Classic Beef Hot Pot

For those real beginner cooks, or if you're just wanting something a little bit quicker - but still a lil bit fancy - I've cooked a Maggi recipe. You can get these recipe bases in the supermarket and the directions on the back make a perfectly nice meal. With a few slight, personal touches, you can have a really smashing dinner on your hands that even fussy eaters will love! While it takes a bit longer in cooking time - I'm estimating my dinner to take about an hour to an hour and a half (it's just for me and hubby tonight) - the preparation time is so fast you can do it in less than ten minutes! Also, with this particular dish - and many more of the Maggi recipe bases - it is particularly good when using a slow cooker, so you can have it set up in the morning and ready for when you get home!


Ingredients

400g diced beef
1 - 2 carrots chopped
1 medium onion sliced
400g tin diced tomatoes
1 packet Maggi recipe base Classic Beef Hot Pot
Salt and pepper

Method

Put the diced beef into an oven safe pot (casserole dish etc; or a slow cooker)
Peel and chop the carrots and put in the pot
Peel and slice the onion (try not to cry!) and throw that in there too
Empty the Maggi recipe base into a small bowl and add some water and stir until dissolved - don't worry too much if you get a few lumps, they boil out :)
Add the tin tomatoes
Give it a good stir, put the lid on and put it in the oven on 180degrees celcius
Check after 30mins and give it a good stir. Depending on your oven, you may want to check it in another 30 mins, or you may want to check it sooner. Note: I expected my dish to cook over an hour, maybe an hour and a half, but it looked great after 30 minutes so I'm checking it in another 15. Use your judgment.
Taste the sauce and season to taste.

To serve

Serve with rice/pasta/noodles and some nice crisp fresh bread


Oh my goodness, I surprise even me!!! For a dish so simple, the recipe base done for you, all you have to do is chop and cook. But so many of these recipe bases taste like cardboard and, as I said, even the tiniest personal touch can make all the difference...... and tonight, this turned out to be a spectacular success!!!

I actually served it with some mashed potatoes on the side and found that was really good! That and some nice crisp bread and the dish was di-vine! :)

Give it a go and remember... PASS IT ON!