Blue Plate Casserole

Total Time: 1 hr 30 mins Preparation Time: 25 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 5 mins

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground sirloin (or 92% lean ground beef)
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 small red bell pepper, finely chopped
• 2 celery ribs, finely chopped
• 12 ounces mushrooms (8 oz. sliced, 4 oz. finely chopped)
• 15 ounces diced tomatoes
• 8 ounces vermicelli, cooled al dente
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon steak sauce
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1/2 cup low sodium beef broth
• 1/2 cup low-fat milk
• 1/4 lb monterey jack pepper cheese, shredded
• 8 ounces tomato sauce
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2 tablespoons ground black pepper

Recipe

• 1 brown ground beef, seasoned with pepper. remove from pan.
• 2 using beef drippings, saute bell peppers, onions, and celery over medium heat until tender. return beef to pan.
• 3 add tomatoes and sauce to mixture, simmer 10 minutes.
• 4 add soy sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, and steak sauce. stir and let simmer 4-5 additional minutes.
• 5 add sliced mushrooms, reduce heat to low and simmer an additional 15 minutes.
• 6 in a small saucepan, brown a light roux of butter and flour, then incorporate milk, beef broth, salt, pepper, and mushrooms. simmer 10 minutes, remove from heat and let stand.
• 7 in a deep casserole, create a base of vermicelli, then layer mushroom sauce from small saucepan, beef mixture, and cheese.
• 8 bake at 325 for 45 minutes.