This is another one of those dishes that’s great to make ahead and freeze. I’m doing a bunch of cooking this weekend to try to make next week easier on me (as work is going to be insane).
Ingredients:
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 1 large onion, diced
- 3 ribs of celery, diced
- 1 medium zucchini, grated or diced
- 1-2 carrots, peeled and diced (or 1/2 to 3/4 cup of frozen crinkle cut carrots)
- 2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 can of 98% fat free cream of mushroom soup
- 3 wedges of Laughing Cow garlic and herb cheese
- 1/2 cup petite English peas
- 1 cup chopped portobello mushrooms
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 2 tsp dried parsley
- ground pepper and salt to taste
- the kitchen sink (not really but any other veggies you like really)
Directions:
- Brown and drain ground beef.
- Using either the leftover drippings from the beef or olive oil, sautee the vegetables (except the peas and mushrooms) along with all spices until onion is slightly translucent.
- In a large bowl, add mushroom soup, mushrooms, peas, and 3 wedges of Laughing Cow or other garlic and herb cheese spread. Mix well.
- Add ground beef and sauteed veggies. Mix well.
- Pour into large casserole dish.
- Add mashed potato topping (see below).
- Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
Cook’s note: If freezing, allow to thaw before baking (pull it out of the freezer and throw it in the fridge over night). You can freeze it with the mashed potato topping, but I find it works better to make the potatoes fresh and add them when you get ready to cook.
Mashed Potato Topping:*
- 4-5 small russet or other potatoes
- 2 wedges laughing cow garlic and herb cheese
- half and half (Fat Free by Land O’Lakes is what I prefer)
- 1 Tbsp margarine
- salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
- Scrub potatoes clean and add to pot. DO NOT DICE! I know, it takes a lot longer (like an hour), but it’s part of my secret to making creamy potatoes.
- Boil for an hour.
- Drain. Peel if you wish, but I prefer to eat the peels.
- Add salt, pepper, garlic and herb cheese, and margarine, and mash well.
- Add half an half in small splashes, mixing well until you reach the desired consistency.
* Can also be used as a recipe for plain old mashed potatoes.