Gourmet Beef Casserole - with photo

[johnro]

Hope you enjoy the dish Kerryn. the following websites are a great source when substitutes are required for alcohol you may not have -

• http://homecooking.about.com/library/archive/blalcohol6.htm
• http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/Articles/Wine-and-Alcohol-644/alcohol-substitutes.aspx

We use these as a reference when cooking with classes at school.  Cheers   

[judydawn]

Very useful chart, thanks Robyn.

[Zan]

Thanks Robyn, great links

[KerrynN]

Thanks Robyn! I will bookmark those as one of my constant failings is to not read the recipe correctly and then find I am missing a few ingredients...

After a few failed attempts we had our casserole tonight with mash and it was great! Everyone gave it the thumbs up, including both the kids. I plan to make some pastry tomorrow and put the rest into a pie. Only question is whether or not to cook the pie before putting it in the freezer?

[Zan]

Kerryn, if you want to freeze, I'd freeze the filling and then do the pastry when you are ready to cook.
If you have to put it together don't think it would make much difference, though if you don't cook I'd defrost before cooking and it might not hold it's shape as well.

[Shiraz49]

Thanks Robyn, very informative.

[Cornish Cream]

Made this yesterday but we had it for our supper this evening.Delicious.  I had some day old bread and cut large slices from the loaf, I then cut out rounds from each slice with a pastry cutter. Spread the "rounds" with Dijon mustard and reheated the casserole in the oven with the bread floating on the top.I have leftovers, so I might put a pastry lid on it and make a pie.Thanks Johnro for a great recipe.

[KerrynN]

Kerryn, if you want to freeze, I'd freeze the filling and then do the pastry when you are ready to cook.
If you have to put it together don't think it would make much difference, though if you don't cook I'd defrost before cooking and it might not hold it's shape as well.

Thanks Zan. Have now frozen the filling.

[johnro]

Glad you enjoyed it CC, Zan's idea re pie filling has been so useful.  Substituting ingredients was mentioned above, the following websites are so informative and we use with the hospitality classes at school along with the specific alcohol substitutions as listed in the above post

• http://www.aussiecooking.com.au/cookingsubstitutes.html
• http://allrecipes.com//HowTo/common-ingredient-substitutions/Detail.aspx

[judydawn]

Robyn, thanks for those links.  You are proving to be invaluable in your knowledge of where to go to find subtitute charts.   I have printed them all out and will start a special file - might save me dowloading everytime I want to know something.  Went way over my GB allowance last month. 

[bigTcup]

Made this for dinner tonight....YUM.  Really tasty.  I did add 1.5 carrots just before I added the mushrooms.  Kids LOVED it!  Will definitely be making this one again.  Thanks.

[johnro]

Glad that you enjoyed this favourite, bTc. 

[hopefulcook]

Me too... Made this Monday night, with 500g beef, added carrots, sweet potato and potato with 20 min left. Sweet potatoes disentigrated but made it nice and thick! Forgot to add peas so did them in the microwave. All gone... So poor hubby got none for lunch the next day! Thank you will be doing a lot over winter.

[johnro]

This is certainly a versatile dish in that you are able to include any veg.....especially great if unexpected dinner guests arrive!!!!   

[Shazzy]

I made this tonight and it was lovely.  I was worried as this was my first red meat meal and I had heard that the themomix did not do meat well. Fortunately it was not the case with this dish and it was lovely.  I did find that I cooked it a little longer as the meat was still a little tough but became alot more tender with the extra cooking.  Thanks for a lovely dish.