{ Cooking Thursday - Beef Casserole }

Hey everyone :)

It's been quite a while since I've done a Cooking Thursday and I've quite missed them, so here I am with a recipe for you today.

Beef Casserole, well actually it's a bit like a cottage pie but instead of mash we use cubed fried potatoes.  It is a nice change to the usual cottage pie though I still really do love that comforting dish on a cold winter day.

Right, let me show you how to make this delicious dish for your family, and as always, if you do try it, won't you let me know how you liked it, or how it turned out?

Beef Casserole

1 pound ground beef
4 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 medium onion, diced
2 garlic cloves (I used two teaspoons of my homemade diced garlic)
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
Olive oil
White Bechamel Sauce (I'll tell you below how to make it, if you don't know how)
1 teaspoon oregano
Salt and pepper to taste
1 Bay Leaf
Shredded cheese of your liking (I used mozzarella)
Oil to fry


In a pot, add a bit of olive oil (I eyeball, but it's about 1 tablespoon), add the diced onion, garlic and bay leaf.  Cook over medium heat until onion is transparent.  Add the ground beef and brown.  Next, pour in the diced tomatoes with their juice, oregano and salt and pepper to taste.  Simmer until the meat is cooked through and there is hardly any sauce left.

In a separate saucepan, add 2 tablespoons of butter and cook over medium heat until melted, next add in 2 tablespoons of flour and stir vigorously and cook for just under a minute.  Pour in milk, a little at a time, stirring with a whisk to make sure there are no lumps.  I season it with a little salt, pepper and a dash of nutmeg.  ( I always add nutmeg to my white sauce).    Bring to the boil and stir constantly until the sauce thickens.

Once meat and sauce are done, set them aside. 

Fry the cubed potatoes in oil until golden brown, drain on paper towels.

In a casserole dish, pour in the meat mixture, remember to remove the bay leaf.  Add the fried potatoes on top and spread them on evenly.

Pour over the potatoes the white bechamel sauce, then top with shredded cheese of your choosing.  Bake in a 375 degree oven for 20 minutes.  Sprinkle with Parsley and serve immediately!!!