Dinner in a Dish

Easy Ground Beef Recipes With Few Ingredients

About the Dish

This is an easy ground beef recipe with few ingredients that will become an instant family favorite. Parts of this recipe needed to be adapted. First, the ingredients list two eggs. However, there are no instructions on how to use the eggs. My first thought was to add them to the meat mixture so it binds when baked. The eggs could also be added to the corn or used to coat the tomatoes, either of which would bind with the bread crumbs to create a crust. Since I wasn’t sure, I chose to leave them out and see what happened.

I wasn’t disappointed. The dish was a bit loose, like a hash. So it definitely needs a binder somewhere. I think I’ll try the recipe again, adding the egg to the meat mixture.

The second adjustment I made was to the cooking temperature. The recipe states to cook “in a moderate” oven. This is a very common cooking direction for old recipes when wood stoves were commonly used. Wood stoves didn’t have temperature settings like electric and gas stoves; instead, they would recommend cooking in a slow, moderate, or fast oven. Here is the wood oven temperature guide I have used:

Very Slow Oven = 275°F (135°C)
Slow Oven = 325°F (163°C)
Moderate Oven = 375°F (191°C)
Hot or Quick Oven = 425 °F (218°C)
Bread or Pastry Oven = 360°F (182°C)

The final adaptation I made was to lightly oil the French bread and toast under the broiler. The bread made a great addition to the recipe. Since the dish was a bit loose, due to the absence of the eggs, the bread was a great vehicle for eating it.

This recipe is a keeper.

Original Recipe

This book was originally printed in 1955 as a fundraiser for the Ministering Circle charitable organization of Wilmington, North Carolina. I used the second revised edition, published in 1968; only 8,000 copies were printed.

Founded in 1888, the Ministering Circle was the first local charitable organization of Wilmington. Established and run by the women of the town, their mission was to support healthcare needs of the community. The organization’s first project was to maintain a home for the care of sick children. Their fundraising efforts supported the salary of a district nurse, the purchase of Wilmingotn’s first X-ray machine, and housekeeping services for households suffering from illness.

The Ministering Circle is still active today, supporting the Wilmington Community more than ever. They fund nursing scholarships at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. In 2014, they funded a pediatric dental clinic.

Ingredients:

2 tbsp. butter
2 medium green peppers, sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 lb. point round steak (or chuck), ground
1 ½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
2 eggs
2 cups fresh cut corn
2 medium tomatoes, sliced
½ cup dry bread crumbs

Directions:

Put butter in a skillet and lightly fry pepper and onion for about three minutes. Then add meat and blend until meat is grayish. Add seasoning and remove from heat. Butter baking dish. Put in one cup corn, then half the meat mixture, next half the sliced tomatoes. Repeat, then cover with bread crumbs and dot with butter.

Bake for about 35 minutes in a moderate oven. Serves 6.

Good served with highly seasoned coleslaw and hot french bread.

How I Cooked It

Ingredients:

2 lbs. Certified Angus beef stew meat
3 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. Ancho Chili Powder
1 Tbsp. Ketchup
1 lb. dried red kidney beans
Salt to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Saute pepper, onion, and ground beef in butter until meat is browned.
Grease casserole dish with butter and shortening.
Layer ingredients in this order: half of the frozen corn, ground beef mixture, sliced tomatoes; repeat until all ingredients are used.
Cover with bread crumbs and dot with butter.
Bake uncovered until golden brown.
Slice French bread, sprinkle with olive oil, and toast under broiler until golden brown.