🍅 Option 1: Chicken & Tomato Casserole

Serves 4–5

You’ll need:

  • 700–800 g chicken thighs or breast, cut into chunks
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 capsicum, chopped
  • 1 zucchini, chopped
  • 400 g tin crushed/diced tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • ½ tsp basil
  • ½ tsp cumin (optional, but really good)
  • Salt & pepper
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • Optional: handful of baby spinach
  • Optional: ½ cup grated mozzarella or tasty cheese for the top

Method:

  1. Heat oven to 180°C fan-forced.
  2. Brown the chicken in olive oil in a large oven-safe casserole dish. You don’t need to cook it through—just get some colour.
  3. Add onion and capsicum and cook for 3–4 minutes.
  4. Add garlic, tomato paste, paprika, oregano, basil and cumin. Stir for about a minute.
  5. Add tomatoes, stock and zucchini. Season with salt and pepper.
  6. Bring it to a simmer, then cover and bake for 30–40 minutes, until the chicken is cooked and the sauce has thickened.
  7. Stir through spinach at the end if using.
  8. If you want it cheesy, sprinkle cheese over the top and return uncovered for 5–10 minutes.

My favourite way to eat it: with a little quinoa or brown rice, or just with some crusty wholegrain/rye bread to mop up the sauce. 😋

🍅 Option 2: Beef & Tomato Casserole

This one is richer and more “Sunday dinner”.

You’ll need:

  • 700 g beef chuck, diced (or lean casserole beef)
  • 1 onion
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 2 carrots, chopped
  • 2 celery sticks, chopped
  • 400 g tin crushed tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1½ cups beef stock
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp thyme
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • Salt & pepper
  • 1 tbsp olive oil

Method:

  1. Heat oven to 160°C fan-forced.
  2. Brown the beef in batches—this is worth doing because it gives you so much more flavour.
  3. Remove beef and cook onion, carrot and celery for about 5 minutes.
  4. Add garlic, tomato paste and herbs/spices and stir for a minute.
  5. Return beef to the dish.
  6. Add tomatoes, stock and Worcestershire sauce.
  7. Bring to a simmer, cover tightly and bake for 2–2½ hours, until the beef is falling-apart tender.
  8. Remove the lid for the final 20–30 minutes if you want the sauce thicker.

You can throw mushrooms, zucchini, green beans or spinach in there too.

And here’s the sneaky good bit…

If you’re after something that tastes like “I spent ages making dinner” but is actually very easy, I’d choose the chicken one. 😆

If you tell me what you have in the fridge/pantry right now, I can make you a casserole recipe specifically from what you’ve got—no special supermarket trip required.