The Cleveland Cavaliers and Comfort in Food

My gorgeous friend Kristina is a bit under the weather this week, so my husband and I decided to make some food for her and her husband.  We just wanted them to have a hassle-free evening with something tasty and easy in the refrigerator waiting for them.  The most comforting choice?  A casserole with macaroni, tomatoes, ground beef, and lots of gooey cheese.

It was very easy and we made it up as we went along.  We made enough to not only give them a casserole, but keep one for ourselves as well.  And, I was very grateful that was the case when we decided to have some folks over to watch the Cavaliers basketball game.  It made for a very easy dinner for our guests.  We just popped that casserole in the oven, chopped a few veggies for a salad, slathered some garlic butter on a baguette, and whipped up some brownies.

And, oh, did we need some comfort in our house.  Needless to say, the game did not go as we had hoped, but dinner was just what we wanted.

Comforting Casserole
1 Tbsp each, canola oil and olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced (adjust to suit your taste)
2 1lbs ground beef (you could substitute turkey, if you prefer)
24 oz can of whole tomatoes (you could replace with diced, if you prefer)
15 oz can of tomato sauce
1 1/2 tsp oregano
1 tsp chili powder
salt and pepper, to taste
1 lb (1 box) of macaroni (you could replace with another compact pasta)
3/4 cup cheddar, shredded
3/4 cup mozzarella, shredded

Heat the mixture of canola and olive oils in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion and cook until no longer opaque.  Add the garlic and in less than a minute so the garlic doesn't burn, add the meat to the skillet.  Slightly brown the meat and break it up into crumbles.

Add the whole tomatoes, breaking them slightly, juice and all.  Add the tomato sauce and spices.

Stir and turn down heat.  Let it simmer until it thickens, it took about half an hour to get to the consistency we prefer.

Meanwhile, follow the directions on the box of pasta and boil until preferred consistency.  Drain the noodles and place in the bottom of a casserole dish.  We had enough pasta for two casseroles - a 9 x 13 and a 8 x 8.  Pour or ladle the meat sauce on top of the pasta.

Then top with the mixture of cheese.

You can bake it right away in a 400 degree F oven for about 30 minutes or until the cheese looks a little brown and bubbly.  Or, you can refrigerate for no more than 3 days (or freeze for no more than a week) while covered.  If you want to freeze it, I suggest you don't add the cheese until you are ready to bake.

VARIATIONS: This would also be good with various vegetables (think bell pepper or zucchini), different cheeses, other spices, or other flavorings like mushrooms.  Experiment with ingredients you or your lucky recipient will enjoy.

The Joy of My Husband Cooking

Last night my husband made stuffed cabbage for me and our friends, Dave and Wendy.  He likes to pretend that he isn't a good cook or doesn't really enjoy cooking, but he is totally bluffing - he just isn't as obsessed with it as I am.  My husband has some natural talent in the kitchen, and we enjoy working on dinner together.   Last night, however, I just provided the company and he did all the work.

You will find many variations of this comfort food, as every family with Eastern European roots has their own recipe.  My husband didn't follow a specific recipe, he just tried to remember what his mother did and made some changes based on his own taste.  He did a great job.  The rolls were full of flavor and delicious.  I hope you are inspired to change the recipe based on your tastes, too.

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
Makes about 18 rolls

1 head of cabbage
1 lb of ground beef
1 lb of ground pork
1/2 large onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 cup uncooked rice
3/4 cup water
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp cayenne
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
15 oz can tomato sauce

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Remove core from cabbage.  Place whole head in a large bot of boiling water.  Cover and cook for about 5 minutes.  Then, simmer until the cabbage is soft enough to pull off individual leaves.  The leaves need to be pliable enough to wrap around the filling, but not so mushy that they fall apart.  The timing can vary, so pay attention.

Once the cabbage is the right consistency, remove from the water and rinse in cool water.  You may want to use a colander to help contain the leaves.  Choose 18 of the largest leaves to use for the rolls.  You can coarsely chop the remaining cabbage and put it in the bottom of your baking dish.  For 18 rolls, we used two glass baking dishes - one 9 x 13 and one 9 x 9.

Now for the meat filling...In a large bowl, mix the beef, pork, onion, garlic, rice, water, and spices.  Mix it with your hands in order to blend everything evenly, but not make the meat to tough.



Lay out each cabbage leaf and place 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the meat filling in the center.  The amount will depend on the size of the leaves and how fat you want the rolls, or as my husband puts it "your desired meat to cabbage ratio."  Roll away from you one rotation, then flip up each side (it will look a bit like an envelope), then continue rolling away from you to fully encase the filling and create a neat roll.



Place each roll, seam down, in your baking dishes.  Once all rolls are in place, evenly pour tomato sauce over each dish.








Place in oven and bake for about an hour and ten minutes.  Serve with the sauce and cabbage ladled on top.