One pot wonders

Go slow with a soothing casserole – it’s what long, dark nights are made for

Bean casserole
Belgian carbonade
Lamb tagine
Lancashire hot pot
Pork and cider pot
Spanish style chicken

Bean casserole

Add sausage for a meat version

Serves 4
Ready in 2 hours 30 minutes,
plus soaking
Price per serving: £1.70

200g Asda Organic Dried Exotic Bean Mix
1tbsp olive oil
1 medium red onion, sliced
15g butter
250g chestnut mushrooms, halved
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
2tbsp tomato purée
500ml hot vegetable stock
2tsp dried oregano
2tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
½ jar 280g Asda Extra Special Semi-Dried Tomatoes, drained
½ jar 280g Asda Roasted Red Peppers, drained
2 courgettes, thickly sliced
1tbsp cornflour

 

1. Soak the beans as per instructions. Drain, rinse and put in a pan with fresh water. Boil for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 70 minutes. Drain, then put in a casserole dish.
   
   
2. Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4. Heat the oil in a pan and cook the onion. Add half the butter, the mushrooms and garlic and cook for 4-5 minutes. Add to the casserole along with the purée, stock, oregano, parsley, tomatoes and peppers. Cover and cook in the oven for 30 minutes.
   
   
3. Heat the rest of the butter in a pan and cook the courgettes for 2-3 minutes. Add to the casserole, cover and cook for 5 minutes. Mix the cornflour with water and stir in. Cook for another 5 minutes.

Per serving:

• Calories 376
• Carbs 38
• Sugar 6g
• Fat 13g
• Sat fat 4g
• Salt 1.7g

Time saver
In a hurry? Use three cans of Asda beans such as haricot or borlotti instead of soaking dry beans.

 

Belgian carbonade

A rich stew of beef and onions cooked in beer

Serves 4
Ready in 3 hours and 30 minutes
Price per serving: £1.65

2tbsp olive oil
2 medium onions, halved and thinly sliced 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
750g beef brisket, trimmed of fat
and cut into 3cm cubes
2tbsp plain flour
300ml brown ale
300ml hot beef stock
1tsp brown sugar
1 bay leaf
1 chopped sprig thyme (leaves only)
1tbsp balsamic vinegar
4 thick slices of baguette
2tsp French mustard
50g Gruyère cheese, grated
mashed potato and green beans, to serve

 

1. Preheat the oven to 150C/130C Fan/Gas 2. Heat 1tbsp of the oil in a large nonstick pan and cook the onion until golden. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Transfer to a large casserole dish, leaving any oil in the pan.
   
   
2. Add the rest of the oil to the pan and brown the beef on all sides, a few pieces at a time (don’t overcrowd the pan or the meat will steam, not brown). When each batch is browned, add it to the casserole dish with the onions.
   
   
3. Stir the flour into the pan and cook over a low heat for 1 minute. Gradually add the brown ale, stirring with a wooden spoon to remove any sediment at the bottom of the pan. Heat until simmering and pour over the beef in the casserole dish.
   
   
4. Add the stock, sugar, bay leaf and thyme and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook in the oven for 2 hours and 30 minutes. Add the balsamic vinegar, cover the dish and return to the oven for another 30 minutes.
   
   
5. Preheat the grill. Spread the bread with mustard and top with the cheese. Place under the grill until the cheese has melted. Serve on top of the casserole, with the mash and beans.

Per serving:

• Calories: 530
• Carbs: 34g
• Sugar: 7g
• Fat: 21g
• Sat fat: 7g
• Salt: 2.3g

Time saver
Cook the beef and onions with a 590g jar Asda Beef In Ale Cook In Sauce, adding just enough water to cover the beef.

 

Lamb tagine

This Moroccan dish is mildly spiced with sweet, fruity flavours

Serves 4
Ready in 2 hours 20 minutes
Price per serving £2.95

generous pinch of saffron strands
1 medium onion, halved and sliced
2tbsp olive oil
2 x 297g packs Asda Diced Lamb
½ level tsp ground cinnamon
1 level tsp ground ginger
1 level tsp ground cumin
1 level tsp ground coriander
3 carrots, sliced
500ml lamb stock
half butternut squash, peeled,
deseeded and cubed
125g ready-to-eat dried apricots
125g prunes
1tbsp clear honey
1tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 level tbsp cornflour
couscous and toasted almonds, to serve

 

1. Preheat the oven to 160C/140C Fan/Gas 3. Put the saffron in a bowl with 3tbsp hot water. Cook the onion in 1tbsp of the oil in a pan. Remove and put in a casserole dish. Leave any fat in the pan.
   
   
2. Add the remaining oil to the pan and brown the meat in batches (don’t overcrowd) and add to the onion.
   
   
3. Sprinkle the spices on the meat. Add the saffron, carrots and stock. Stir, cover and cook in the oven for 1 hour.
   
   
4. Add the squash and fruit. Cover and cook for 50 minutes. Mix the honey, vinegar and flour until smooth and stir in. Cover and cook for 10 minutes. Serve with the couscous and almonds.

Per serving:

• Calories: 457
• Carbs: 37g
• Sugar: 32g
• Fat: 20g
• Sat fat: 7g
• Salt: 1.7g

 

Lancashire hot pot

Black pudding gives this traditional dish a delicious, extra-rich flavour

Serves 4
Ready in 2 hours 30 minutes
Price per serving £2.90

1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced
1tbsp sunflower oil
800g potatoes, peeled and evenly sliced
2 x 400g packs Asda Smart Price Lamb Shoulder Chops
297g pack Asda Diced Lamb
3 carrots, sliced
50g black pudding, roughly chopped (optional)
1tbsp chopped rosemary (leaves only)
1tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 bay leaf
about 600ml hot lamb stock
25g butter

 

1. Preheat the oven to 160C/140C Fan/Gas 3. Fry the onion in the oil until soft. Layer half the potatoes in the bottom of a large greased casserole dish.
   
   
2. Trim any excess fat off the chops and layer on top of the potato with the diced lamb, carrots, black pudding, rosemary, parsley and bay leaf.
   
   
3. Arrange the rest of the potato on top in neat overlapping slices. Pour in enough hot stock to come just below the top of the potato. Dot with half the butter, cover the dish and cook in the oven for two hours.
   
   
4. Increase the oven temperature to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. Melt the rest of the butter. Remove the lid and brush the potato with the melted butter. Cook, uncovered, for another 30 minutes or until the potatoes are golden brown.

Per serving:

• Calories: 690
• Carbs: 40g
• Sugar: 6g
• Fat: 34g
• Sat fat: 15g
• Salt 2.3g

 

Pork and cider pot

If you don’t have fresh tarragon, use 2tsp Asda Dried Fine Herbs

Serves 4
Ready in 2 hours 5 minutes
Price per serving £2.20

1tbsp olive oil
2 x 350g packs Asda Diced Pork
250g unsmoked gammon steak, trimmed of rind and fat and diced
25g butter
3-4 shallots, chopped
2 medium carrots, sliced
2 sticks celery, sliced
300ml Asda Somerset cider
150ml hot chicken stock
1tbsp cornflour
1tbsp cider vinegar
4tbsp chopped fresh tarragon 
2 Cox’s or Granny Smith’s apples, peeled
4tbsp crème fraîche

 

1. Preheat the oven to 160C/140C Fan/Gas 3. Heat the oil in a pan, brown the pork in batches and add to a casserole dish. Cook the gammon in the same pan for 2 minutes. Add to the pork.
   
   
2. Heat half the butter in the pan and cook the shallots over a low heat. Put in the casserole dish with the other veg.
   
   
3. Add the cider to the pan. Heat until simmering. Pour over the meat with the stock. Cover and oven-cook for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Mix the cornflour and vinegar, and stir in with the tarragon. Cover and cook for 15 minutes.
   
   
4. Meanwhile, core the apples and cut into wedges. Heat the rest of the butter in a pan and cook the apples over a low heat until tender. Stir the apples and the crème fraîche into the casserole. Serve.

Per serving:

• Calories: 630
• Carbs: 15g
• Sugar: 12g
• Fat: 31g
• Sat fat: 13g
• Salt 3.6g

 

Spanish style chicken

Serves 4

1 medium onion, thinly sliced
150g piece chorizo, cut into small cubes
1tbsp olive oil
508g pack Asda chicken thigh fillets, halved
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 red and 1 yellow pepper, deseeded and sliced
2tsp smoked paprika
150ml Asda dry sherry
386g pack mini chicken breast fillets
400g can chopped tomatoes with peppers and chillies
200ml hot chicken stock
75g Asda Extra Special Olympian green olives

 

1. Preheat the oven to 160C/140C Fan/Gas 3. Cook the onion and chorizo, in a non-stick frying pan, until the onion is soft and translucent. Transfer to a casserole dish, leaving the fat from the chorizo in the pan.
   
   
2. Add the chicken thighs to the pan and cook until the meat changes colour on all sides. Transfer to the casserole dish.
   
   
3. Add the garlic to the pan and cook for a minute, then add the sherry. Bring to the boil, scraping the base of the pan and simmer for 2 minutes. Pour over the chicken thighs.
   
   
4. Add the chicken breast fillets, tomatoes, paprika and stock to the casserole dish and stir to combine.
   
   
5. Cover the dish and cook in the oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
   Add olives and cook for another 5 minutes before serving.

 

TIME SAVER
Use half a 290g jar of Asda Extra Special Roasted Red Peppers instead of fresh peppers