Name: Cinnamon-Spiced Israeli Beef and Sweet Potato Casserole
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Israeli
Ingredients: 1 lb ground beef; 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced; 1 cup white rice, uncooked; 1 large onion, diced; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 2 cups chicken stock; 1 teaspoon paprika; 1 teaspoon ground cumin; 1/2 teaspoon turmeric; 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon; Salt and pepper to taste; 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley; 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro; 1/2 cup chopped chestnuts (cooked and peeled)

This aromatic and hearty casserole combines ground beef with sweet potatoes and rice, seasoned with warm spices like cinnamon for a comforting meal. Chestnuts add a delightful crunch, making it perfect for a cozy family dinner. Enjoy a unique twist on a classic casserole that brings new flavors to your table.

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One of the things I miss the most about Israel is the food. Israeli cuisine is rich, aromatic, and packed with nutritional value, while being low in sugar. I love the variety of ingredients and the fact that Israeli cuisine is a melting pot of diverse cultures and culinary traditions. Since moving to the US, I've struggled to find anything that matches the flavors of Israeli food, except perhaps Indian cuisine, which I have also grown to love.

I had an idea for a dish in mind, so I asked ChatGPT.

Recipe for ground beef rice and sweet potatoes in the oven?

And it answered:

Here's a simple and tasty recipe for Ground Beef, Rice, and Sweet Potatoes Casserole: Ground Beef, Rice, and Sweet Potatoes Casserole Ingredients 1 lb ground beef 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced 1 cup white rice, uncooked 1 large onion, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes 2 cups beef broth 1 teaspoon paprika 1 teaspoon dried thyme 1 teaspoon dried oregano Salt and pepper to taste 1 cup shredded cheese (optional) Fresh parsley for garnish (optional)

I didn't have broth:

I don't have broth but I have stock

No problem, it said:

You can definitely use stock in place of broth. Here's the updated recipe: Ground Beef, Rice, and Sweet Potatoes Casserole Ingredients 1 lb ground beef 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced 1 cup white rice, uncooked 1 large onion, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes 2 cups beef stock 1 teaspoon paprika 1 teaspoon dried thyme 1 teaspoon dried oregano Salt and pepper to taste 1 cup shredded cheese (optional) Fresh parsley for garnish (optional)

Ugh, why cheese? While it may be offensive to Americans, I still feel I need to say this- cheese does not go with everything!!! Plus, tomatoes add sourness I wanted to avoid to increase the likelihood of my kids' palette agreeing with the dish. Also, I wanted to be more clear that I want this to be Israeli inspired:

No cheese please. Also, not sure about the tomatoes because I don't want it to have a sour taste. Lastly, can you make the recipe more Israeli inspired?

And it did a good job:

Here's a more Israeli-inspired version of the recipe, without cheese and tomatoes: Israeli-Inspired Ground Beef, Rice, and Sweet Potatoes Casserole Ingredients 1 lb ground beef 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced 1 cup white rice, uncooked 1 large onion, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 cups beef stock 1 teaspoon paprika 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon ground coriander 1/2 teaspoon turmeric Salt and pepper to taste 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro 1/4 cup pine nuts (optional)

But it went back to using beef stock. For a robot, it doesn't have the best memory LOL:

I don't have beef stock I have chicken stock

That's better:

You can use chicken stock in place of beef stock. Here's the updated recipe: Israeli-Inspired Ground Beef, Rice, and Sweet Potatoes Casserole Ingredients 1 lb ground beef 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced 1 cup white rice, uncooked 1 large onion, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 cups chicken stock 1 teaspoon paprika 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon ground coriander 1/2 teaspoon turmeric Salt and pepper to taste 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro 1/4 cup pine nuts (optional)

I didn't have ground coriander:

I don't have ground coriander

And it assured me that I am not a failure:

No problem! You can still make a delicious casserole without ground coriander. Here's the revised recipe: Israeli-Inspired Ground Beef, Rice, and Sweet Potatoes Casserole Ingredients 1 lb ground beef 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced 1 cup white rice, uncooked 1 large onion, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 cups chicken stock 1 teaspoon paprika 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon turmeric Salt and pepper to taste 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro 1/4 cup pine nuts (optional)

Then I looked in the pantry and saw that I don't have pine nuts. But I did have Galil chestnuts. Galil is an Israeli brand and is sold in Costco (although I did see the chestnuts are from Chine):

I don't have pine nuts however i have chestnuts. Would it work?

It updated the recipe:

Israeli-Inspired Ground Beef, Rice, and Sweet Potatoes Casserole Ingredients 1 lb ground beef 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced 1 cup white rice, uncooked 1 large onion, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 cups chicken stock 1 teaspoon paprika 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon turmeric Salt and pepper to taste 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro 1/2 cup chopped chestnuts (cooked and peeled) Instructions Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). In a large skillet, cook the ground beef over medium heat until browned. Drain any excess fat. Add the diced onion and minced garlic to the skillet and cook until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the diced sweet potatoes, paprika, cumin, turmeric, salt, and pepper. Cook for another 5 minutes. Add the uncooked rice and chicken stock. Stir to combine. Transfer the mixture to a large baking dish and cover with foil. Bake in the preheated oven for 45-50 minutes, or until the rice and sweet potatoes are tender and the liquid is absorbed. Remove from the oven and stir in the chopped parsley, cilantro, and chestnuts.

This was great, however, I noticed it suggested adding the chestnuts at the end, and I actually wanted the dish to absorb the chestnuts taste, vice versa. So I asked:

Wouldn't it taste better if the chestnut was cooked together with the dish in the oven?

I'm starting to think that ChatGPT will always agree with me, even if I am wrong. But this time I was right...

Yes, cooking the chestnuts together with the dish can help them absorb the flavors and provide a richer taste. Here's the revised recipe: Israeli-Inspired Ground Beef, Rice, and Sweet Potatoes Casserole Ingredients 1 lb ground beef 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced 1 cup white rice, uncooked 1 large onion, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 cups chicken stock 1 teaspoon paprika 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon turmeric Salt and pepper to taste 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro 1/2 cup chopped chestnuts (cooked and peeled)

Last question, and I should have probably mentioned that earlier, is if I can use bison. Not trying to be smart, it just happened to be that Costco were out of the ground beef I usually get:

Does it matter that the ground beef is actually bison?

Sure it said. It has more patience than my husband...

Using bison instead of ground beef won't be an issue and can actually add a unique flavor to the dish. Bison is typically leaner than beef and has a slightly sweeter taste. Here's the final recipe incorporating bison: Israeli-Inspired Ground Bison, Rice, and Sweet Potatoes Casserole Ingredients 1 lb ground bison 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced 1 cup white rice, uncooked 1 large onion, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 cups chicken stock 1 teaspoon paprika 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon turmeric Salt and pepper to taste 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro 1/2 cup chopped chestnuts (cooked and peeled)

I started making this and felt cinnamon would pair well here too.

I feel like cinnamon would have worked well here too?

Full disclosure, I also asked it to change the name because I felt calling out that it is bison in the title would have put people off..

Calories per serving: 350

Servings: 6

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 50 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Cinnamon-Spiced Israeli Beef and Sweet Potato Casserole

Ingredients

1 lb ground beef
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 cup white rice, uncooked
1 large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup chopped chestnuts (cooked and peeled)

Instructions

Steps

Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
In a large skillet, cook the ground beef over medium heat until browned. Drain any excess fat.
Add the diced onion and minced garlic to the skillet and cook until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the diced sweet potatoes, paprika, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Cook for another 5 minutes.
Add the uncooked rice, chopped chestnuts, and chicken stock. Stir to combine.
Transfer the mixture to a large baking dish and cover with foil.
Bake in the preheated oven for 45-50 minutes, or until the rice and sweet potatoes are tender and the liquid is absorbed.
Remove from the oven and stir in the chopped parsley and cilantro.
Serve hot and enjoy your cinnamon-spiced beef and sweet potato casserole!