cook up nice and floury. In the UK use a Maris Piper, or a King Edward. You can also use a good all purpose potato like a Yukon gold or Rooster potatoes.
Do not use NEW potatoes. They will not mash and instead will turn to glue. Trust me. I learned this the hard way many years ago.
Use a nice strong cheddar for the mash. It will give you the nicest flavor. If you didn't want to use grated onion, you could use finely chopped spring onions. Its all up to you!
.JPG "Ham & Potato Pie")
HOW TO MAKE HAM & POTATO PIE
Its really simple. Really.
Melt the butter in a skillet. Once it begins to foam add the celery and onion. Cook stirring frequently, until they soften without browning. Add the ham. Cook for several minutes longer.
Sprinkle the flour over top, stirring to coat everything in the flour. Cook for a minutes. Whisk in the stock and the milk. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture bubbles and thickens.
Whisk in the Parmesan cheese if using. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the cayenne and the thyme sprig. Add the vegetables and simmer on low while you make the mash.
Place the potatoes into a pot of lightly salted water. Bring to the boil. Reduce to a quick simmer and cook for 15 minutes until fork tender. Drain well.
.JPG "Ham & Potato Pie")
Return to the hot saucepan and shake over the residual heat of the burner to dry the potatoes out a bit. Add the milk and butter, mashing with a potato masher until smooth. Stir in the grated onion and cheese, stirring to melt the cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Whisk in the egg yolk.
Preheat the oven to 400*F/200*C/ gas mark 6. Have ready a 2 cup deep casserole dish.
Pour the ham filling into the dish. Top with the cheesy mash mounding it and leaving it rough. Brush with butter and sprinkle with cheese if using.
Place the casserole onto a rimmed baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes until bubbling and golden brown. Leave to stand for a few minutes before digging in. The filling will be very hot.
.JPG "Ham & Potato Pie")
And that's all there is to this. I figure all in all if I spent $5 making this that would be a stretch! Its delicious and economical. A beautiful hearty supper for two! You could also use leftover cooked ham to make this.
Add a salad if you wish, or some coleslaw, maybe some crusty bread for the man in the house! Everybody will be happy. You can also very easily double this to serve more people if you wish.
Not a fan of mash? Top it with tater tots or potato waffles before baking! Yummilicious! (But I mean who doesn't like mash?)
.JPG "Ham & Potato Pie")
Pinching the pennies and looking for ways to make your food dollar stretch further? Might I suggest the following:
SMOKED SAUSAGE, POTATO & CABBAGE SKILLET- A trinity of delicious flavors all cooked in a skillet. This is a very simple meal to throw together. Everyone always loves it!
LOADED CAULIFLOWER & CHICKEN CASSEROLE - A delicious low carb way to enjoy some leftover cooked chicken. I love cauliflower so this is a real favorite with me!
Ham & Potato Pie
Yield: 2
Prep time: 25 MinCook time: 32 MinTotal time: 57 Min
This is like a cross between a shepherd's pie and a pot pie with a rich and creamy ham filling and a cheese and onion mash topping. Quite simply delicious. Quantities can be doubled to serve more.
Ingredients
For the ham filling:
- 7 ounces/200g ham steak, diced (about 1 1/4 cups)
- 2 TBS chopped onion
- 1/2 stick celery chopped
- 1 1/2 TBS butter
- 1 1/2 TBS flour
- 1 cup (250ml) chicken stock
- 1/4 cup (60ml) milk
- salt and black pepper to taste
- pinch of cayenne powder
- a spring of fresh thyme
- 1 cup (180g) frozen mixed vegetables (no need to thaw)
- 1 TBS grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
For the cheese and onion mash:
- 1 large russet potato, peeled and cut into large cubes (3/4 pound)
- 2 - 3 TBS warm milk
- 1 TBS butter
- 2 ounces (50g) grated sharp/strong cheddar cheese
- 1 TBS finely grated onion
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 small egg yolk
- melted butter to brush on top and a scattering of Parmesan cheese (optional)
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a skillet. Once it begins to foam add the celery and onion. Cook stirring frequently, until they soften without browning. Add the ham. Cook for several minutes longer.
- Sprinkle the flour over top, stirring to coat everything in the flour. Cook for a minutes. Whisk in the stock and the milk. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture bubbles and thickens.
- Whisk in the Parmesan cheese if using. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the cayenne and the thyme sprig. Add the vegetables and simmer on low while you make the mash.
- Place the potatoes into a pot of lightly salted water. Bring to the boil. Reduce to a quick simmer and cook for 15 minutes until fork tender. Drain well.
- Return to the hot saucepan and shake over the residual heat of the burner to dry the potatoes out a bit. Add the milk and butter, mashing with a potato masher until smooth. Stir in the grated onion and cheese, stirring to melt the cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Whisk in the egg yolk.
- Preheat the oven to 400*F/200*C/ gas mark 6. Have ready a 2 cup deep casserole dish.
- Pour the ham filling into the dish. Top with the cheesy mash mounding it and leaving it rough. Brush with butter and sprinkle with cheese if using.
- Place the casserole onto a rimmed baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes until bubbling and golden brown.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Social Icons