Okay. Someone tell Mother Nature that the calendar says April, not January! The sight of white stuff falling from the sky this morning made me rethink BBQ. Mere days ago it was salad weather. Today?!? Something more substantial. I’ll grill outside in just about any weather, but today made me think I wanted something that would warm up the house, as well as my tummy!

There was beef stew meat in the freezer, so out it came. Stew is a great cold-weather friend!

I’ve mentioned before that I sometimes have a wee bit of a problem cooking for a mere two people, so today I actually made a concerted effort to keep the volume under control. I staretd out with about a half pound of stew meat and a small pot.

I browned the beef with half an onion, some garlic, and a handful of sliced mushrooms. I then added about a half-cup of red wine, a qt of beef broth, and some tomato powder. I left it to simmer, uncovered….. About an hour later, I had a rich, rich broth, tender meat, and succulent smells wafting through the house! It had cooked down considerably, and the flavors were really concentrated. Yum.

I added one potato, unpeeled and cut, 3 carrots, also unpeeled and cut, and 2 ribs of celery. I needed more broth. There wasn’t going to be enough gravy! Another 2 cups of broth into the pot….. My little stew was growing. How, I don’t know. I really did try to make “one” meal. I really did!

Shaking my head, I left it to simmer while I made the biscuit topping…..

2 cups of  baking mix, 1 egg, 2 tbsp butter, dill, garlic, and milk. Mixed well.

I thickened the stew with a butter-flour roux and poured it into a casserole. A large casserole. A casserole for a family with teenagers. I scooped the biscuit topping on, and into a 425° oven for about 30 minutes.

The biscuit topping was light as a feather (adding the egg really helps!) and everything else just plain old yummy! We both ate hearty helpings – and resisted going back for seconds!

And… we have a hot lunch for tomorrow!