Monday, May 30, 2011

An Old Favorite with a New Name

Years ago, when my mom first made this recipe, one of us asked what we were having for dinner.  For some reason, my mom replied, “Hogslop!”  This dish has lived by that name ever since.  My mom actually hates that I call it that, but I say it with such affection!  This is a wonderful, hearty, filling casserole that is a one-dish dinner if you have a cast-iron skillet.  The original recipe came from an old Campbell’s soup cookbook, so of course it includes the convenience of a good old can of cream of mushroom.  It also calls for sautéing strips of sirloin in butter—not exactly low-fat!  Of course my mom used ground beef way back when because that’s what she had, and I’ve stuck with it.  I’ve tried to make the recipe a little healthier, and I’m thinking that next time I make it I might try skipping the canned soup in favor of making my own creamy mushroom base.  But that’s another blog post!
Hogslop
2 c. wide egg noodles, uncooked
1 lb. lean ground beef
½ onion, diced
¼ tsp. dried thyme leaves
1/3 c. low-fat sour cream
1 can cream of mushroom soup
½ c. water
1 can green beans, drained (I used a pint of home canned beans from my aunt)
½ c. Italian-style dry bread crumbs
Cook noodles according to package directions, salting the water well to flavor the noodles.  Meanwhile, brown ground beef in a cast-iron skillet over medium heat (an oven-safe nonstick skillet should also work, or you can finish the casserole in a baking dish.)  After a couple of minutes, add the onion to cook with the ground beef.  Add thyme (I never actually measure it) and salt and pepper to taste.  When the meat is fully browned and the onion is softened, drain fat if necessary.  Turn the heat to low and stir in the sour cream, soup, and water.  Stir in the drained green beans.  Allow to simmer while the noodles finish cooking.  Carefully stir in the noodles (a 10-inch skillet will be pretty full.)  If your skillet is not oven-safe, pour mixture into a baking dish that can go under the broiler.  Top with bread crumbs (something else I don’t measure; use what looks good to you.)  Place the skillet under the broiler on high until crumbs are lightly browned.  Serve straight from the skillet.
 
Bubbling away in the cast iron skillet

Sprinkling on the bread crumbs.  Note how full the skillet is!

Nicely browned after just about 5 minutes under the broiler

There you have it—a complete meal in one skillet, and on the table in about a half an hour.  I usually serve some sort of fruit on the side.  Tonight it was homemade applesauce from the freezer.  This is a favorite comfort food in the winter, but it’s a pretty good choice in the warmer months when you want something hearty but you don’t want to heat up the kitchen by running the oven.  It’s great as leftovers, too!

The total package--hearty casserole and homemade applesauce

I actually made this dish earlier in the week when I was visiting a mom who just had a sweet new baby boy.   My visit was last-minute, so I didn’t have time to make a casserole to take to her, as I usually would.  Instead, I raided her cabinets to see what she had that I could work with.  Instead of canned green beans, she had frozen, so I just threw a handful of beans in with the noodles for the last couple of  minutes they  were boiling.  Otherwise, I cooked it the same as I did for my family a little later in the week.  Instead of putting it straight from the stove into the oven, I poured everything into a 9x13 baking dish and slid it into the fridge.  All the new daddy had to do at dinner time was preheat the oven and bake until it was bubbly and browned on top.  I told my friend the story of the name, but we decided a nicer name would be Hamburger Stroganoff Casserole.  Is that better, mom?

2 comments:

  1. That looks sooo yummy! I don't have a cast iron skillet would I just transfer it to a casserole dish for under the broiler? I definitely have to try this! Thanks for posting it! Have a great week!
    -Ruth Ann

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  2. That's exactly what you would do, Ruth Ann! It's right there in the recipe. Just be sure your baking dish is ok to go under the broiler. Pyrex dishes can't, I know, so use ceramic or metal. If you have a nonstick oven-safe skillet, that would work, too, I think.

    I would love to have your recipe for mini meatloaves in gravy. That sounds so yummy!

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