Back in the saddle!

It has been some time since my last post. Much has happened, we moved to Northern California to a town called Somerset. We knew we had some work ahead of us in terms of fixing the house up. Being as this was not our first rodeo, we figured 4-6 weeks and we would be good to go. However, once the demo began the weeks drug out into months. It has only been about a week in a half that I have had my new "Maytag double oven" up and running. The house is almost done on the inside, the downstairs is done with the exception of some odds and ends and a little paint touch up. We still need the upstairs bathroom tiled and we need the carpet laid on the stairway, come Spring we will start work on the outside.
I have to say I became creative with a hot plate, toaster oven, bbq and microwave. I can make a yummy meatloaf on the grill! OH wait....I forgot my beloved CROCK POT! I can make a pretty good crock pot mac n' cheese, not as good as my oven baked but better then a box.
After being without an oven for so so long I have been in the mood to make casseroles. So here is one of my favorites. It might not look pretty but it tastes great and it's packed with veggies and protein and you can substitute pasta for rice, I used the veggie bow tie pasta.

This is a take on an Amish dish that my Aunt made when I was little.
I start with a large pan and some olive oil. Drizzle your olive oil and add one small chopped onion and about 4-5 celery stalks, chopped. cook until tender and add two shredded zucchini and 2-3 shredded carrots. cook on medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Add 2 chopped cloves of garlic. Add 1 pound of ground beef and cook through. Add 1 egg to the pan and cook into the meat. It gives the mixture a silky texture. Once the mixture is cooked set aside.
My aunt used to use a can of cream of something soup. I try not to use can soup as much as possible because of the sodium amounts. So I make a simple gravy w/ 2 tablespoons of butter and the same amount of flour and cook on medium heat. Then I add a cup of chicken stalk and a cup or two of 1% milk depending on how thick I need it. For this dish it's best to be the same consistency as a cream soup.

As I said, I used veggie bow tie pasta. Now it's time to layer noodles, meat mixture, sauce and again. It's a two layer dish. Then I top with cheddar cheese and thick sliced tomatoes. On top of each tomato I sprinkle about a tablespoon of bread crumbs...a couple slices of sourdough bread toasted and then crumbled into a little butter in frying pan until all the bread is coated. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. This dish is a great make ahead and freeze dish and also makes great leftovers. Just remember to not over cook your noodles")