Beef and Bulgur Casserole

A couple of months ago, I got on a whole grain kick. We'd already made the switch to whole-wheat pasta, which wasn't too tough. Then, I switched us to brown rice instead of white rice. Again, no big deal. They were easy substitutions that didn't require much thought. Then I heard about things like pearled barley, quinoa, steel cut oats, and bulgur. I didn't have any idea about what to make with them, but it sounded like a challenge. During one of our trips to the "big city" of Louisville, David and I stopped by Whole Foods, because the Kroger and Wal-Mart in our town don't have many whole grains outside of whole-wheat pasta and brown rice. I was amazed by the bulk food section at Whole Foods. I didn't even know what half of the stuff was, but I was in awe of the different granola blends. And then I saw where you can grind your own peanut butter. WHAT?! Incredible. Anyway, I stuck to the whole grains list and got a bag each of quinoa, bulgur, and pearled barley.
Then I got the stuff home and thought, "What in the hairy am I gonna do with this stuff?!" Once again, the Internet came to my rescue. I found several yummy recipes for ways to use my fancy, exotic grains, and one of my favorites is the one I'm sharing with you tonight: Beef and Bulgur Casserole. I absolutely love this stuff! I try to lighten it up some by using extra-lean ground beef and reduced-fat cheese, and I don't feel like I'm missing anything. There's a lot of sodium in the recipe, so if that's a concern for you, you'll want to use reduced-sodium tomatoes and broth. But I like things salty, so this is right up my alley.
This was definitely a great meal to help usher in my favorite season...fall! The leaves are changing and there's a little chill in the air, so it's time to dust off all my hearty fall and winter recipes. Yum!

Beef and Bulgur Casserole

Heather's Recipe Site

1 1/2 lbs. extra-lean ground beef

1 large onion, chopped

14.5 oz Italian diced tomatoes, drained

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 cup bulgur, uncooked

2 cups water

1 Tbs. fresh parsley (or 1/2 Tbs. dried)

2 tsp. beef bouillon granules

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. oregano

1/4 tsp. pepper

3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook ground beef and onion in large skillet, stirring frequently, until beef is browned. Drain. Stir in remaining ingredients (except cheese). Pour into ungreased 2.5 quart casserole dish. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake 45 minutes, or until bulgur is tender. Stir in cheese, and sprinkle a little more on top for good measure. Serve hot.