Growing up, Mom always worked outside the home (as a 1st grade teacher, and later as an executive assistant.) As a result, she did a lot of quick and easy meals. She used to make a tuna fish casserole with boxed mac-&-cheese and canned tuna. I’ve got to admit (and it’s no secret to my mom) that I’m really not a fan of tuna fish (especially canned,) but I am a fan of quick and easy meals.There are lots of tasty packaged noodle or rice side dishes which make great bases upon which to build a simple casserole; all we need to do is add meat and veggies.
Our ingredients:
2 packages of Knorr AsianSides Teriyaki Rice
1 pound of shredded beef
1 large can of LaChoy chop suey vegetables
(NOTE: Neither LaChoy nor Knorr sponsor The Squirrel Can Cook, nor are they responsible for what I do with their products. If you work for either company, I'd be glad to accept sponsorship. My e-mail is posted on my profile page. Drop me a line, we'll talk.)
If you’ll recall, last week we made two pounds of shredded beef for our Meat Rolls, but we only used one. Here’s where we’re using that other pound! If you already used it for something else; that’s no problem, just brown and drain a pound of burger. Or grill a steak, and slice it thin.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Prepare the two packages of rice according to the directions. I usually add just a little bit extra water to keep it from drying out in the oven.
Drain the can of veggies, stir the beef and veggies into the rice, and place into a casserole dish. Bake, covered, for 40-45 minutes. Top with some crunch chow mein noodles, or some chopped green onion (or both.)
That’s it! Quick, easy, and on the table in about an hour.
If you don’t already do something like this, you’re thinking, “Gosh, that’s so easy!” And that’s the idea. Sure, you can do this all from scratch. And, yes, it would taste better and probably be healthier. But that takes time, and sometimes time is what you’re running short of.
Mrs. Squirrel likes these casseroles, because the leftovers make great lunches for her to throw into the microwave at work.
Enjoy!
The Squirrel shall not live by bread alone!
