You saw my last post. I started it off by saying that I was not a fan of casseroles… until I tried that one. I was convinced that I had possible had a bad experience with casseroles at some point in my past and wanted to change my outlook: so I tried another. This one, again, was terrific. It’s a little different than the previous one though. This one is for the carnivores out there. Beef and veal go into it–I would have probably added some ground pork too, but let’s not go overboard. Carrots and onions, along with a layer of wilted spinach, help ground the meat mixture and provide some needed contrast. Topping it all off… ricotta mixed with a bit of Parmesan, baked until golden brown.
Someone took my piece!
I don’t think that there was a single moment in my past that turned me off casseroles. The way I remember it is as a slow build to a final decision to turn the other way and not look back. Kinda like when you drink too much and swear off whatever was your poison the previous night (however temporary of a promise that may be).
Seriously though, “bad” would have been a kind thing to say about some I tried. “Tolerable”, “salty”, and “inoffensive” are but a few of the words I have bandied about to describe others. They all seem to blend together in my mind into an unrecognizable, soggy, salty mess–Not this one.
Ah, here's my peice. I thought somebody tried to steal it.
This one and the previous one stand out like a beacon of hope in a sea of mediocrity. A salute to flavor, hope, and all that is good to eat.
I may be going a bit heavy on the hyperbole today, but it’s good.
Beef and spinach casserole
Makes 4 large portions.
Ingredients
1 lb ground beef (I had about 1/3lb of veal from something else that I combined with beef. Not necessary, but a very nice addition)
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes
1 onion, roughly chopped into wedges or half rings
1 or 2 cloves garlic, crushed
2-3 carrots, roughly chopped (you should have about 2/3rds the amount of carrots as onion)
8 ounces fresh spinach
12 ounces ricotta
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 egg
2 ounces grated Parmesan
salt, pepper, olive oil
Directions
1. Preheat your oven to 400F.
2. In a skillet over medium heat, add 1 or 2 tsps olive oil, then the onion and garlic. Allow to cook for 5 minutes to soften the onion and temper the flavor of the garlic. Add the carrots and increase the heat to medium-high. Cook for about 5 minutes more, stirring occasionally.
3. Add the ground beef (and veal, if using) and rosemary, thyme and red pepper flakes. Break apart any chunks with a wooden spoon. Cook for about 10 minutes, or until the meat loses all of it’s raw color. Then add the tomatoes (with juices), and a pinch of salt and pepper. Adjust the heat to maintain a simmer and cook until there isn’t much liquid left* (about 15+ minutes), be sure to stir occasionally.
4. While the mixture is simmering, prepare the spinach. Because of the large quantity of spinach, I find using a large pot is helpful. Heat a large pot over medium high heat and add about 2 tsps of olive oil. Then add all the spinach. Continue to stir and mix the spinach until they all wilt and substantially reduce in volume. (If you have never wilted spinach, it’s always amazing how little volume remains once cooked.)
5. Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, combine the egg, ricotta, and Parmesan. Mix thoroughly to make sure the egg is well mixed.
6. Spread a dab of oilive oil in the bottom of a 2-qt baking dish (or spray lightly with cooking spray). Add the now fully cooked meat mixture to the baking dish. Cover this with a layer of spinach, then spread the ricotta mixture over it. Be gentle spreading the ricotta as you may pick up some of the spinach leaves.
7. Bake for 20 minutes. If the cheese hasn’t browned after 20 minutes, turn on the broiler until it begins to take on a golden color (it’s not a bad thing if a few dark spots show up, I kinda like those). Be careful with the broiler though, it will cook quickly.
*Note: To reduce the cooking time, drain out the tomato juice first.
Those crusty bits on the sides are my favorites.
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