I discovered this comfort-food purely by accident, but my S.O. has
requested it frequently ever since....
Because it's a toss-in-the-pan-until it looks right sort of meal, the
measurements are approximate. (If you use instant rice, you'll need to
make sure it's got enough liquid to steam it, pre-cooking the rice takes
more time, but sometimes the results are better.)
Balsamic Casserole w/ Stuffed Mushrooms
Prepare Mushrooms first:
1 package mushrooms, stems removed
1/4 yellow onion very finely chopped (see below)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 can diced tomatoes (see below)
1 T balsamic vinegar
1/2 t basil
1/2 t oregano
combine onion, garlic, tomatoes, vinegar and spices. Stuff mushroom caps
making sure all ingredients are included in each cap. Set these aside
until casserole is ready to be cooked, add leftover stuffing to the mix
below.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees, then prepare:
1 can Great Northern Beans (do not drain )
1 can Black Beans (do not drain)
1 1/2 cans diced tomatoes (I get the ones with roasted garlic for extra
zip! - do not drain)
2 Cloves garlic, chopped
3/4 yellow onion, chopped
2 c. rice (your favorite type, see comments above)
1 - 2 c. balsamic vinegar
1 t. basil
1 t. oregano
salt and pepper to taste
vegetable stock if extra liquid is required
Uses a large casserole dish w/lid (or a 9x13x2 baking dish and tinfoil).
Stir together rice and both cans of beans (I use canned for the extra
liquid). Its easier to stir the tomatoes, onion and garlic together first
then add them to the pan (this is where I add the leftover mushroom
ingredients). Pour Balsamic vinegar over entire pan, mix in with basil and
oregano. If you're using instant rice, you may need about 1/2 c. vegetable
stock for moisture.
Flatten casserole down and create beds for the mushrooms on top. (I have
added fresh carrot chunks and/or zucchini chunks along the top layer of
this to be steamed with everything else, besides being WAY too much food,
it was great!)
Cover dish and bake for 35-40 minutes.
If the original dish is moist enough, it reheats wonderfully for lunch the
next day, but I've found that there are NEVER leftover mushrooms to take
to work ;-)
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