My sister Betsy claims not to be a good cook but there is a growing body of evidence that points in the opposite direction. She makes this as a go-to when a bunch of people come over. It is a very flexible recipe which is essentially foolproof, regardless of what you add or take away. That aspect makes it easy, but you do need about 3 hours of (largely unattended) cook time.

It is not beautiful to behold, but it tastes fantastic! In cooking school, they always taught us that if you make something that comes out ugly, you should call it "rustic" or "homestyle" or something like that. So my family and friends all know that I am 100% comfortable making food that isn't pretty as long as I can convince them it's rustic.

 We usually just serve it in the pot! We both favor Le Creuset for things like this.




Rustic Beef and Rice Casserole
This will make enough for 8 people, at least. The ingredient amounts are pretty loose- you don't have to be exact and it will still work out great!

Ingredients:

• couple T olive oil
  
• about 6 oz. bacon, chopped into small pieces
• 4 lbs. stew meat, in chunks
• about 2 cups sliced onions
• about 1 1/2 cups white wine
• 3-4 cups beef stock
• salt and pepper
• 3 cloves chopped garlic
• 1 tsp. chopped thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 1/2 cans of diced tomatoes
• about 1 1/2 cups grated or shaved parmesan
• about 1 1/2 cups of white rice

Method:

• Preheat oven to 325.
• Heat the oil in a big pot. Add the rice and saute until milky. Remove and set aside.
• In the same pot, cook the bacon until crispy and remove with a slotted spoon. Set aside.
• Brown the beef and the onions in the pot.
• Add wine and bacon to the pan. Pour the beef stock over to the height of the meat.
• Add salt and pepper to taste, garlic, thyme, and the bay leaf. Cover and put in the oven for about an hour.
• Add the tomatoes and mix in, cover, then cook for 1-2 more hours. (It doesn't really matter. You can even cook it longer if you turn the heat down a little.)
• About 30 minutes before dinnertime, add the rice, cover, and cook for about 20 minutes. Check for doneness and cook until rice is done.
• Remove from the oven and mix in parmesan. Check for seasoning and add salt and pepper if necessary.
• Serve it right out of the pot with a salad and bread.