This Stack-A-Dinner recipe which I am sharing with you today comes from an old Better Homes & Gardens Cookbook entitled the Ground Meat Cookbook. It was a part of a cookbook library that was sold in the early to late 1970's. I can remember saving my allowance and babysitting money to purchase the volumes one by one. Sadly all of my books got left in the U.K. when I had to come back to Canada, but I have managed to find some gently used copies and have been collecting my favorite volumes once again.
This quick, easy and simple dish is composed of a base of fluffy seasoned and buttered rice, each grain cooked to perfection. This is topped with a rich and savory ground beef mixture, seasoned to perfection with herbs and spice.
This gets topped with a tasty layer of sweet green peas, their freshness adding a delightful contrast to everything else and a beautiful pop of color.
Finally, the dish is crowned with a generous sprinkle of cheese, which melts from the heat of everything else, creating a gooey, golden blanket that binds all of the layers together in delicious harmony.
When my children were growing up, they always enjoyed this simple supper dish. I enjoyed making it for them. It was easy to make and it was really budget friendly. It was also very adaptable to people's tastes. If someone didn't like peas, a layer of sweet corn was a great substitute.
You can make it with any kind of ground meat, although beef is the usual choice. Myself, I prefer it with ground turkey, but truth be told, it is delicious no matter what you choose.
Also known as Haystack Dinner, this supper dish is quick and easy to make, economical, simple, delicious and family friendly. Easy to make ahead. Nobody but you needs to know how simple this really is. You really can't ask for much better than that!
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE STACK-A-DINNER
Just a few simple store cupboard ingredients. It is also easy to adapt them to whatever you have on hand or what you family enjoys as well.
For the meat:
- 1 pound (453g) extra lean ground beef
- 1 tsp oil (I use light olive oil)
- 1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 clove of garlic, peeled and chopped
- 1 8-ounce (227g) tomato sauce (In the U.K. tomato passata)
- 1/4 cup (60g) tomato ketchup
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano leaves, rubbed between your fingers
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 3 drops of Tabasco sauce (or your favorite hot sauce)
For the rice:
- 2 cups (94g) uncooked long grain rice
- 4 cups (960ml) water
- 1 TBS butter
- Salt to taste
You will also need:
- 1 (10 ounce/284g) frozen baby peas
- 1 cup (85g) grated strong cheddar cheese
- Sliced pimento stuffed olives (optional)
I used extra lean ground beef that we bought at a new place which just opened up down the street from me. It is organic and grass fed, at $7.95 a pound. If you wanted to you could also use ground turkey, chicken, or pork, or even a vegan ground meat substitute in it's place.
It calls for tomato sauce. In the UK that is ketchup, but if you are in the UK, do not use ketchup for the tomato sauce called for. Use tomato passata. In North America tomato sauce and ketchup are not the same thing. You will also need some tomato ketchup but a much smaller amount.
You can use whatever favorite hot sauce, to the quantities that you wish for this dish. A few drops is usually sufficient for those who don't like their food overly hot. Sriracha sauce is nice and has a lovely garlic kick to it. I used Tabasco.
I used Uncle Ben's Converted rice, cooked according to the instructions on the package. I have an old pampered chef rice cooker which cooks the rice in the microwave. Turns out perfect every time.
I used PC Organic baby English Peas. I like them.
I used a strong cheddar cheese for on top. The original recipe called for process American cheese. We don't have that here, and I prefer real cheddar anyways. You can use the processed if you would rather.
HOW TO MAKE STACK-A-DINNER
This is such a simple dinner to make. You can easily make all of the elements up ahead of time and then just reheat and layer up when you want to eat dinner. It is also easy to make up portions and set them aside to be reheated for the late-comers!
Heat the oil in a skillet. When hot crumble in the ground beef and scramble fry until beginning to brown.
Add the onion and garlic. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally until the beef is completely browned and the onions and garlic are softened.
Add the oregano, hot pepper sauce, tomato sauce and tomato ketchup. Bring to a simmer. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, while you cook the rice. Don't let it go dry. If you think it is drying out too much, add a bit of water or beef stock. You want a thickish mixture that is a tiny bit saucy.
While the beef is cooking cook the rice according to the package directions. When done season to taste with some salt and a tablespoon of butter.
Cook the peas following the package directions. Taste the meat mixture and season as desired with salt and pepper.
On individual heated serving plates, layer hot cooked rice, a portion of the meat sauce, cooked peas and a portion of the grated cheese. Serve immediately.
Ground beef is such an economical and adaptable protein that lends itself to a multitude of amazing recipes, but . . . with anything, it can be very easy to fall into a recipe rut where you end up cooking the same old things time and time again. It never hurts to share some new ideas, or even new old ideas! Here are a few more favorites!
STREET STYLE BEEF TACOS - Delicious, perfectly spiced chopped steak served on homemade tortillas with all of your favorite taco toppings. Also included is a recipe for your own homemade Avocado Cream to top them with. These are quite simply one of my favorite tacos. Not too spicy, although if you are a lover of heat you can certainly amp them up. These are fantastically tasty!
OVEN HASH - Economical and honest ingredients combined to make a delicious meal that your family will love. Not a hash with potatoes, but a delicious mixture of spiced minced beef, baked with tomatoes, onions and noodles. Comfort food. Family food. Simple, maybe . . . but never plain. This is an old favorite from the Betty Crocker Cookbook. You cannot fault it in any way. Its also very easy to make it your own with a bit of this and a bit of that. I love recipes like that!
Yield: 6 servings
Stack-A-Dinner
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 25 MinTotal time: 35 Min
Imagine a dish that layers the comforting textures and flavors of home into a single mouthwatering masterpiece. This is the dish. Fluffy rice on the bottom, topped with a flavor-filled ground beef mixture, sweet peas and grated cheese. This is simply delicious.
Ingredients
For the meat:
- 1 pound (453g) extra lean ground beef
- 1 tsp oil (I use light olive oil)
- 1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 clove of garlic, peeled and chopped
- 1 8-ounce (227g) tomato sauce (In the U.K. tomato passata)
- 1/4 cup (60g) tomato ketchup
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano leaves, rubbed between your fingers
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 3 drops of Tabasco sauce (or your favorite hot sauce)
For the rice:
- 2 cups (94g) uncooked long grain rice
- 4 cups (960ml) water
- 1 TBS butter
- Salt to taste
You will also need:
- 1 (10 ounce/284g) frozen baby peas
- 1 cup (85g) grated strong cheddar cheese
- Sliced pimento stuffed olives (optional)
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a skillet. When hot crumble in the ground beef and scramble fry until beginning to brown.
- Add the onion and garlic. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally until the beef is completely browned and the onions and garlic are softened.
- Add the oregano, hot pepper sauce, tomato sauce and tomato ketchup. Bring to a simmer. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, while you cook the rice. Don't let it go dry. If you think it is drying out too much, add a bit of water or beef stock. You want a thickish mixture that is a tiny bit saucy.
- While the beef is cooking cook the rice according to the package directions. When done season to taste with some salt and a tablespoon of butter.
- Cook the peas following the package directions.
- Taste the meat mixture and season as desired with salt and pepper.
- On individual heated serving plates, layer hot cooked rice, a portion of the meat sauce, cooked peas and a portion of the grated cheese. Serve immediately.
All rights reserved The English Kitchen
Thanks so much for visiting! Do come again!
If you like what you see here, why not consider signing up for my newsletter and/or subscribing/following me on Grow. You can also bookmark my recipes via the Grow platform. Check out the heart on the right hand side of the screen.
I have now shut down my Mad Mimi Newsletter account so if you still wish to get newsletters from me and had previously subscribed via Mad Mimi, you will need to resubscribe via Grow, if you haven't done so already.
I confess to having a great love of Indian Food. I first became acquainted with it when we lived in Alberta many years ago. I had some British friends and they introduced me to chicken curry. (Of course it was very much Anglicized, but it was enough to whet my appetite for the stuff!)
I then explored many other kinds of Indian foods through the years. It was not easy back when I started as the ingredients were very difficult to find. I further fell in love with it when I moved to the U.K. I watched Madhur Jaffrey on the television over there and bought a few cookbooks. Curry is one of the national dishes of the U.K. right up there with fish and chips. In fact, it may even have knocked fish and chips off of it's pedastal!
I recently discovered a gal on YouTube, Beryl Shereshewsky. She is a delight. She uses her channel to explore all the flavors and foods that the world has to offer, finding common ground through food. I think I binge watched about 10 episodes, one right after the other as soon as I discovered her. I love her enthusiasm for everything foodie! She is just entertaining and very interesting.
She did one episode totally dedicated to How The World Eats French Fries. In it she explored French Fries from five different countries: The Dominican Republic, The U.K., India, Hawaii and Chili. I was intrigued, but most especially by the Indian ones, which you can see at 10:48 in the video.
I just had to try them for myself and so I did. I thought they were fabulous and I thought you might also like to try them for yourself, so here you go! I hope you enjoy them as much as I did!
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE INDIAN FRIES (MASALA FRIES)
Not a lot of ingredients. Just the basics for the spice blend and some frozen fries, and an air fryer or an oven. I have also included a lovely homemade Chutney Mayo for dipping!
For the fries:
- 1 (4-serving size) of your favorite brand of frozen oven chips
- 1 tsp Chaat Masala
- 1 tsp Chili Powder (or to taste)
- 1/2 tsp fine white sugar
For the chutney mayo:
- 1 cup (115g) good quality mayonnaise
- 1 TBS Mango chutney
Just use your favorite brand of oven chips. Or, if you are really keen, you can make your chips from scratch. Here in I like the Cavendish Farms, Extra Crispy Fries. They always come out beautifully, and I like to do them in the air fryer, which is a lot quicker than the conventional oven. They come out beautifully crisp each and every time!
I have explained about Chaat Masala powder below. The recipe calls for 1 tsp of chili powder, and by that it means the unadulterated pure chili powder, not the North American Mexican type. I confess, I did not add a full teaspoon. My guts cannot take the heat. So add it according to however much heat you can handle!
Do add the sugar. It is integral to the recipe.
Use a good quality Mayonnaise and Mango Chutney for the dipping sauce. You could also use Sour Cream in the place of mayo if you are not a mayo fan!
Or you can use Curry Ketchup which is as simple to make as stirring some curry powder into tomato ketchup to your own taste.
WHAT IS CHAAT MASALA
Also known as Chat Masala, this is a unique, powdered Indian spice mixture commonly used for street foods in India. It is composed of eight different spices: Amchoor (dried Mango powder), Coriander, Cumin, Dried Ginger, Salt, Black Pepper, Asafoetida, chili powder, Mint and a few others. As you can see quite a lot goes into it.
It is very easy to make your own, although with all of the components required, I recommend buying it already made. You can read a lot more about it here.
I bought mine, ready-made on Amazon. There were some Samosa Wraps that my sister and I wanted to try a few months back and we needed it for them. It has a lovely pungent taste. I quite understand, after tasting it, how it is so popular to be used in Chaat, or Indian Street foods and snacks!
HOW TO MAKE INDIAN FRIES (MASALA FRIES)
Nothing could be easier. I have made mine in the air fryer, but you could also bake your fries in the oven. Just follow the package directions!
To cook in the air fryer. Preheat your air fryer to 350*F/180*C. Dump your frozen fries into the fryer basket.
(My Air Fryer is a Kuraidori that I bought at my local Home Hardware. I love it!)
Air fry for 10 minutes. Remove from the air fryer and give the basket a good shake. Return to the air fryer and fry for an additional 8 to 10 minutes, until golden brown.
While the fries are frying, whisk together your Chat Masala, Chili Powder and sugar.
Whisk together the mayonnaise and chutney until well combined. Place into a serving bowl.
Remove the done fries from the air fryer and dump into a bowl. Add the seasoning mixture and toss everything together to coat the fries with the spice.
Plate up the fries and serve hot with the chutney mayo for dipping.
These were incredibly delicious and every bit as moreish as Beryl had said they would be. I was really pleased with how crispy the fries turned out in the air fryer and that spice was perfect on them! Such an easy snack or side dish to make!
I hope that you will be inspired to want to cook these for yourself!
If you like fries as much as I do, and would like to try some other recipes, why not consider the following. They are delicious, I promise you!
COPYCAT ANIMAL FRIES (FOR TWO) - A copycat recipe from the In and Out chain of eateries. This dish brings you crispy fries topped with grilled cheese, caramelized onions and a special sauce. Oh so easy to replicate at home and oh so delicious!
DIRTY FRIES - These can be as naughty as you want! Oven baked chips dressed up with some of your favorite toppings. And trust me when I tell you that there is no such thing as "over the top" as far as toppings go. The sky is really the limit here. Tossed together with Cajun spice and Worcester sauce prior to baking, they are topped with your favorite potato toppings. I topped mine with plenty of cheese, chopped peppers, bacon, and spring onions. They are incredibly tasty!
Yield: 4
Indian Fries
Prep time: 5 MinCook time: 20 MinTotal time: 25 Min
Lovely, crisp and spicy fries. Easy and delicious. Cooked in the air fryer, or oven as you wish. Served with a lush chutney mayo for dipping.
Ingredients
For the fries:
- 1 (4-serving size) of your favorite brand of frozen oven chips
- 1 tsp Chaat Masala
- 1 tsp Chili Powder (or to taste)
- 1/2 tsp fine white sugar
For the chutney mayo:
- 1 cup (115g) good quality mayonnaise
- 1 TBS Mango chutney
Instructions
- To cook in the air fryer. Preheat your air fryer to 350*F/180*C. Dump your frozen fries into the fryer basket.
- Air fry for 10 minutes. Remove from the air fryer and give the basket a good shake. Return to the air fryer and fry for an additional 8 to 10 minutes, until golden brown.
- While the fries are frying, whisk together your Chat Masala, Chili Powder and sugar.
- Whisk together the mayonnaise and chutney until well combined. Place into a serving bowl.
- Remove the done fries from the air fryer and dump into a bowl. Add the seasoning mixture and toss everything together to coat the fries with the spice.
- Plate up the fries and serve hot with the chutney mayo for dipping.
All rights reserved The English Kitchen
Thanks so much for visiting! Do come again!
If you like what you see here, why not consider signing up for my newsletter and/or subscribing/following me on Grow. You can also bookmark my recipes via the Grow platform. Check out the heart on the right hand side of the screen.
I have now shut down my Mad Mimi Newsletter account so if you still wish to get newsletters from me and had previously subscribed via Mad Mimi, you will need to resubscribe via Grow, if you haven't done so already.
I had picked up a lovely thick old fashioned pork chop at the store the other day and it really needed cooking today. I don't eat pork very often but when I do, I like to make sure it is cooked perfectly so that it retains a juicy and tender finish. I hate over-cooked anything.
Our pork is so lean today that it almost always benefits from the use of some sort of sauce. This recipe I am sharing is one that I adapted from Bunny's Warm Oven. Her chops looked so delicious!
I confess I never had a good tasting pork chop the whole time I was growing up. My mother simply could not do them any justice. Dry and tasteless, you could have used them to shingle your roof!
I know that she was concerned (as many were and should have been) by the meat from pigs carrying a certain disease, which could only be eradicated by cooking the meat really well done and thoroughly. She always cooked them to death.
Although that is no longer a real concern, it is still recommended that you cook your pork thoroughly, ie, not pink inside. It is possible to do this, with proper timing, so that the pork doesn't get all dried out. There is nothing worse than a dried out pork chop!
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE OVEN BAKED PORK CHOP SAUCE
Some simple store cupboard ingredients. This will yield enough for two large meaty chops. If you wish to cook more, simply double or triple the sauce ingredients.
For two Pork chops:
- 1 TBS low salt soy sauce
- 2 TBS light olive oil
- 1 TBS Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 TBS soft light brown sugar
- 2 TBS tomato ketchup
My chops were quite large, bone in, and each at least 1 inch thick, with a lovely nugget of tenderloin on the side. These are called old fashioned loin chops.
I used low salt/sodium soy sauce because I felt that the remaining ingredients would have enough salt in them and I don't like my food to be too salty.
Worcestershire Sauce is pretty integral to the recipe. You cannot leave it out and have an authentic flavor. It adds a certain tanginess which is really delicious!
Don't skip the lemon juice. It also adds a tang, plus some acidity which helps to break down the fibers in the meat, giving you a more tender finish.
The brown sugar is what gives this sauce it's lovely sticky quality, also an almost smokey molasses tang, which is quite delicious.
I used Heinz tomato ketchup. I usually only buy Heinz.
HOW TO MAKE OVEN BAKED PORK CHOP SAUCE
The sauce itself is really easy to make, simply whisking together a few store cupboard ingredients. Applied to the chops and baked as per this recipe will result in finger-lickingly delicious tender and juicy chops. Remember cook times are only suggestions. If your chops are thinner than mine, they will not need as long to cook. Over-cooking will dry out any chop!
Preheat the oven to 425*F/230*C/gas mark 7. Combine all of the sauce ingredients together in a small glass measuring cup, whisking everything well together.
Place two chops in a baking dish large enough to hold them. Pour half of the sauce over top. Cover tightly with aluminum foil.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Uncover and drain any liquid away that has formed in the dish.
Pour the remaining sauce over top and return to the oven. Roast for 15 minutes. Baste with the sauce and turn over. Baste again.
Return the chops to the oven and roast for a further 15 minutes, basting with the sauce several times.
When done the chops will be nicely brown and sticky in places. The juices should also run clear. Serve fresh from the oven.
Notes
To prepare the chops, I slash the fatty edge at 1/2 inch intervals. This helps to prevent the chops from curling up during the cooking time, giving you a flat chop at the end, which makes for a much nicer presentation.
This was a really tender and juicy pork chop with beautiful, almost barbeque flavors. Most of the fat rendered away from the chop, basting it to succulence during the baking time.
You can also apply this same sauce to ribs. I would use 2 1/2 pounds of ribs and double the sauce. Bake as per the recipe. tightly covered with foil at 425*F for 1 hour or until tender. Drain, and proceed as per the recipe below, basting several times until done.
If you enjoy pork chops that are tender and juicy and filled with flavor, you might also enjoy the following tasty recipes!
PORK CHOPS WITH CREAM GRAVY - This recipe is for deliciously tender pork chops with pepper gravy, a creamy pepper gravy. The same type of cream gravy that you might enjoy on biscuits with sausage. The chops are perfectly cooked, well flavored and spiced. The cream gravy is rich and the perfect accompaniment. Together they are excellent eating!
Yield: 2
Oven Baked Pork Chop Sauce
Prep time: 5 MinCook time: 1 HourTotal time: 1 H & 5 M
This oven baked Pork Chop Sauce makes for flavor-filled juicy chops every time! For more than two servings, simply double or triple the sauce ingredients. You will need 2 nice thick bone in pork chops.
Ingredients
For two Pork chops:
- 1 TBS low salt soy sauce
- 2 TBS light olive oil
- 1 TBS Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 TBS soft light brown sugar
- 2 TBS tomato ketchup
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425*F/230*C/gas mark 7. Combine all of the sauce ingredients together in a small glass measuring cup, whisking everything well together.
- Place two chops in a baking dish large enough to hold them. Pour half of the sauce over top. Cover tightly with aluminum foil.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Uncover and drain any liquid away that has formed in the dish.
- Pour the remaining sauce over top and return to the oven. Roast for 15 minutes. Baste with the sauce and turn over. Baste again.
- Return the chops to the oven and roast for a further 15 minutes, basting with the sauce several times.
- When done the chops will be nicely brown and sticky in places. The juices should also run clear. Serve fresh from the oven.
Notes
To prepare the chops, I slash the fatty edge at 1/2 inch intervals. This helps to prevent the chops from curling up during the cooking time, giving you a flat chop at the end, which makes for a much nicer presentation.
All rights reserved The English Kitchen
If you like what you see here, why not consider signing up for my newsletter and/or subscribing/following me on Grow. You can also bookmark my recipes via the Grow platform. Check out the heart on the right hand side of the screen.
I have now shut down my Mad Mimi Newsletter account so if you still wish to get newsletters from me and had previously subscribed via Mad Mimi, you will need to resubscribe via Grow, if you haven't done so already.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Social Icons