Comforting Winter Casseroles and Stews

My six favourite, budget friendly casseroles and stews

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It’s freezing where I am. There’s frost on the ground and I’m wearing 3 layers of tops!
Sound familiar, then its time for a nice comforting casserole or stew.

What’s the difference?

Casseroles are cooked in the oven and strews are cooked on the hob. I don’t know about you, but I think they’re pretty interchangeable, I regularly cook an oven casserole recipe on the hob. Including our first recipe.

I’ve included instructions for a vegetarian version of some of the dishes, as so many families now have a vegetarian member or if you’re having a dinner party, you can cater to the vegetarians without having to serve them something totally different.

So let’s not dally and get straight to the recipes.

Normandy Pork



I love this recipe. If you’re on a budget it’s a great choice for a dinner party, as pork is relatively cheap. It is cooked with cider and has mushrooms, lardons and shallots and is delicious.
 
I’m always asked for the recipe before guests leave.
 As I said above I usually cook this on the hob, but for an hour and a half not 2 hours.
 
On the nutrition front it will give you energy and look after your cells.

Find the recipe here

Vegetarian version:
Omit the pork and lardons and up the volume of mushrooms and shallots. You can add more veg to your taste. Swap the chicken stock for vegetable stock.
I also added a couple of tablespoons of mushroom soup mix (my secret ingredient). It’s very savoury and really adds to the flavour.

Beef and Onion Casserole



This slow cooked beef stew, melts in your mouth. The sweetness of the onions cooked for so long give it a unique flavour.
I absolutely love it. If you can’t find shin beef replace it with stewing steak and cook for 2½ hours instead.
 Just writing this has given me the idea to cook it for our guests, who are coming to dinner on Friday!
 
Its also packed with protein and will look after your immune system and help reduce tiredness and fatigue.

Find the recipe here


Lamb Shank with Cannellini Beans



I really shouldn’t write this blog before eating, its making me so hungry!

Another delicious winter warming dish. Lamb shanks don’t just have to be a restaurant dish. They’re really simple to cook.
 Lamb can be very expensive, so shanks are a nice budget friendly option, although now they’re more popular, they’re not as cheap as they used to be. Don’t forget to check out the freezer section for frozen lamb. If you can’t get shanks then you could replace them with some stewing lamb.
 Looking at my picture I think next time I’ll add a bit of cornflour at the end to thicken it up a bit.
 
This great recipe will contribute to your immune system, cell division, red blood cell formation and your ability to process information

Vegetarian Version:

Again this would translate well to a vegetarian version. Take out the meat and the chicken stock. Add your preferred vegetables at step 7 and simmer until they are cooked.
If you need to add a bit of depth to the flavour, try a spoonful of yeast extract or marmite and my secret ingredient in veggie dishes a couple of tablespoons of mushroom soup.

Find the recipe here

Sausage and Bean Casserole



This is one of my go to weekday meals as its quick to make and utilises sausages which are a great substitute for expensive meats.
Use nice fat sausages and cook over a low heat to really caramelise them.
This is a great stew to make in bulk and freeze in portions for those days when you really have no time to cook something from scratch.

On the nutrition front it provides support for your skin, eyesight and immune system.

Find the recipe here

Vegetarian version:
This is an easy one, simply replace the sausages with a vegetarian version.

Chicken Chasseur



This is a French classic, the word chasseur was first mentioned in the 12th century!
When I was younger you would regularly see this on menus, but it seems to have gone out of fashion, with Coq au Vin the standard French chicken stew on offer now.
So lets change that, and have a Chasseur revival. James Martin adds bacon to his or if you want to be totally reckless how about adding some olives.
This is made using legs and thighs, but if money is really tight, it’s just as delicious made just with drumsticks.

Plus it will give support your bodies antioxidant and detoxing processes.

Find the recipe here


Vegan Guinness Stew



I love a Guinness stew, usually with tender beef, but a friend of mine who’s vegan asked if I could make a vegan version for her.
She loved it so, here it is. You can add more vegetables if you like as the main flavour comes from the Guinness.
Sometimes Guinness can become bitter when cooked. This should be countered by the agave syrup and the sweetness from the onion and carrots.
Because it’s a vegan stew it doesn’t need to be cooked as long as a meat stew, which can also be a reason it may be bitter. If yours comes out a little bitter, then just add a more syrup or even some redcurrant or bramble jelly. These will change the flavour a little but make a great addition.

If you’re cooking for a vegetarian and not a vegan, you can change the agave syrup for honey.

This yummy stew will contribute to your vision, immune system and cell specialisation

Find the recipe here

Meat version:
Switch butter for vegan spread. Add 1kg cubed stewing steak to the oil, and brown on all sides, before adding the onions and carrots.
At step 3 cook for an hour and a half, before continuing with the recipe.

Finally

I hope these recipes will encourage you to try a comforting casserole or stew.
Serve them with some creamy mashed potato, a baked potato or even some pasta.
Don’t want any extra carbs, then how about a nice swede mash, or just a plie of fried cabbage on the side. I always think that green beans go well them.
The choice is yours, Enjoy

Surya Wright

Surya Wright

Co-founder, production manager

I'm our communications and marketing person, dealing with social media and copywriting. I also work with Matt and Ric overseeing the design and strategic management of the site. I'm also the author of the Eva the Hungry Amoeba children's book series (only one so far). You can find it on Amazon. My favourite foods, shepherds pie and smoked haddock!

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