Beef and vegetable casserole

A hearty winter meal. Casseroles are great because you can use cheaper cuts of meat and the slow cooking helps make the meat tender. Adding beans or lentils helps make the meat go further.

Cooking directions

• Put all ingredients except the beans and cornflour into a crockpot or slow cooker. Cook on low heat for at least 8 hours.
• Or if you don't have a crockpot or slow cooker, cook in a casserole dish in the oven at 170°C for 2 to 2 1/4 hours or until meat is tender.
• Half-way through cooking add the beans.
• About 20 minutes before serving, thicken casserole by mixing cornflour with a little water to make a paste then stir into the casserole.
• Serve with plenty of seasonal vegetables and rice, pasta or mashed potato on the side.

Try:

• Making extra and freezing for quick, easy meals in the future.
• Using a tin of lentils or chickpeas instead of chilli beans (drain and rinse before adding to casserole).
• Using a tin of baked beans instead of chilli beans.
• Adding about 1/2 cup of lentils half way through cooking (you can buy these in the bulk foods section of the supermarket). This will thicken the casserole and you won’t need to thicken with cornflour.
• Using a variety of fresh, frozen or tinned vegetables, whatever you have available.

Thanks to Diabetes New Zealand for this recipe.

Ingredients

1 kilogram lean chuck or blade steak, cut into cubes

2 large onions, diced

2 sticks celery, sliced

4 carrots, sliced

200 grams mushrooms, sliced

1 green pepper

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons low-salt soy sauce

1 teaspoon paprika

1 cup red wine, optional

1 tablespoon cornflour

1 tin chilli bean (420 gram tin)