Cheap Eats: Cozy Comfort Casserole

This weekend ushered in the final days of the warmish fall season. Winter is almost here, people!

I decided to curl up today with one of my favorite dishes while watching Elf on television with my roommates. My aunt created the recipe for an easy, cheap and delicious casserole, which she calls "cozy comfort." I call it the only thing I actually enjoy cooking.

This everything-but-the-kitchen-sink recipe is really simple, too. It takes less than 10 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to bake.

What you'll need
a glass baking dish, a frying pan and a strainer
vegetable oil spray
1/4 cup of milk
1/2 can of Cream of Mushroom soup
1/2 bag of mixed frozen vegetables
1 pkg. ground beef (or turkey, if you want to go leaner)
1 bag frozen tater tots
1/2 bag shredded cheddar cheese


Start by browning the ground beef in your frying pan on a medium setting.

Set the oven to preheat at 375 degrees and grease your baking dish so they will be ready when the meat is done.

Strain your meat and pour it into the glass dish. Then, pour in the milk and the can of soup and mix well.  You can also put a few tater tots on the bottom of the dish as a base.

After you've mixed your ingredients, pour on a layer of the mixed frozen vegetables. I used a Food Lion brand with carrots, peas, corn and green beans. On top of that, add the rest of the tater tots and top it all off with a layer of shredded cheddar.

Before it goes into the oven it looks like this:

Bake for 45 minutes and do some homework or something while you await the bliss. That's the hardest part.


But when time is up:

Enjoy the delicious warmth of the cozy comfort casserole!

In this pan, there's enough to save and eat it all week. Or bring it to a potluck! I brought it to one and it was gone in less than 10 minutes. At just $15, the deal is unmatchable.

--Amanda

It's Just Food Y'all

Sometimes, we all feel like cooking food. Cooking food. Not heating up frozen dinner. Not thawing leftovers. Actually cooking behind a stove, with heat, and fresh food. But as a college student, I say from personal experience that it is very difficult to make myself cook at home when there are other easier options, like ordering pizza, or heating leftovers. But occasionally I too get a wild idea to cook, and one of my favorite dishes is thus: Beans, Tuna, Rice, and Quinoa.

You're probably going to want to buy the 16 oz bag of Goya Kidney and Goya Black beans, the ones that you have to soak overnight. You may have to soak them, but we are cooking here, nobody said it was easy! Quinoa you can take or leave, but I find that it adds a nice flavor that sometimes bland beans cannot give. Rice is used as a little additive and filler. Brown is better than white, but all rice is good for you! Tuna out of a can is the only thing you can do unless you go to the market and catch or buy your own, which is up to you.

Ingredients:
Goya Black Beans (Soaked overnight)
Goya Kidney Beans (Soaked overnight)
Quinoa (Soaked overnight)
Rice (Brown or White)
Tuna salad (Mayo and Relish, if it tickles your fancy)

It stays good, long: At first glance, this meal seems to be sub-par compared to pizza out of a box, but the best part of this combination is that you can buy it in bulk, and it will take a very long time to go bad. Because you have to cook it each time you want it, the dried ingredients will keep for a very long time, a perfect quality for saving money and eating healthy and well.

The steps: (Keep in mind, the amounts of ingredients you insert are depending on your appetite, and the amount of people eating with you, etc.)

1. Soak the beans and Quinoa: This not only makes the beans softer, but it will allow the cook time of them to hasten drastically. If you don't you'll be boiling water for over an hour trying to get the beans to be edible without breaking your teeth. the Quinoa? Same deal. If you don't soak it, it will be rock hard.

2. Cook the rice: Got a rice cooker? Perfect! If not, a pot and boiling water will work just as fine.

3. Make the Tuna Salad: Unless you are in love with mayonaise, go easy on it, and add some relish to your can of tuna to make it delectable. A good consistency will make or break your tuna experience

4. Mix it all together: I like to add rice first, then beans, then quinoa, then tuna. Salsa (especially Newman's own) is also a nice flavor to add to the mix on top.

5: Take a picture of your food: Send it to your mom. She'll be happy you are eating.

6: Ignore step 5! Just Dig In!

-Mark Overstreet
Blogger
Food 411

El Charro vs. Dona Rosa

 Vs.

Contenders: 

When it comes to authentic Mexican food in Harrisonburg there are two main places people tend to go, El Charro and Dona Rosa. Both serve authentic style Mexican food so how do you choose? I decided to go to both and get the inside scoop on how they compare. 

Both menus offer a variety of authentic Mexican cuisine with comparable products.  Both are also well known for their Fish Bowl Margaritas, a huge hit with college students out for happy hour.

Taste:

El Charro has good quality meat, delicious rice and refried beans with cheese. They have very good tasting guacamole and crispy chips. Their salsa is milder and a little watery. Their enchiladas, burritos and taco salad are very good.

Dona Rosa has very crispy chips and very good salsa. They bring two types of salsa, one is hot and the other is mild but both are very tasty. Their refried beans are ok, and their rice seems to be green. Their meat is a little tough and their guacamole requires an acquired taste. 

Taste Winner: El Charro 

Price:

El Charro offers the majority of its entrees for around $8.00, with dinner specials that include enchiladas, burritos, or tacos with rice and re fried beans as sides.

Dona Rosa offers most of its entrees for around $10.00 and also has dinner specials, also with rice and refried beans.

Price Winner: El Charro 

Atmosphere:

Dona Rosa is a smaller location, with dim lighting that creates a private, personal setting. It is almost too small, you can hear everything everyone else is saying and if you aren't on a date its too personal. 

El Charro is a bigger building which offers more seating. It is well lit and is usually bustling with activity. 

Atmosphere Winner: El Charro 


Service:

El Charro has a large number of wait staff and within seconds of sitting down the complimentary chips and salsa are brought to the table. The staff is friendly and attentive, frequently checking to be sure water glasses are full.

Dona Rosa has a smaller staff since it is a smaller establishment. The staff is friendly and brings the complimentary chips and salsa out to the table quickly. They are not as attentive with refilling water but they do check on the customer a good amount.  

Service Winer: Tie


Location:

      Dona Rosa has one location:

1.     43 Linda Lane, Harrisonburg, VA 22802

El Charro has three locations:

1. 1570 East Market Street, Harrisonburg, VA 22802

2. 1580 South Main Street, Harrisonburg, VA 22802

3.  Opening soon on Port Republic Rd, right next to Salad Creations.

Location Winner: El Charro

Overall:

Winner is: El Charro

For superior taste, price, atmosphere, wait staff and location El Charro is head and shoulders above the competition. 

-OF

Downtown Restaurant Review: Union Station

It's not everyday that you get a history lesson along with a great meal. Union Station Restaurant & Bar is set in historical downtown Harrisonburg, offers a unique look of the town as it has transformed over the past hundred years.

Union Station is found in the Wetsel Seed Building that served the B&O line for passengers in the area for many years. Opening their doors in 2009, the history of the building/area brought the restaurant to life. At each table sits a table tent with a short lesson on Harrisonburg history. All the tables have different lessons, creating a new experience after every visit. The table I dined at taught me about when electricity first came to the town. It included pictures of light bulbs hanging in the street as the first streetlamps. From my booth, I could see the view of the train tracks, bringing the story full circle as you dine in.

photo credit: epodunk.com

The menu has a plethora of options ranging from burgers and paninis to steak and seafood served in large portions.  They even have a vegetarian sections for the non-meat lovers. The price range is affordable; most items on the menu range from $8-$14, which perfect for college students living on a tight budget. The service was professional, timely and friendly.

Photo Credit: Around Harrisonburg Magazine

If you are looking for a great place to go on a date, Union Station is it! The variety on menu helps give options to the pickiest of eaters. They have great prices that won't break your bank, while still having a classy meal. The history lesson along with your meal helps create conversation, especially when you are both learning something new.



Located on 128 West Market St. in the heart of downtown, customers can enjoy a great meal and an evening stroll around the town. The area is surrounded by local shops and music venues, so there is always something to do. 

Visit  UnionStationDowntown.com to get more information.



-Mike P.