— Lancaster Farming, Saturday. Dec. 18, 1976
64
Inspired
(Continued from Page 62J
casseroles, but Letie cautioned that the right size
noodle is important. It should be a medium size for best
results - the very tiny soup noodles or the very thick
ones csn spell disaster. A rule of thumb, she said, is to
use enough liquid “to almost cover the noodles,” and to
allow at least 25 minutes to get them cooked properly.
A basic principle of rice cookery is to use two cups of
water to one cup of rice.
Whe also suggested that if you’re going to be a truly
inspired cook, you should leam how much of a sub
stance you can hold in your hand, and then you can use
a handful of this and a handful of that, but have a close
guess as to the exact amount.
The next ingredient most casseroles need is
something “wet and saucy.” This liquid can come from
soups - concentrated, soup-for-one, dried soups, single
serving sizes or chunk varieties. Also liquid can come
horn Italian style sauces, gravy mixes, sour cream
mixes, bouillon or catsup. Letie assures that soups are
one of the best buys in the supermarket and offer a
head start on flavor combinations. ,
Vegetables also contribute to a well-rounded
casserole dish. Good standby vegetables are onions,
green peppers, chopped celery, mushrooms and olives.
Other vegetables can be in the form of cooked
vegetables, frozen, canned or leftovers. Chinese
vegetables could also add some interest for your
family. ~
A fifth grouping for a successful casserole is a top
ping - to make it look good and to add texture. The
variety here is almost endless, and can include such
items as dried or fresh bread crumbs, whole or crushed
croutons, cereals, wheat germ - to give both crunch
and added protein, crushed pretzels, potato chips, corn
chips, french fried onion rings, crushed cheese
crackers and biscuit topping. In using a biscuit top
ping, Letie cautions that the casserole should be
bubbling before the topping mixture is added so that it
seals immediately and doesn’t run into the rest of the
casserole.
If you create a list of options in making casseroles it
will help you when you need to think of something but
draw a blank about what combinations might work.
A big advantage to casserole cooking is that you can
effectively make them ahead and freeze them. To
freeze, Letie suggests lining your favorite casserole
dish with foil, then freezing the casserole and removing
it from the dish. This allows you to reuse the dish and
makes it easy to put the frozen casserole back in the
container for proper reheating.
She also suggests that when making up individual
portions of food, it be marked with the temperature
and the contents so that family members can help
themselves if the chief cook is not on hand to prepare a
meal. She reminded the homemakers that frozen
casseroles take a fairly long time to reheat.
All dishes are best if frozen immediately upon
preparation, or in the case of leftovers, immediately
after the first time served. This retains freshness, says
Letie.
“It will never be any Defter than it is right after a
meal.”
The top limit on most casseroles in’the freezer is
three or four months. It is recommended that you
slightly undercook things which you are assembling
with the intention of freezing.
And for peace of mind and help in food preparation,
Letie recommends keeping an inventory of the freezer.
It saves time and effort if you know just what is going
into and coming out of your freezer.
Above all, a “created” casserole should have a
name. If you give it a name, it will lessen the chance of
protest from the family, and it will make it sound ipuch
more appealing than just leftovers.
“It will be more helpful if you learn to think
creatively about the things that are alreadylin your
cupboard instead of relying on recipes,” said the home
economist. And she added, “Casseroles make a little
meat go a long way and offer a combination of texture,
flavor and color for your family.”
Casserole cooking can be a real eating adventure. To
gain confidence, begin with one of the recipes below
and continue from there to put more fun in your eating.
INSIDE-OUT
TURKEY PIE
14 cup butter or margarine
3 cups bread stuffing mix
7 tablespoons hot water
2 eggs, lightly beaten
4 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 can (10 % ounces) condensed cream of chicken soup
14 cup milk
2 cups diced cooked turkey
1 package (1) ounces) frozen peas or mixed vegetables
Melt butter in large saucepan. Stir in stuffing mix,
Look neighbor... you con
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RD2 Farmersville, Ephrata, PA
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ROY 0. CHRISTMAN H »!| l, L S 'r UP pf ,™
RDI (Shartlesville) Hamburg PA 19526 717.44?8134 G3P ™ 17527
215 562-7218 or 215-488-1904
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22 26 Henry Avenue New Berlmville. PA ‘ PA
215 367-2169 717-274-1436
I. G.’s AG. SALES
Rt 113 Box 200, Silverdale PA
215-257-5135
water, eggs and two teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
Turn mixture into a nine-inch pie pan; press into
bottom, side and onto rim. Bake in a 37S degree F. over
15 minutes. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan,
combine soup, milk, remaining two teaspoons Wor
cestershire sauce, turkey and peas; bring to a boil.
Simmer covered five minutes on low heat. Turn into
pie pan with hot baked stuffing. Spread smooth, top
with tomato halves. Return to oven and bake 10 more
minutes. Makes six servings.
8 ounces lasagne
1 can (10 % ounces) condensed cream of chicken soup
1 can (20 % ounces) condensed cream of mushroom
soup
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup sour cream
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup sliced ripe olives
14 cup chopped pimiento
Vz teaspoon garlic salt
2 to 3 cups diced cooked turkey
Cook lasagne as directed on package; drain in
colander. Meanwhile, blend soups, Parmesan cheese,
sour cream, onion, olives, pimiento and garlic salt; stir
in turkey. Spread one-fourth turkey mixture over
bottom of 13x9x2 inch baking pan. Alternate layers of
lasagne, turkey mixture and American cheese three
times, ending with cheese. Bake in 350 degree F. oven
40 to 45 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.
Makes eight servings.
NOTE: Mixture can be prepared ahead and kept in
refrigerator until baking time.
. ******
£ s S £*** •*
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P»W -
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LANDIS BROTHERS INC.
1305 Manheim Pike, Lancaster, PA
717-393-3906
STOLT2FUS WELDING SHOP SWOPE i BfISHORE. INC
RDI Fleetwood PA ' Frystown Rl, Myerstown, PA 1706?
1215) 944-7807 717-933-4138
CREAMY TURKEY
LASAGNE
M. S. YEARSLEY & SON
114 E Market St
West Chester. PA 19380
215-696-2990
ATLEE REBERT
R 2 Littlestown, PA 17340
717-359-5863
HARRY L TROOP
Rt 1 Gochranville, PA 19330
215-593-6731