Meatless Monday Meal

Here is a great meal for a meatless Monday.  This bean and pasta bake recipe comes from Nikki & David Goldbeck's American Wholefoods Cuisine, published in 1983.  My sister-in-law gave me this cookbook, and I have used it for years.

This dish contains protein, carbohydrates, and vegetables.  All you need to add for a complete meal is a green salad. Note: The recipe calls for three cups of cooked black beans.  I have always used dried beans, but I suppose it would work with drained canned beans.  I expect the finished product would turn out a little mushier though.

Mexican Beans and Pasta Bake

from Nikki & David Goldbeck’s American Wholefoods Cuisine

1 tablespoon oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 large clove garlic, chopped

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (adjust amount to taste)

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 28-oz. can whole tomatoes, cored and rough chopped

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon dried cumin

1 cup uncooked elbow macaroni (can use whole wheat)

1 1/2 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels

3 cups cooked black beans (preferably from dried beans)

1/3 cup sliced olives

1 – 1 1/2 cups broken corn tacos or chips

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Heat oil in 2-quart pot over medium heat and sauté onion and garlic for 3 minutes to soften.   Add cayenne and chili powder and cook briefly.  Add tomatoes, oregano, and cumin, and bring to a boil.

Add pasta and corn and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes until pasta is just tender.  Stir in beans and olives.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Transfer bean mixture to a 2-quart casserole dish.  Top with broken chips and cheese.  Bake for 10-15 minutes to melt cheese and heat through.  If casserole is assembled in advance and chilled, increase baking time to 20-25 minutes.

Printable recipe

Retro Casserole

Here's a great casserole recipe from the 1970s.  My mother has made this for years.  It is an old-school comfort food for a cold night.  I made this last night, then was talking to my mom this evening and found out she had made the same dish today!

You can adjust the ingredients to suit your tastes and pantry.  For example, I always omit the mushrooms and sometimes the celery.  I really like the zip added by green olives, so I am generous with those.

When you first add the noodles to the tomatoes, you will not be sure this is going to work since there doesn't seem to be enough liquid.  It will.  You can see the pre-simmered and post-simmered versions in the pictures below.  Let me just add, however, it is almost impossible to get an attractive picture of a casserole.  So don't be put off by the pictures.  It's quite tasty!

Ground Beef Casserole

1 ½ - 2 pounds lean ground beef

1 cup diced celery

½ cup chopped onion

Salt and pepper

2 cans (28 oz. size) tomatoes

½ cup sliced olives, green or black

½ small can sliced water chestnuts

1 small can mushroom pieces (optional)

1 – 1 ½ cups cubed sharp cheddar cheese

6 oz. egg noodles, uncooked

½ - ¾ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Break apart the ground beef in a skillet, season with salt and pepper and brown until fully cooked.  Drain off fat.  Add celery and onion and cook until tender.  (You can cook the onion and celery at the same time you brown the meat to save time, but they will absorb more fat.) 

Put tomatoes in large saucepan.  (I use whole canned tomatoes and cut them up and core them before adding to pan.)  Add beef, olives, mushrooms and water chestnuts.  Simmer on low heat while you cube up the cheese.  Add the cubed cheese and noodles.  Simmer over low heat about 15 minutes, or until noodles are tender.

Transfer to casserole dish.  Cover with shredded cheese.  Bake at 325 degrees about 30 minutes.