A ground-beef and vegetable casserole with creamy homemade gravy, cheddar biscuit topping and seasoned butter brushed on after baking.
Ingredients
16 ounces lean ground beef
1 small onion finely diced
5 cloves garlic minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground thyme
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 cup mixed vegetables frozen
1 can sliced mushrooms 7.4 ounces; drained
1 tablespoon flour
1 1/4 cups half-and-half or evaporated milk
1 teaspoon beef base
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 package Cheddar Bay biscuit mix with included seasoning packet; reserve packet for brushing after baking
3/4 cup water cold
1/2 cup cheddar cheese shredded
2 tablespoons butter melted; for the seasoning-packet finish
Method
Heat the oven to 375°F. Spray a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
Heat a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and onion, breaking up the beef, and brown for 5 minutes. Drain off excess grease. Check the ground beef with a food thermometer and continue cooking if needed until it reaches 160°F. Stir in the garlic, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, thyme and Worcestershire sauce.
Stir in the frozen mixed vegetables, drained mushrooms, flour, half-and-half, beef base and tomato paste. Heat through for about 5 minutes, until the sauce starts to thicken. Transfer to the prepared dish.
In a mixing bowl, stir the biscuit mix, cold water and cheddar just until combined. Keep the included seasoning packet aside. Scoop 1/4-cup dollops of dough evenly over the filling.
Bake at 375°F for 20 minutes. Increase the oven temperature to 425°F and bake for 5 more minutes. Check that the center of the casserole reaches 165°F with a food thermometer; if it has not, continue baking until it does.
Stir the reserved seasoning packet into the melted butter and brush the mixture over the biscuit topping.