The recipe I’m sharing today is a family favorite and is perfect for cooler weather, and when you want an all-in-one meal.  It has great flavor and is something we all really enjoy.  It takes a little bit to make, but can also be made in advance and heated later so feel free to pre-prep (up to a day or two in advance) it and bake when you are ready.

The original recipe is from Taste of Home and can be found here.

The recipe is good as is, but of course, I made some adjustments to make it a bit healthier and suit our needs.

Instead of whole cloves (which are a pain to fish out of the completed dish), I use 1/8 tsp ground cloves.
For the veggies – I use the onion & celery, but then add 1/2 – 1 bag of frozen mixed veggies (peas, carrots, green beans & corn).
I don’t always use the flour to thicken it, sometimes I let it simmer uncovered a bit longer to reduce, sometimes I use cornstarch, and sometimes I just leave it a bit more “brothy” and use the mashed potatoes to thicken it up.  This is really a personal preference, so just play with it to get the consistency that you like.

For the mashed potatoes, if you’re dairy free you can substitute broth for the milk, and leave out the cheese.  If you can handle dairy then these are really good as the recipe is stated – some changes I’ve tried include using cheddar instead of mozzarella and added sour cream or plain yogurt instead of milk in the past, but again this is a personal preference and can really be adjusted to your family’s tastes.

I hope you enjoy this comforting & family friendly meal!

Here’s the link one more time 🙂