Why it works: Mushroom and tomato are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 7% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 2,719 recipes. Both carry 1-octen-3-one, which smells mushroom, metallic. The science ↓
Mexicorn Noodle Casserole
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Chop onion and saute in a little oil until clear.
Add ground beef and cook slowly, stirring to prevent sticking.
Cook until light in color and meat is done, but do not brown.
Drain the cooked meat.
Boil noodles in salted water until tender.
Drain the cooked noodles.
Bake and serve
Mix all ingredients together and pour into a large casserole dish.
Cook in a preheated 350°F oven until bubbly and beginning to brown.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 8 of 9 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 8 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Cheddar Cheese | 1 oz (28g) | 113 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Cream | 1 tbsp (15ml) heavy | 51 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Tomato | 1 medium (123g) | 22 |
| Mushroom | 1/2 cup sliced (35g) | 15 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Soup | not in our table | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
-
Mushroom + tomatotop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,719 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-one (mushroom, metallic).
-
Tomato + peppertop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together17,923 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Onion + tomatotop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together20,633 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Mushroom + cheddar cheesetop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together705 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-one (mushroom, metallic).
-
Mushroom + oniontop 10% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together10,626 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Egg noodles
- Provide starch and bulk that soak up the soup and cheese sauce while baking.
- Cream of mushroom soup
- Supplies creamy liquid and body that binds the casserole together.
- Sharp cheddar cheese
- Melts into the sauce and browns on top for richness and flavour.
- Ground sirloin
- Adds meaty substance and savoury flavour throughout the casserole.
- Tomato soup
- Adds tomato flavour and acidity along with extra liquid to the sauce.
- Tomato paste
- Concentrates tomato flavour and adds depth and colour to the sauce.
The step that matters
Cook the meat without browning. Cooking the beef slowly until just done and pale keeps it tender and moist; browning it first would add a different roasted flavour and could toughen the meat before baking.
Swap the onion
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (egg, cream, mushroom, cheddar cheese, tomato, pepper):
- Capsicumfits better
- Potatofits better
- Spinachfits better
- Onionthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against egg, cream, mushroom, cheddar cheese, tomato, pepper. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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