Homemade Fast Food: Tater-Tot Casserole

Zach and I had tots....



Lot's of tots... in this tater-tot casserole recommended by none other than our I-am-just-going-to-go-ahead-and-call-them family-even-though-Zach-won't, Chris and Rachel...Rachel recommended them in an "I-made-this" sort of way and Chris recommended this in an "I-ate-this" sort of way.

Juicy ground beef topped with crispy tater tots and melted cheese. Can we call this what it is? Homemade fast food. Delicious! No one eats more fast food than Zach and I. While I love to cook and even manage to update this blog once in a while, most days we are bringing food home from places all over the city. I even noticed this morning that Wing-Stop and Pappa Johns are among our "most visited" websites (as defined by our google chrome homepage).



Rachel managed to make a healthier version of this genius dish by using the healthier version of everything in the dish, but I didn't bother. I think I will lighten it up a little next time by throwing some vegetables into the meat mixture and using extra lean beef since I basically felt like I couldn't move after eating this, but it sure was worth every bite. Oh, and it was probably the easiest thing I have ever made.



Tater-Tot Casserole
Recipe by Craving Comfort
feeds 3-5 people

1 lb lean ground beef (I would use very lean maybe up to 1 1/2 lbs)
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 (10 1/2 ounce) can condensed cream of celery or cream of chicken soup (undiluted) - i did not use the whole can
1 16oz package frozen tater tots
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Brown ground beef. season with salt & pepper. - do not break it apart completely...leave some nice meaty chunks in there
Add chopped onion, cook until tender.
In a casserole dish, combine ground beef mixture & cream soup.
Top mixture with tater tots.
Bake , uncovered, for 30-40 minutes till bubbly and Tots are golden brown.
remove from oven & top with cheese, return to oven until melted.

Planning a Wedding and Oh yeah, cooking too - Greek Ziti Ragu

When Zach and I got engaged, I thought I would end up blogging away about the wedding planning process.



I thought food blog readers were a similar target audience so it would be nice to sort things out via this blog, with a recipe to accompany every step of the way. I am now two months in to my 6 month engagement, and I do not think I have really mentioned the crazy world of wedding planning. If this is not something that interests you, forgive me for starting now.

You do not need a lot of time to plan a wedding. In fact, I prefer the condensed process which will all start and end before there is too much time to dwell on all the things I am including and not including in the process. What you do need is a lot of advance notice.

Every vendor, specifically the ceremony and reception venues need to be booked so far ahead time. I found myself running out of options for a reception venue before I even started looking. And the date we picked, the Florida Gator Football bye weekend of October 22nd? Forget it.

We started throwing out alternate dates, pending the availability of the reception spaces we were drawn to. By the time we found the location we ended up booking, there were two dates available within months of our original date: September 18th (a Sunday) and September 11th (a Sunday). For obvious reasons, we went with September 18th.

Our wedding celebration will be at the Winter Park Farmers’ market in Orlando, Florida, a location originally brought up by Zach’s mom (who originated several other successful ideas like the greyhound breed of dog we ended up adopting, my beloved cast iron skillet, my sewing hobby and the easy-peasy crock pot). The place is perfect for us. It is nice enough for an event such as a wedding, but not stuffy or cookie-cutter the way so many reception locations can be. The farmers’ market has loads of character and old-school charm with its red brick structure and hanging bulb lights. It used to be a train station, but has been converted to serve as a venue for weddings and other events as well as a farmers’ market every Saturday. Zach and I are big fans of farmers’ markets in general so it just seems really appropriate that we celebrate or marriage at one.

The ceremony will be at Loch Haven Park which is just behind the Menello Museum of Art, about 10 minutes away from the market. The criteria for a ceremony location for was “a big tree”. I just wanted to get married under a big tree. This is of course, weather permitting which means a lot more in Florida during hurricane season than it would somewhere like California in the fall.

We made a "save the date" movie trailer instead of the traditional save the date postcards. I am posting it below for your viewing pleasure...



I am well beyond the venue booking at this point in the process, but more on that later. For now, I will leave you with THIS:



Greek Ziti Ragu

(a recipe by Rachel Ray - makes 5-6 servings)

2 tablespoons EVOO (extra-virgin olive oil)
1 1/2 pounds ground lamb (I used beef)
Fine sea salt and black pepper
2 sprigs fresh oregano or marjoram, leaves finely chopped (about 1 tablespoon)
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped 1 onion, finely chopped
1 large fresh bay leaf
1 cinnamon stick
1 small red chile pepper, such as fresno or cherry, finely chopped
About 3 tablespoons tomato paste
A small handful pitted kalamata olives, finely chopped, or 2 tablespoons black olive tapenade
1 cup dry white wine 1 1/2 cups whole milk
A few grates fresh nutmeg
1 pound ziti pasta
1/2 pound brick greek feta cheese, drained and finely crumbled
A handful each flat-leaf parsley and fresh mint, finely chopped

Heat a large dutch oven over high heat. Add the EVOO, 2 turns of the pan, and the lamb; brown the lamb, caramelizing the meat to deep brown. Add lots of black pepper, sea salt, the oregano (or marjoram for a milder taste), garlic, onion, bay leaf, cinnamon stick and chile pepper and cook for 7 to 8 minutes to soften.

Add the tomato paste and olives (or tapenade) and stir for 30 seconds. Add the wine and deglaze the pan; add the milk and reduce the heat to a simmer. Add nutmeg to taste and simmer the ragù while you cook the pasta.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the pasta cooking water. Return the pasta to the hot pot with half of the finely crumbled feta. Discard the bay leaf and cinnamon stick. Add the ragù to the ziti and stir, adding in the pasta cooking water as necessary to move the heavy ragù around the pasta. Serve in shallow bowls topped with the remaining feta and the finely chopped parsley and mint.

Italian-Style Feast for All

It happened about 5 years ago.



I was a student at the University of Florida. One of my best friends in the whole world, Amanda, had an uncle and aunt who lived in Gainesville. They would occasionally invite me and a couple other friends over to their lovely home for amazing home-cooked dinners and some wonderful company. Amanda's Uncle Rich and Aunt Lindy are basically just very cool. They are welcoming, warm and friendly people, and those dinners were always something we looked forward to. I am pretty sure Lindy was the one to introduce me to the idea of the garlic cheddar biscuits that everyone seems to love so much.

There was one dinner I will never forget. Lindy's friend, Karen, was visiting from Michigan. She was going to make her famous Italian-style spread for some hungry college students, craving a home-cooked meal. I don't know that I was prepared for what happened that night. I don't think I have ever feasted the way we did on the plethora of pure indigence that was before us on that table. There were full casserole-sized dishes of several different meats in a rich and savory tomato sauce. There were mounds of pasta to be fork-twirled or just shoveled, depending on your eating pasta-rategy. There were meatballs, sausages and other meats...as you can tell I simply cannot recall specifics.

I don't think I realized the extent of pleasure I associated with that meal until I saw a picture in my "Food Network Magazine" in the November 2009 Issue:


Photo from Food Network Magazine, November 2009 Issue

It was one of the first recipes I ripped out of a magazine which ultimately inspired me to make my HUGE recipe binder that I carry around everywhere now (seriously, you can ask my friend, Allison, who spotted me at the dog park, HUGE recipe binder in hand). The picture just reminded me of that glorious spread and how I wanted so badly to recreate it.



I have been holding off making this for a while because #1 I was intimidated by all the work that goes into it and #2 I needed more than 2 mouths to feed to make something so large and labor-intensive. I have to admit that I was ultimately inspired to go through with this Italian feast after watching the episode of "Jersey Shore" where Vinny's mom flies to Miami just to cook for everyone in the house. The meal she made them was just epic, and it really put me in the mood for some hard kitchen work. Feel free to just ignore the previous two sentences if you are either offended, disgusted or both that I watch "The Jersey Shore".I took the opportunity to try it out this weekend as some lovely lovely people were accompanying Zach and me for Sunday night dinner.

Good deal. Love it. You will to if you have an entire day for cooking on your hands.



I do feel I have a responsibility to state that while I was over the moon for the meaty mound of goodness this recipe turned out to be, nothing I ever make will compare with what was on the table that night at Rich and Lindy's house.

Mighty Meaty Italian-Style Feast

(Recipe from Food Network Magazine, November 2009 Issue - recipe serves 6 generously)

3 slices white bread, toasted and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1/2 cup milk
3/4 pound ground beef
3/4 pound ground pork
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish (optional)
10 cloves garlic; 2 minced, 8 smashed
1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 1/2 pounds bone-in beef shin (I could not find this anywhere so I used a stewing beef that turned out just fine)
2 pounds Italian sausage (half sweet, half hot), halved (casing removed)
1 medium onion, quartered
3 28-ounce cans plum tomatoes
1 12-ounce can tomato paste
6 bay leaves
1 pound orecchiette pasta (I bought fresh shell-like pasta from Bay Cities Italian Deli) I honestly think it is more important to have fresh pasta than it is to have the orecchiette pasta so do what-cha-gotta do).

*You will need a large pot...a 10 quart pot at least.


Soak the bread in the milk until the liquid is absorbed, about 8 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the ground beef and pork in a bowl with the egg, cheese, minced garlic, parsley, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste. Add the soaked bread and mix with your hands until combined. Form into 16 meatballs.

Heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the meatballs and cook, turning, until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate. Add the beef shin and sausage to the pot and cook until browned, turning, about 10 minutes. Transfer the meats to a large bowl.

Add the onion and smashed garlic to the pot and fry until soft, about

4 minutes. Crush the tomatoes into the pot with your hands and pour in the juices. Stir in the tomato paste, season with salt and pepper and cook 5 minutes.

Add 5 cups water (I would use about 2-3 next time instead of 5) and the bay leaves, then return the meatballs, beef shin and sausage to the pot, stirring carefully. Bring to a low boil, stir, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer 2 hours, or until the shin meat is very tender. Uncover and simmer until the sauce thickens and the shin meat is falling off the bone, about 1 hour 30 minutes. Transfer all the meats with a slotted spoon to a bowl and cover with foil. Simmer the sauce to thicken, about 20 minutes. Discard the bay leaves.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; add the pasta and cook as the label directs. Drain and toss with enough sauce to coat lightly, then top with more sauce and the meat. Garnish with parmesan, if desired.

Moving Right Along

I moved apartments last weekend.



Let me run down the list of excuses for not posting in 2 weeks: the pots and pans were some of the first things packed, the kitchen is not all set up yet, there is too much mess to think about letting dishes pile up, we have not been grocery shopping yet, blah blah blah. Essentially, we have been “checking out” all the take out places around the new place which is always fun.



But I am ready to get back in the saddle, at least for a couple dishes. When I don’t cook, I miss it; even worse, I miss blogging about it. I get realllllllly disappointed when I make something that is not good enough to blog about, not because I it is not good to eat but because I don’t get to share it with you.

I fell back into scouring the internet for amazing recipes last week, and found something that seemed simple and delicious enough to ease me back into the kitchen: Steamburgers. It was a recipe on a food blog I have followed for a while now, Coconut & Lime, which features only original recipes (something that will still take me a looooong while to work up to). They are a sort of crumbly burger with onions and mustard which makes them almost juicier than a regular burger and way more fun to eat. We made some good ole' sweet potato fries to go with them and enjoyed a delicious meal in front of the television with an awesome documentary, Crazy Love.



For the recipe, please visit coconutlime.blogspot.com

Baked Comfort

The Academy Awards are coming up in a few weeks.



They will honor the best of the best of last year's movies. Of course this year, the academy has added the ever-so-controversial ten nominations (it used to be just five) for the "Best Picture" category. I don't have a major problem with this besides the fact that I can hardly think of ten movies I liked enough to even come close to receiving such an honor. The nominees this year are:

BEST PICTURE:
Avatar
The Bind Side
District 9
An Education
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Precious
A Serious Man
Up
Up in the Air

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE:
Jeff Bridges in "Crazy Heart"
George Clooney in "Up in the Air"
Colin Firth in "A Single Man"
Morgan Freeman in "Invictus"
Jeremy Renner in "The Hurt Locker"

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE:
Matt Damon in "Invictus"
Woody Harrelson in "The Messenger"
Christopher Plummer in "The Last Station"
Stanley Tucci in "The Lovely Bones"
Christoph Waltz in "Inglourious Basterds"

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE:
Sandra Bullock in "The Blind Side"
Helen Mirren in "The Last Station"
Carey Mulligan in "An Education"
Gabourey Sidibe in "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire"
Meryl Streep in "Julie & Julia"

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE:
Penélope Cruz in "Nine"
Vera Farmiga in "Up in the Air"
Maggie Gyllenhaal in "Crazy Heart"
Anna Kendrick in "Up in the Air"
Mo'Nique in "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire"



The Oscars are not only a time of year we honor the new movies that might someday become classics, but we also a time to honor the classics themselves. So let's make some classic food, shall we? Baked Ziti is a comfort food for anyone with an appetite for warm, meaty, flavorful, noodley, cheesiness. It is easy to make (the theme of this time of year) and very satisfying. I like to make a huge batch and save the rest in the freezer to last for a few more meals. I have made it a couple different ways in the past year, and it seems to me that baked ziti is really just something you need to adjust to your liking. I like a lot a lot of meat so I lean towards a pretty heavy amount. I also like the tomato sauce to really stand out (even though I was in a hurry this time and did not end up with a good sauce). Some people like ricotta cheese in their ziti, but I prefer to leave the ricotta to the lasagna. However, I think it would be nice in a vegetarian version (possibly with some mushrooms added as well). You an buy your favorite tomato sauce or make your own. I also added just a little bit of Italian sausage to the dish just for some added flavor. Zach suggested the dish did not need it, but I still like just a little bit of it. Here is how I made it, but this is something you should definitely tweak about to make your own:



1 lb ziti pasta, cooked al dente according to package*
1 lb ground beef
2 links spicy Italian sausage (optional), casings removed and chopped into small chunks
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves fresh garlic, sliced into slivers (about four slivers per clove)
3 C (about 24 oz) of flavorful tomato sauce
2 C shredded mozzarella (optional: sub one cup mozzarella for 1 C or 8 oz provolone cheese)
1 C shaved parmesan cheese

Preheat the over to 350 degrees F.
In a large pan, cook the all the meat with the chopped onion and garlic until the meat is browned.
Add the tomato sauce to the meat and stir thoroughly.
Add 1 cup mozzarella cheese (use the provolone here if you have chosen to substitute it) and 1/2 C of the parmesan to the meat/tomato mixture.
Stir the mixture into the cooked ziti pasta and transfer to a large casserole dish.
Sprinkle remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheese evenly over the top of the dish.
Bake uncovered for 40 minutes.



*I cannot explain why, but I much prefer actual ziti pasta which is chopped straight across on each end as opposed to penne pasta which is cut at a slant (even though I could not find the ziti pasta this time around). I also steer clear of the small ridges on the surface of the pasta. It is supposed to catch more of the sauce around it, but I find it has the opposite effect. I feel the sauce sticks to the flat surface much better.

Stuffed

Choose the word that does not belong in the following sentence.

Adjectives that describe Thanksgiving stuffing include starchy, mushy, meaty.



Meaty? Yes. This stuffing features meat. My Titi Janet has made this stuffing for Thanksgiving for years, and it has always been a family favorite. I have never tasted anything like it. I had to have it this year, and since she was not going to be flying out to California to make it for me, I had to take matters into my own hands. Janet emailed me the recipe, and I attempted to make it just the way she does.

I ran into one problem. I could not find one of the ingredients. This is some intense stuffing, people. It is not for sissies. I am pretty sure the ingredient list is the longest of anything I have ever made. Anyway, I could not find something called "Goya's jamon de cocinar en polvo" (oh yes, my Aunt Janet is from the Puerto Rican side of my family). Aside from being on the the list she sent me, I knew it existed only because I googled it. I went to about 4 different grocery stores (3 of which specialize in Hispanic foods), and no one had it or knew what it was. I know what each of those Spanish words mean in English (thank you Sra. Ajo); the literal translation would be "ham to cook in dust." I went ahead and took it as ham powder so I substituted a food that I thought would add just as much flavor, a food I have never regretted adding to any dish: bacon.

I cut this recipe in half since it was just for two, but I still had enough for about 8 servings. There are usually about 15 to 20 people at our Thanksgiving dinners so I would venture to guess this serves about that with leftovers. I suppose it is not technically stuffing because you do not cook it inside the turkey, but here it goes:

Titi Janet's "Will Leave You Seriously Stuffed" Stuffing:

3 – 4 lbs ground beef
½ to 1 c of cooking wine (I used a red table wine since I always have some on hand)
1 head of Garlic cloves
1 Onion
1 Bell pepper
3 packages of “Goya's jamon de cocinar en polvo” (Goya is the brand)*
3 packages of “Goya's Sazón con Azafrán” (Goya is the brand)
1 slice of cooking ham (with the bone) cut in ½” squares (I just bought some already diced ham)
1 bunch of fresh cilantro (chopped as fine as possible)
1 envelope of dry onion soup
2 cups (or to taste) of raisins (I copped them up really small since Zach hates when they bloat up. This made it so you could still taste them, but you don't get the soft soggy raisin texture when they are cooked)
2 cups (or to taste) of chopped pecans
Black pepper to taste
¼ cup of capers
1 cup of pitted stuffed olives or to taste
1/2 bag of “Pepperidge Farm Herb Seasoned Stuffing” (dry stuff)

*The Goya products are usually in the ethnic section of the grocery store"



Pour a bit of olive oil in a pot (so that the meat does not stick to the bottom when you start cooking). Cut the ham in cubes. Place the ground beef in the pot and cook until almost all brown making sure to mix the ground beef so that it does not “clump-up” while it cooks.
In a food processor or blender throw the cooking wine, black pepper, garlic, onion, bell pepper, Goya powders. Blend all together and pour in the meat with the dry onion soup and cilantro. If you do not have a food processor or blender, just chop the produce really fine.
Add the olives and capers, and continue to cook on medium for about 10-15 minutes.
Add the raisins, chopped pecans nd stuffing (mix well).
Continue cooking for another 10 minutes. The stuffing should absorb the “water/oil” from the beef while cooking.



Important note from Titi Janet: You will have to figure out the ratio between stuffing and ground beef. Just make sure it has the meat consistency more than the stuffing (mushy) consistency, but yet it is semi-mushy! And is more meaty than stuffing.

Important note from me: This turned out well for me. The bacon substitute seems to work out. I was nervous about making it and then not recognizing the taste as the same thing because it is indeed an extremely specific taste. I know it when I smell it! The part I struggled with here was since I was doing a bunch of things at one time, I think I let the meat cook too long without adding the rest of the ingredients. I think this caused it to dry out a little bit. It is important that everything stays really moist so that when you add the stuffing mixture, it has a lot of moisture to absorb.

Costcolicious

For anyone who questions my man and my comitment to one another, let me just say we are approaching our one year anniversary of a joint Costco membership. Buying in bulk? That is love. When you can look someone in the face and say, "yes I will eventually use all of this" as you hold a 60-roll package of toilet paper, you know you have arrived as a couple.



Ah, Costco. Is it the free samples in every other isle? Is it the pizza they sell outside? Is it the favorable prices? Or is it just the option to buy candy bars in bulk (not that you ever would, but still there is the option)?

I started shopping at Costco last year as I got more into cooking and decided to be better with money. I have a good system going on, buying certain things about once every month or so from Costco and only buying produce, cheese and a few random parishables from the grocery store every week. Meat is something I have been able to save on through this process. I still buy fresh meat from the grocery store for specific meals, but I buy frozen chicken and ground beef by the 10 and 5 pound bag, respectively on the cheap at Costco. For this reason, I find myself leaning towards recipes that are made of chicken and ground beef. Imagine that.

Well, the big Costco trip was coming, and I wanted to get rid of those last two pounds of ground beef to clear the space in the freezer. When I asked Zach what dish I can make with ground beef, he replied "Beef Stroganoff". Seeing as how beef stroganoff is not made with ground beef, I eliminated that as an option (even though it does sound tasty for the future anyone have a favorite reipe?). Finally something clicked; this resulted in me clicking away on the internet for recipes for picadillo. Picadillo is a tasty Latin American dish of ground beef with a bunch of goodies mixed in. You can eat it over rice, with potaoes, alone or even as a filling for tacos and empanadas. We ate it with black beas and plantains. I made the whole two pounds of it, and we ate it for days.

Crunch Time Picadillo

(adapted from an allrecipes recipe)

3 lbs ground beef (I cut this recipe down by a third since I wa susuing 2 lbs)
1/2 large onion, chopped
2 tbsp garlic, minced
1 red pepper, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2 C raisins (optional...I left these out because oddly enough "somebody" I cook for specifically HATES the way rasins plump up when they are cooked)
16 oz green olives (stuffed with pimientos)
12 oz tomato paste
1/2 C water
3 oz of capers (optional...I would not use these if you include the raisins)



Brown the ground beef in a large pan.
Add onions and garlic to the meat and cook for 3 minutes.
Add all other ingredients, and bring the heat down to med-low.
Allow to simmer as long as you like or at least until all the vegetables are nice and tender.

Time Travel and Introductions

I have always liked the idea of going back in time to share a meal with early American settlers.



At one point, Zach and I discussed if we could temporarily go back to one period in American history, what it would be. I am pretty sure we both decided on the drafting of the constitution. Perhaps my second choice would be the first Thanksgiving. It is not that I imagine this day to be an outrageous celebration or anything particularly extravagant. It is more about what it would mean to me as someone from the future peeking back at how it all began. And I am not going to lie; it is also about the food. I am sure the kind of food prepared straight from the land in 1621 was not the tasty, inventive and genetically-modified kind of food we enjoy today for Thanksgiving. In fact, venison and wild fowl are the only two items on the menu for the first Thanksgiving of which there are any specific records. Sometimes I just think it would be fun to go back to simpler times as far as food is concerned to see how far we have come in some ways and see how little we have learned in other ways.

This is all to say my next recipe is something that goes way back, not necessarily to the first Thanksgiving, but certainly back to what can be considered "simpler times" when it comes to food. Cottage pie is believed to have originated in northern England and was served as a hearty dish for rural workers just after the British began adding potatoes to their diets. The dish was known as shepherd's pie when the meat was made with minced lamb and cottage pie when it was made with ground beef.

This recipe includes an ingredient that I never thought I would use in anything. After making this dish for the first time a few months ago without this ingredient, I decided it was slightly bland and needed a kick. That is why this particular recipe jumped out at me when I cam across it. Blog readers, meet horseradish:



Kick in the Cottage Pie: (a Rachel Ray recipe)

5 pounds Russet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks (you can also use small new potatoes and including the skin)
1/2 to 3/4 C milk (use more or less depending how thick you like your mashed potatoes)
1 egg, beaten
1/4 C prepared horseradish
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 pounds lean ground sirloin
1 C frozen green peas
2 carrots, peeled and chopped or sliced 1/4-inch thick
1 large onion, chopped
1 fresh bay leaf
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups beef stock
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 to 3 tablespoons chives, chopped
Handful of breadcrumbs (optional)

Peel potatoes (optional if you have chosen to use the small red ones).



Chop the vegetables. I bought these beautiful carrots from the farmers' market in Santa Monica.



Place the potatoes in a medium-size pot, cover them with cold water and bring to a boil. Salt the water and cook potatoes until fork tender, about 12-15 minutes. Drain the potatoes and allow them to cool slightly. Mash them with the milk then stir in the egg and horseradish. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and set aside.

While the potatoes are cooking, make the filling: Heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet (preferably oven safe, but it is fine if you do not have one) over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add the meat and brown it well, about 5 minutes. Add the vegetables and bay leaf to meat, season with salt and pepper and cook until the vegetables are softened, 8-10 minutes.



Sprinkle the flour around the pan, stir and cook for about 1 minute. Add the stock and bring up to a simmer to thicken the mix, 3-4 minutes. Discard the bay leaf and season the beef mixture with Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper.

Turn broiler on and place rack in the middle of the oven.

Transfer the filling to a large casserole or baking dish (9" X 13") and top it with heaping spoonfuls of the horseradish mashed potatoes so they completely cover it (Or just place the potato mixture on top of the meat mixture if you are using an oven-safe skillet. I like to sprinkle some breadcrumbs over top of the mashed potatoes. Brown the potatoes under the broiler, about 5 minutes.



Garnish with chives and serve.



This recipe also freezes well in a freezer-safe plastic storage container for a few weeks. One day before you are ready to eat the frozen leftovers, put them in the refrigerator to defrost and heat them up in the oven until heated all the way through.