This delicious traditional one pot casserole is usually made for Sunday lunch or dinner family gatherings. 🙂 Sounds Italian, the gathering of the families…hehehe but it’s true..:) This amazing dish is my favorite, I love how all the ingredients combine beautifully, and the taste ahhh is just divine.
BEEF AND ORZO CASSEROLE (GIOUVETSI)
Ingredients
- 1 Kilo Beef
- 500 grams Orzo pasta
- 3 tablespoons of cooking butter or 1/2 cup of Olive Oil
- 2 medium Onions
- 1 Garlic clove optional
- 1 Bay leaf
- 1 Cinnamon stick
- 2 tablespoons Tomato Paste
- 1 teaspoon Oregano
- 3 fresh Tomatoes grated
- 1/4 cup of White Wine Dry
- Salt and Pepper
- Kefalotyri or Parmesan Cheese for topping
Instructions
- The first thing I always do before I start making this recipe is I always boil the meat for about 1/2 hour. This little step just helps the meat to become a bit more tender than just adding straight into the pot to sauté with the onions. Some like to substitute Leek instead of Onions. Even though I enjoy leek in most of my recipes in this dish I use onions.
- In a large pot add in the cooking butter or the olive oil..which ever you prefer and sauté the onions…place the meat into the pot and sauté for about 10 minutes.
- Add in the fresh grated fresh tomatoes, the cinnamon stick, tomato paste, bay leaf and stir.
- Pour wine, oregano and 2 cups of water.
- Add in the Orzo and stir…let this simmer for 1/2 hour.
- For casseroles I use ceramic baking dish. The food tastes as if its been baked the old fashion way 🙂 in an old stove with wood burner :).. Remove cinnamon stick and bay leaf, pour the casserole into the baking pan and add 2 cups of water, stir cover with lid or aluminum foil.
- Bake at 180 degrees for 30 minutes. Sprinkle some Kefalotyri or Parmesan Cheese and enjoy.
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