"Mexican Comfort Food"- Fideo Recipe

Disclaimer, this recipe is simple but takes practice.  Fideo is a finicky dish to cook because of the vermicelli.  My mom and grandmother have made it for years and do not use recipes.  This is the information I have gathered and generally use when cooking.  However, I do not use a recipe for this either, for lack of a better expression...I eyeball it.  The most important steps are 1) browning rice, 2) getting the correct amount of water in pan.  The water or chicken broth should cover the vermicelli but not drown it.  Meaning too much water and you'll end up with a gooey paste!

Fideo:
2 packages of vermicelli
1 can of diced tomatoes
1 package of ground beef
1 chicken bullion cube
1 tablespoon of butter or EVO
1 onion
1 clove of garlic or 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 tsp of cumin
1 tsp of chili powder
1 tsp of oregano
salt
pepper

First sweat the onions in a saute pan.  Next add the vermicelli and 1 tablespoon of butter or EVO.  Brown the vermicelli until you see a rich golden color {stir constantly, so not to burn}.  In the event you do burn the vermicelli, pour out and start over. Next add the ground beef, tomato sauce, chicken broth, garlic, chicken bullion, and all spices.  Bring this mixture to a boil, then turn down to a slow simmer.  This will cook for an additional 25 to 30 minutes.  Do not lift lid while cooking, vermicelli is like rice and needs to steam.  When I cook vermicelli and rice, I cook with a clear glass lid, so I can watch what I'm cooking.

Oh, I used chicken in the recipe with the picture instead of beef--I would not recommend this, I did not like it.  The traditional Fideo uses beef.  Fideo is usually served next to a side of re-fried beans with a flour tortilla.