How to Make that Meat Go Further
People can be very picky eaters, but down the road that may not always be an available luxury. People will also start in a litany of “I don’t eat mustard, or onions, or garlic, or mushrooms, or whatever.” (This is not to be confused with a legitimate food allergy!) Remember, a recipe is a combination of pleasing ingredients that impart delightful flavors and textures. Think about liquid vanilla extract. It smells out-of-this-world, but it tastes like nothing you would want you eat. Sugar must be added to make it edible.
The following recipe uses meat extenders, so you can feed a small family with filling, nutritious ingredients. Onions and mushrooms are associated with beef and can be used to make servings larger. I’ve read that very strict Hindus will not eat onions because they are so closely associated with beef– a forbidden and sacred animal.
Ingredients:
- 6 oz ground beef
- 1 small can of mushrooms stems and pieces diced into small pieces, saving water in can
- 3 tbsp olive oil, more if desired
- 1/2 onion diced
- 1 clove garlic diced
- 1/2 carton sour cream
- 1/2 cup or more of catsup
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
- Sauté onion in olive oil until golden.
- Add garlic and sauté only 1 minute, so it won’t burn.
- Now add drained, diced mushrooms and sauté for 3 minutes on medium heat. Remove from heat and set aside.
- At this point, people in the house will ask, “What’s for supper?” because it smells so wonderful. Brown ground beef until totally crumbled and cooked through.
- Now, combine onion and mushroom mixture with ground beef.
- Stir in catsup, mushroom water, and sour cream.
- Completely mix until well-coated. Add a little water if mixture is too thick. Your entree has now doubled in size from the original 6 ounces of meat.
Serve over noodles or toast or oven roasted potatoes. By using a wheat product, like noodles or toast, the total protein in the meal is increased. Wheat has amino acids but is an incomplete protein. By combining with a complete protein, like the beef, it becomes complete and the meal is even more loaded.
Serves 2-4, depending on portion size
Storage and pantry application:
- Freeze dried or dehydrated onion
- Freeze dried ground beef or your own canned ground beef, if you are into that
- Dried sour cream
- Dehydrated or canned mushrooms
From the garden: Garlic, Onion, Potatoes
On hand: Condiments
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