My mom used to make me Chicken Diane when I was growing up—it was one of her specialties, and I loved it! It was chicken breasts in a sauce made with dijon mustard and brandy, but she did tell me it was normally made with beef. That’s why I was so excited when I found this Slow Cooked Steak Diane Casserole recipe. Then I read through the ingredients and didn’t see the mustard. I was confused, and I had to consult the Google. It turns out there are a few takes on Steak Diane, and not all of them use mustard in the sauce. This version has a tomato-based sauce. I’m intrigued. And I have to try this!
Slow Cooked Steak Diane Casserole – a great make-ahead meal, perfect for feeding a crowd! Cook in the oven, slow cooker or on the hob.
The Ingredients
I had some shopping to do for my steak Diane casserole, but nothing was difficult to find. My regular grocery store had everything I needed, so no special trips or online orders (yay!).
I did have to convert the metric measurements to imperial before my shopping trip. There weren’t many, so it was quick. Here’s what I came up with:
1 liter beef stock = 4 1/4 cups (34 ounces)
300g chestnut mushrooms = 10 ounces
120ml heavy cream = 1/2 cup (4 ounces or 1/4 pint)
I had to adjust those measurements to fit the packaging. The beef stock was sold in a 32-ounce container and the mushrooms in an 8-ounce container. I went with those rather than buying extra packages and having leftovers that might not get used.
I also had to look up what chestnut mushrooms were. As I thought, they are just small brown mushrooms. My store labels them as baby Bella mushrooms.
The Process
This recipe has a couple of options for cooking, either in the oven or in a slow cooker. I chose my trusty slow cooker, of course.
The recipe is written pretty well, and I didn’t have any moments of confusion as I worked. That was at least in part due to reading it a couple of times before I started and planning ahead.
As I mentioned earlier, I had to convert the metric measurements. I also made sure I knew at what point in the instructions I had to stop and move to the separate slow cooker instructions. Then I got started cooking.
A 5-quart Dutch oven was perfect for the first part of the cooking process. I had everything ready to go into the slow cooker in 20 minutes, and this is where I’m glad I planned ahead.
The recipe had me add all the ingredients including the liquid to the pot on the stove. Just pouring a large pot of boiling liquid into my slow cooker wouldn’t have gone well. Instead, I used a slotted spoon to transfer the beef and mushrooms, then I poured the liquid over them. No spills or splashes ? Then it was just a matter of waiting 5 hours until my steak Diane casserole was done.
