Marijke’s Beef Casserole and Jacket Potatoes

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Cubes of tender, fall-apart beef in a rich, luscious gravy served over soft, buttered jacket potatoes. This is quite possibly the quickest and easiest meal you will ever make, but there is no compromise on flavour. The sauce is loaded with the umami benefits from soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce and ketchup; you can not taste them as individual flavours, but they blend to create a luscious and flavourful sauce.

This family recipe was given to me over 30 years ago by my lovely Australian friend, Marijke. She first made it for us when she lived in London and I have been making it ever since. There is no sautéing or reducing, you simply chop, mix and put it in the oven or slow cooker and leave it for a good few hours.

If you are cooking it in the oven, you can throw in some jacket potatoes to cook alongside and, Bob’s your uncle, after 4 – 5 hours, a wonderful, comforting meal is ready. Quickly cook some green vegetables and supper is on the table. You might even want to serve some fresh bread on the side to mop up all the fabulous juices. Although it needs to cook for a few hours, with only 10 minutes of preparation, you are seriously going to love this recipe.

Bonfire Night is around the corner here in the UK, and if you are planning to go out to see an organised bonfire and fireworks display, this could be your supper dilemma solved. Throw this in the oven before you go out, and you will come home to a hot, comforting, flavourful and satisfying meal, ready within minutes of your return.

Cooking in the slow cooker:

The casserole can be cooked in a slow cooker, if you prefer. Simply prepare in exactly the same way and cook on high for 6 hours or on low for around 8 hours. It is delicious served with mashed potato or sweet potato. 

Top Tip

Like most casseroles, this one tastes even better the following day, so double up on the recipe below! Delicious with mashed potato, roast potatoes or sweet potatoes or why not cover it in puff pastry and serve it in a pie?

How to make Marijke’s Beef Casserole and Jacket Potatoes

Collect all your ingredients together:

For the potatoes:

• medium sized baking potatoes
• olive oil
• freshly ground sea salt

For the casserole:

• stewing steak (chuck or round steak), cubed
• medium onion, peeled and chopped
• medium carrot, peeled and thickly sliced
• cloves of garlic, crushed
• flour
• tomato sauce/ketchup
• Worcestershire sauce
• soy sauce
• beef stock or red wine
• fine salt
• freshly ground black pepper

To serve:

• butter for the potatoes
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• chopped parsley
• some green vegetables

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How to quickly whip up this fabulous meal:

First, prepare the potatoes –

1. Turn the oven on, wash and dry the potatoes, if necessary, and prick them all over with a fork.
2. Rub each potato with olive oil and grind over some salt.
3. Place on a rack over a baking tray and put straight in the oven. (Even if it has not completely heated up yet.) Alternatively place the potatoes directly on the oven shelf.

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Now, prepare the casserole:

1. Peel and chop the onion, wash, trim and slice the carrot, peel and crush the garlic.
2. Tip into a casserole dish with the cubes of beef.
3. Scatter over the flour and seasoning and mix well.
4. Add the ketchup, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce and beef stock and stir to mix.
5. Cook in the centre of a preheated oven for 4 – 5 hours.

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Serve:

1. Cut a cross in the top of the potatoes and squeeze their base to open them up. Add some butter and some freshly ground salt and black pepper.
2. Spoon the casserole over the potatoes, sprinkle with some chopped parsley and serve with fresh green vegetables.

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Made this recipe?

If you make this recipe, do please tag me on instagram @daffodil_kitchen. You could also leave a comment in the box directly below the recipe.