Nothing Fills You And Warms You Up Like This Cheesy Steak Bake

When it comes to dinner recipes, there's nothing I love more than being able to throw some of my favorite ingredients together into an easy, tasty meal. Casserole is always my go-to, comfort meal and Nothing Fills You And Warms You Up Like This Cheesy Steak Bake. Loads of steak, caramelized onions and a heaping serving of gooey cheese bring this easy recipe together into a hearty meal that should satisfy even the toughest critics.

In the United States and Canada, a casserole is a recipe that usually consists of pieces of meat or fish, chopped vegetables, a binder such as rice, potato or pasta, and a crunchy or cheesy topping. Common and popular casseroles include lasagne, shepherd's pie, moussaka, and ragout, to name just a few. While it seems that casseroles must always have existed, in 1866, Elmire Jolicoeur, a French Canadian immigrant, actually invented the precursor of the modern casserole and, thus, casseroles as we know them are a relatively modern invention and the idea of cooking a casserole as a one-dish meal didn't become popular until the twentieth century, especially during the 1950's when the invention of new lightweight metal and glass cookwares.

While many casseroles are one-dish dinner recipes, this oven bake requires a few extra steps. This oven bake recipe calls for both steak and bacon, which need to be semi-cooked before adding them to the rest of the dinner recipe ingredients. However, this is a good opportunity to drain off any excess fat from the bacon and steak tips to avoid adding unnecessary fat and calories to your meal. You will also need to caramelize your onions and saute your garlic before adding them into the dinner recipe. Your next step is to add all cooked ingredients together in a large baking dish and then sprinkle with herbs de Provence, as well as sharp cheddar and fontina cheese. This dinner recipe should only need to bake for a further 15 to 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and 'bubbly'.

Fontina is an Italian cow's ilk cheese that has been made in the Aosta Valley in the Alps since the 12th century. It has a high-fat content of 45%, a fairly pungent smell and quite an intense flavor � although fontina-llike cheese produced in other countries can be much milder. Fontina is best noted for its earthy, mushroom-and-wood taste and tends to pair well with roast meats. If you are unfamiliar with fontina cheese, or simply cannot locate it, mild provolone, gruyere, emmental and gouda cheeses are all acceptable substitutions, depending on personal preference.

While this makes a delightful and delicious dinner recipe, another dinner recipe idea would be to add it as a topping to a pizza dough brushed with garlic-infused olive oil (and possibly some roasted peppers and mushrooms). Another delicious dinner recipe idea would be to add a can of creamy condensed soup, such as cream-of-mushroom, to give this baked casserole a creamier, moister texture. You can also add as many other vegetables as you like to this dish; some great additions would be corn, mushrooms and even broccoli (but, of course, it all comes down to personal preference). While this dinner recipe is perfect on its own, the way it is, it's also delicious with additions and slight alterations. This cheesy steak bake recipe is one you can 'play' around and have some fun with to truly make it your own. By the time you're finished eating you'll be full, warm, cozy and contented from this delicious cheesy steak bake!