Beef and Mushroom Cobbler

For the past few days, we've had very cold weather and we even woke up to snow Tuesday morning! It's definitely time to get out some hearty, warming recipes. I love mushrooms and I love dumplings, so I love this recipe!

Since there are only two of us, I make an entire recipe of the filling and put half in the fridge. When I cook it, I just add the topping and bake as usual. I had homemade chicken stock, so that's what I used. Feel free to use beef stock if you have it.


Beef and Mushroom Cobbler

Filling:
2/3 lb ground beef
1 onion, chopped
salt
pepper
1 lb crimini mushrooms, halved
1 tablespoon thyme leaves
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
dash of Worcestershire sauce
2 cups chicken stock

Topping:

2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons lard, softened (or other fat)
2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon thyme leaves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place a 1-quart capacity au gratin dish or other casserole on a baking sheet and set aside.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, sauté the beef and onion until the beef is no longer pink. Stir frequently to prevent sticking. Season with salt and pepper.

Stir in the mushrooms, thyme and 2 tablespoons flour. When the flour is all stirred in, add the Worcestershire sauce and deglaze the pan with the chicken stock, bring mixture to a boil, then simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, make the dumpling topping by putting the 2/3 cup flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a mixing bowl and rub in the lard. Stir in the milk and thyme. Set aside.

When the filling has simmered 10 minutes, transfer it to the au gratin dish and top with rounded tablespoonfuls of topping. Bake in the middle of the oven about 25 minutes, or until dumplings are cooked through.

Serves 4

Adapted from "Minced Beef Cobbler" at BBC Good Food.

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For posterity, I snapped a photo of my chipped tooth just before we left for the dentist. Turns out, the doctor was more concerned about Paul's tooth--one of his front teeth has a teeny fissure where we made contact and he has to go back next week to make sure it'll be all right. No Sugar Daddies for him any time soon (none for me, either)! The dentist just wants to make sure Paul's tooth will heal on its own and that there's no nerve damage. I'm all fixed up and the only difference I can see is that my left front tooth is no longer longer than my right front tooth!