French onion beef casserole with garlic-butter potatoes

Step 1

Preheat oven to 150°C. Heat half the oil in a large casserole pan over high heat. Add one-quarter of the beef and cook, turning occasionally, for 2-3 mins or until brown all over. Transfer to a heatproof bowl. Repeat, in batches, with the remaining beef.

Step 2

Heat half the remaining oil in the pan. Add the mushroom and cook, turning, for 5 mins or until golden. Transfer to the bowl. Heat remaining oil in the pan. Add the onion, carrot and celery and cook, stirring, for 5 mins or until onion softens. Return the beef and mushroom to the pan and sprinkle with flour. Cook for 1 min or until well combined. Add the soup mix, beef stock and thyme sprigs and bring to a simmer. Cover and transfer to the oven. Bake for 2 hours or until the beef is very tender.

Step 3

Meanwhile, to make the caramelised onion, melt the butter in a large frying pan over low heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 mins or until the onion softens and begins to caramelise. Add the sugar, vinegar and stock and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 mins or until onion caramelises. Add the thyme and season with pepper.

Step 4

Increase oven to 180°C. Heat the garlic butter in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the potato and cook for 2 mins each side or until the potato is golden.

Step 5

Arrange potato and caramelised onion over the beef mixture. Bake, uncovered, for 20 mins or until the potato is tender. Sprinkle with cheese and bake for a further 10 mins or until the cheese melts and is golden. Sprinkle with extra thyme sprigs and season with pepper to serve.