Savory Minced Beef Casserole with Dumplings

 

Normally on Wednesday nights I will go out for supper with my father and sister to a local eatery called the Big Scoop.  Today was going to be their first day opening since before Christmas and the weather is really poor and so we decided to give this week a miss as we thought it might be super busy and we might have trouble finding a place to sit.

So, we all stayed home.  I took the opportunity to cook some ground beef that I had in the freezer. I adapted a recipe that I found on Krumpli, which is a British blog.  It looked delicious.  A savory beef and gravy mixture, oven braised and topped with suet dumplings. 

Very hearty and very comforting.

 

The flavor of the beef is enhanced by the use of a mirepoix, which is a mix of aromatic vegetables.  Celery, onions and carrots.  The carrot adds a certain sweetness to the sauce.  Everything just goes together very beautifully.

Ground beef is quickly becoming about the only way that a lot of people can afford to eat beef.  Regular beef is almost pricing itself right out of the market.  We tend to buy it when it is on its sell by date these days and freeze it as soon as we get it home. Thankfully we do have a local source for quality ground beef that is not super expensive.

This casserole with its juicy and tender beef in that rich gravy is really delicious. The dumplings which are baked on top to a delicious crustiness are the perfect adornment to what is already really tasty!  I really hope that you will give it a go. It is a small batch recipe, feeding just two people, but you could also very easily double it if you wanted to feed more!

 

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE SAVORY MINCED BEEF CASSEROLE WITH DUMPLINGS

There is nothing too far out of the ordinary here.  In the case where you may find it difficult to get an ingredient I have included a suitable substitute. (See recipe notes as well.)

For the beef:

• 1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 small carrot, peeled and finely chopped or grated (about 1/2 cup)
• 1 stick of celery, trimmed and finely chopped
• non-stick cooking spray
• 3/4 pound (300g) extra lean ground beef
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1 TBS tomato paste (tomato puree)
• 1 tsp flour
• 3 TBS Worcestershire Sauce
• 2 cups (480ml) beef broth/stock
• salt and black pepper to taste
• Optional (1 tsp Marmite, 1/2 tsp Maggi seasoning)

For the dumplings:

• 1/2 cup (45g) Beef suet (see notes)
• 2/3 cup (75g) self-rising flour (see notes)
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup (60ml) water

 

I used a white sweet onion for this.  Any white cooking onion will do.  I finely chopped it with the celery, and I grated the carrot, peeled of course.

I use the ground beef that we buy at Goucher's farm market. It is local sourced and frozen at the source, also traceable and grass fed. It is very lean.

I did use the Marmite and the Maggi seasoning, which is probably why I didn't need to add any salt and pepper.  Bear in mind when you taste it that the juices and flavors will further condense when it bakes down somewhat in the oven.

You can use frozen grated butter or shortening for the suet if you don't have or cannot get suet. Bear in mind that butter will make for a lovely and rich dumpling.

 

HOW TO MAKE SAVORY MINCED BEEF CASSEROLE WITH DUMPLINGS

This is really quite simple to make.  It does take a bit of work chopping/grating all of the vegetables but trust me when I tell you any labor is worth the effort it takes as this is truly delicious!

Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/gas mark 4. Have a casserole ready (with a lid) that is large enough to hold your beef mixture along with the dumplings on top.

Spray a non-stick skillet with some cooking spray. Add the carrots, onion and celery (also known as a mirepoix). Cook, stirring frequently until they begin to soften. Crumble the ground beef into the skillet.

 

Scramble fry the beef until golden brown. Add the flour, tomato puree, garlic powder and thyme. Cook for about a minute then stir in the Worcestershire sauce, stock and marmite and Maggi seasoning if using. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary with salt and pepper. (I did not need any.)  Allow to simmer at a bubble while you make the dumplings.

To make the dumplings, stir the flour, suet, salt and thyme together in a bowl. Add the cold water and stir everything together until you have a dough that is quite sticky. (You may need to add more water.) Shape into two flat balls.

 

Pour the cooked beef and juices into the casserole dish. Top with the dough balls and cover tightly.

Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, remove the lid and cook for a further 15 minutes for a crispy finish. (Alternately you can cook with the lid on for the full time.)

 

This came out really delicious and was such a simple make. The beef was tender and juicy in a broth that had a beautiful flavor.  The dumplings on top were such a lovely touch. This was a true comfort food.

I served with some boiled potatoes and carrots.  I think mashed potatoes would also go well as would any kind of vegetable. This was a perfectly delicious meal for a cold winter's day!

This would go down well for any weeknight supper or even for a hearty option at the weekend!

  

Is ground beef one of your money-saving options when it comes to your food budget.  It's such a versatile meat and easy to stretch to go a long way. Here are a few other favorite ways that we like to enjoy it here in my kitchen!

GROUND BEEF & BARLEY SOUP - This ground beef version of a traditional soup takes a fraction of the time to make as it would if you used cubed beef. It is hearty and delicious with plenty of barley, tomatoes, beef, celery, carrots, etc. in a lovely flavor-filled broth.

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.

Yield: 2 servings

Author: Marie Rayner

Savory Minced Beef Casserole with Dumplings

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 45 MinTotal time: 1 Hour

This is a beautifully comforting main dish sized perfectly for just two people. A delicious ground beef casserole base, juicy and well flavored, topped with suet dumplings, baked to perfection. The dumplings all crispy edged. I like to serve with potatoes and a veggie on the side.

Ingredients

For the beef:

• 1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 small carrot, peeled and finely chopped or grated (about 1/2 cup)
• 1 stick of celery, trimmed and finely chopped
• non-stick cooking spray
• 3/4 pound (300g) extra lean ground beef
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1 TBS tomato paste (tomato puree)
• 1 tsp flour
• 3 TBS Worcestershire Sauce
• 2 cups (480ml) beef broth/stock
• salt and black pepper to taste
• Optional (1 tsp Marmite, 1/2 tsp Maggi seasoning)

For the dumplings:

• 1/2 cup (45g) Beef suet
• 2/3 cup (75g) self-rising flour (see notes)
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup (60ml) water

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/gas mark 4. Have a casserole ready (with a lid) that is large enough to hold your beef mixture along with the dumplings on top.
2. Spray a non-stick skillet with some cooking spray. Add the carrots, onion and celery (also known as a mirepoix). Cook, stirring frequently until they begin to soften. Crumble the ground beef into the skillet.
3. Scramble fry the beef until golden brown. Add the flour, tomato puree, garlic powder and thyme. Cook for about a minute then stir in the Worcestershire sauce, stock and marmite and Maggi seasoning if using. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary with salt and pepper. (I did not need any.) Allow to simmer at a bubble while you make the dumplings.
4. To make the dumplings, stir the flour, suet, salt and thyme together in a bowl. Add the cold water and stir everything together until you have a dough that is quite sticky. (You may need to add more water.) Shape into two flat balls.
5. Pour the cooked beef and juices into the casserole dish. Top with the dough balls and cover tightly.
6. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, remove the lid and cook for a further 15 minutes for a crispy finish. (Alternately you can cook with the lid on for the full time.)

Notes

If you don't have suet, you can use grated frozen butter or shortening.

To make your own self-rising flour, whisk together 1 cup (112g) of flour with 1 1/2 tsp of baking powder and 1/4 tsp salt.

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @marierayner5530 on instagram and hashtag it #TheEnglishKitchen

Thanks 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.

Also, if you have not checked out my YouTube Channel yet, do give it a gander. I would really appreciate it, and if you want to subscribe that would be even more appreciated!  Thank you so much!  It is not really fancy like some people's channels. I am very much learning as I go along, but what you get is authentic at least! There is nothing fake there! No filters, bells or whistles. Filmed in real time and unedited!