Home on the Range..

Excuse me for laughing at my little pun there.... I am still having a little giggle. 

Anybody else feel like having a little...... giggle? (Pleeeeeease! Still waiting for Python fans to identify themselves! I KNOW I am not alone!)

I got this recipe out of a magazine and have been making it for at least four years. My kids woofed it down last night, which was especially fantastic as I wasn't in the mood for a battle of the dinner table night. Not that I ever am! So will have to pull this one out again over winter! I honestly don't measure the herbs and spices, actually, unless I am baking I never measure - shhhhh! So each time it is a little different. So I encourage you to guestimate what your tribe will prefer too. And the amount of pasta you add will also determine how far it will stretch. I used 150g dry pasta and it has given us seven portions.... Yay!

Warning - it is FAR from gourmet! It is a pure comfort food! You could add corn, or grated zucchini to up the veggies, but the attractions of this recipe are price and people pleasing!

Cowboy Casserole

500g lean beef  or chicken mince

1/2 onion, chopped

2 cans baked beans
1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon beef stock powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon chilli powder
 pinch oregano
1 heaped tablespoon tomato paste
1 cup macaroni, cooked and drained
1 cup grated cheese

Instructions

Preheat oven to 180°C.

Heat a medium-sized saucepan, add the meat and stir until browned. Add the onion and keep stirring until it softens.

Mix in the baked beans, spices, sauce and tomato paste and then sprinkle in the stock powder. Mix really well then add the cooked macaroni.

Pour the whole lot into an ovenproof casserole-type dish and cover with the grated cheese. Heat in the oven till the cheese is melted and turning brown.

Serve with salad or add some extra veg as you go. Also super delish with a little sour cream....

Chorizo and Pumpkin Pasta

This one can be a bit time consuming, but the flavours are satisfying, and it is a hearty meal for a good price - it also feeds a small battalion...

Chorizo and Pumpkin Pasta

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 stalks celery, chopped

2 courgettes/zucchini, chopped

1 1/2 cups diced pumpkin

2 tbspn olive oil (best guess!)

2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes

1 1/2 chorizo or other spicy sausage, sliced

1 cup mushrooms, sliced

1 heaped tbspn pesto

1 tbspn tomato paste

1 tsp sugar

salt and pepper

dried pasta for 4-6 people

Preheat oven to 220C and roast pumpkin in oil until golden and tender, approx 30 mins.

Put the water for the pasta on to boil.

While the pumpkin is roasting, heat some more oil in a large pan and sauté the onion, garlic, celery and courgette. When they are soft, add the mushrooms and chorizo, and cook until the mushroom is soft. Add the tomatoes, pesto, paste, salt and pepper and sugar and simmer 10 - 15 mins, or until everything else is ready.

While the sauce is simmering, cook the pasta.

When all is cooked, drain pasta and stir in with the sauce and pumpkin. Garnish with parmesan and parsley, if desired and enjoy with salad or garlic bread if you can be bothered!

Note: Vegetable amounts are guides only! I usually use double, and make a ridiculous amount of sauce! You can also add dried or fresh basil and oregano, and play around with the seasoning to taste. I usually chop the chorizo quite small, as at the end I often like to use a stick blender (as I have done in the photo) to make the sauce more or a thick sauce, so the kids don't notice (and pick out!) all the veg. But I do prefer chunks of veg myself!