Tonight’s Dinner: Couscous Casserole

We’ve all seen the standard side dishes of rice, vegetables, or salad. Sometimes couscous can be a nice substitute for rice; it’s a grain that can be just as hearty and nutritious and also comes in a variety of flavors. But add it to some ground beef and tomato sauce, and you’ve got a delicious entrée everyone can enjoy.

Couscous is one of those dishes that goes with everything from chicken, to beef, to fish. It may be eaten hot or cold, as a side with dinner, or by itself as a salad. If you’ve never tried it and are looking for an alternative to rice, it’s a really great choice and will surprise and delight your family.

What’s even better is when you mix the couscous into a bolognese-type sauce, add some mushrooms, and pour it all into a casserole dish. That’s what Parents Magazine did and a whole new entrée was born; one that your family, young or old, will love.

Couscous Casserole

Ingredients

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 cup button mushrooms, sliced
• 1/4 cup chicken stock
• 1 bottle tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup couscous
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and lightly oil a 2 quart casserole dish.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in large skillet over medium heat; add onions and garlic and cook until tender, about 3 minutes; stir in the beef, sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste and cook until meat’s no longer pink, about 10 minutes.
3. While the meat is cooking, pour the tomato sauce and chicken stock into a medium saucepan and bring to a gentle boil; stir in the couscous, cover and turn off the heat; let sit for 10 minutes.
4. Spoon a layer of couscous mixture into the bottom of prepared casserole dish; top with sliced mushrooms and then some meat; repeat the layers until you’ve used all the ingredients; finish off casserole with Parmesan cheese sprinkled over the top; bake 25 minutes and serve hot.

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