A question for the cooking types

4

I have a recipe that was originally intended as a side dish, and has been made into more of a main dish with the addition of hamburger — but it’s kind of a bland main dish. So I’m looking for ways to improve it, and I figured some of you who read this journal could probably make suggestions.

The recipe in its original form contains:

wild rice
onion
celery
salt and pepper
cream of mushroom soup
cream of chicken soup

Which you bake into a casserole, adding hamburger if this isn’t a side dish. But like I said: bland. Any recommendations for things I could add or substitute that would make it more flavorful? Note that household tastes mean we aren’t going to go for anything involving spiciness, fungus, or cilantro. But other options are fair game.

Ideas?

4 Responses to “A question for the cooking types”

  1. mdosch

    Carrots (equal amounts to celery)
    Sage
    Thyme
    If you’re browning the hamburger prior to adding to the casserole (likely), seasoning the hamburger with salt/pepper/worcestershire improves blandness significantly.
    Adding other, additional, vegetables (peas, green beans, kernel corn) will also add flavors, but you may need some additional salt to go with them.

  2. Jeanne Cupertino

    I say this as a person who grew up in a house in which everything needed garlic, so I’d throw a few cloves of minced garlic in. You can also substitute in golden mushroom soup for the cream of mushroom, which might need some additional wild rice to balance it out (golden mushroom soup is less thick).

    In something like this, I might also be tempted to switch out some of the cream of chicken soup for a strongly flavored white wine, or even sherry. Again, adding more wild rice might be needed. I’d also consider adding in some Dijon mustard for a subtle flavor addition. If your household isn’t anti-dairy, shredded cheddar cheese could be thrown in, or on top at serving. I’d go for a strong cheddar, but I’m kind of crazy in the kitchen and love cheese (yes, I’m a Wisconsinite).

    You can add some very nice flavor by sauteing the onion (and garlic, if you add it) in a small amount of butter or olive oil, prior to throwing it into the casserole. If using olive oil, I’d add some complementary dried seasonings at that stage, and let them cook in the oil for a minute or two, to fully release their flavors. Rosemary or thyme would give you some really nice aromas and flavors without being overpowering. I’d also switch in freshly ground pepper, or add that at serving, instead of ground black pepper.

  3. swantower

    Thanks for the suggestions! It’s fascinating to see how different people approach this. 🙂

  4. Susan

    More vegetables would be my solution. Peppers, maybe brocolli , but really any vegetable you like. Maybe a slug of wine or sherry? And at the end, you might grate some cheese and/or a buttery crumb topping that could be browned.

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