Corned Beef and Macaroni Casserole

 

 

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! 

I am not a snob when it comes to using tinned meat. Whenever it is on offer, I will pick up a tin or two. Corned beef, Spam, chicken, ham, stewed beef, you name it. These are great items to have in the larder and are great money savers when it comes to feeding the family.

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.

 

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.

 

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!

 

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

 

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.

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.

 

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.

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!)

If you are looking to stretch your food dollars, might I suggest the following delicious recipes:

AMERICAN CHOP SUEY

 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!   

OVEN ROASTED SMOKED SAUSAGE AND POTATOES 

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

Author: Marie Rayner

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

1. Preheat the oven to 375*F/190*C/ gas mark 5. Butter an 8-inch square, 2-inch-deep baking dish. Set aside.
2. 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.
3. Turn this mixture into the prepared casserole dish.
4. Stir together the cracker crumbs and melted butter. Sprinkle this evenly over top of the casserole dish. Cover tightly with foil.
5. 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.
6. Serve hot with a vegetable, some crusty bread and salad of some type on the side.

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