Why it works: Beef and mushroom are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 4% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 3,232 recipes. Both carry 2,4-nonadienal, which smells fatty, green. The science ↓
Supper Casserole
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the filling
Cook onion slowly with prepared ground chuck until onions are translucent.
Add pepper (½ teaspoon or to taste).
Separately cook carrots and green beans together until almost tender, reserve cooking water.
Mix 2 cans of cream of mushroom soup with 1½ cups of broth from the vegetables (add water if needed to measure 1½ cups).
Cook egg noodles separately according to package.
Assemble and bake
Layer ingredients in a large casserole (13 x 9) beginning with meat, then vegetables, noodles and cover with half of soup.
Next layer; meat, vegetables, and rest of soup, ending with plain noodles.
For topping mix: 1¼ cups bread crumbs with melted margarine and sprinkle over top of noodles.
Bake at 400°F for 20 minutes, watching so top does not brown too much.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 9 of 10 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 9 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Beef | 100g cooked | 250 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Cream | 1 tbsp (15ml) heavy | 51 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Bell Pepper | 1 medium (119g) | 31 |
| Carrot | 1 medium (61g) | 25 |
| Mushroom | 1/2 cup sliced (35g) | 15 |
| 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.
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Beef + mushroomtop 4% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together3,232 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-nonadienal (fatty, green).
-
Onion + carrottop 6% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together21,601 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Beef + oniontop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together17,092 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Mushroom + breadtop 10% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,536 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
-
Carrot + mushroomtop 10% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,796 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Ground chuck
- Provides the meat base and savory flavor of the casserole.
- Onion
- Softens as it cooks, adding sweetness and aroma to the meat layer.
- Cream of mushroom soup
- Forms a creamy sauce that moistens the noodles and vegetables as the casserole bakes.
- Egg noodles
- Absorb sauce and add starch that gives the layers body and structure.
- Carrots
- Add sweetness and a tender texture to the vegetable layer.
- Green beans
- Add a fresh vegetable texture and color to the vegetable layer.
The step that matters
Watch the topping while baking. Bread crumbs coated in melted margarine brown quickly in the oven's heat, so the top can scorch before the layers heat through. Checking it during the bake helps keep it golden rather than dark.
Swap the green beans
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (beef, onion, carrot, cream, mushroom, egg, bread):
- Leekfits better
- Potatofits better
- Spinachfits better
- Green beansthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against beef, onion, carrot, cream, mushroom, egg, bread. 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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