Beef and Noodle Casserole

by Jo Robinson in Pasture Perfect
Serves 6 hungry cowboys

6 oz dried egg noodles
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
Salt to taste
Ground white pepper to taste
1 cup finely chopped red or yellow onion
¾ cup finely chopped red or green sweet pepper
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1.5 lbs ground beef
½ lb fresh mushrooms, finely chopped
3 tablespoons top quality chili powder
Freshly ground black pepper
Ground cayenne pepper
One 15 oz can tomato sauce (or 2 cups homemade)
One 17 oz can cream style corn (or 2 cups homemade)
1 cup (about 8 oz) freshly grated cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In large pot, bring 2 quarts water to boil over high heat. Add the noodles and cook until al dente, about 12 minutes. Drain and rinse in cold water to halt cooking and keep the strands separated. Set aside.

To make white sauce, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in saucepan over medium high heat. Add the flour, blend well and cook, stirring until bubbly, about 1 minute. Slowly stir the milk into the flour and butter mixture with a wire whisk. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from heat, season to taste with white pepper, and reserve.

Assemble the meat mixture. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a sauté pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sweet pepper and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté 1 minute longer. Stir in the ground beef and mushrooms and sauté just until the meat loses its raw color, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chili powder. Remove from heat and season to taste with salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper.

Butter a 2.5 quart oven-proof casserole dish. Arrange about half of the noodles in the casserole. Cover with half of the meat mixture, half of the tomato sauce, and half of the corn. Add the remaining noodles, meat, tomato sauce and corn in the same order. Cover the top with the reserved white sauce and sprinkle with cheese. Bake until bubbly, about 1 to 1.5 hours.