Stretch
If you put many of your holiday
purchases on your credit card, the
bills are probably starting to
arrive in the mailbox. And even if
you didn’t, a lower grocery bill
each week would probably be a
welcome change.
One way to stretch your food
budget is to serve casseroles one or
more times a week. Many
casserole recipes call for inex
pensive ingredients and are an
excellent way to make a little bit of
meat go a long way. Others rely on
cheese and other nutritious
ingredients in place of meat.
Below are a few casserole
recipes from our readers’ files to
get you started.
MACARONI SPINACH
CASSEROLE
2 tablespoons salt (omit if on low
sodium diet)
4 to 6 quarts boiling water
1 pound elbow macaroni
1 medium onion, chopped
cup butter
2M> teaspoons salt (or to taste)
Vz cup flour
5 cups milk
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup cottage cheese
2 10-ounce packages frozen
chopped spinach, cooked and
drained
Bread crumbs
Add salt to boiling water.
Gradually add macaroni so that
water continues to boil. In medium
saucepan saute onion in butter
until crisp-tender. Mix in flour and
salt. Gradually add 4 cups milk.
Cook, stirring constantly until
sauce boils - 2 minutes. Blend
remaining milk and eggs, stir into
sauce with cottage cheese.
Place half the macaroni in
shallow 3-quart casserole. Top
with spinach, half the sauce, then
remaining macaroni. Pour
remaining sauce on top and
sprinkle with bread crumbs. Bake
at 350°F. for 20 minutes.
Agnes M. Andreasen
Allentown
MUSHROOM-POTATO
CASSEROLE
1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
I cup shredded cheddar cheese
Vz cup sour cream
Vz cup dry curd cottage cheese
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon dried leaf thyme
2 pounds potatoes, approximately
4, pared, thinly sliced
% pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 tablespoons flour
Salt and pepper to taste
V* cup wheat germ
3 tablespoons butter
Combine cheese, sour cream,
cottage cheese, onion, and thyme
If you have recipes for the topics listed below, please
share them with us We welcome your recipes, but ask that
you include accurate measurements, a complete list of
ingredients and clear instructions with each recipe you
submit Send your recipes to Sue Keene, Lancaster
Farming, P 0 Box 366, Lititz, PA 17543
January
25
February .
Book On The Benge
your budget with
in medium bowl. Butter shallow 2-
quart baking dish; arrange Vb of
the sliced potatoes in* dish. Top
with half the cheese mixture and %
of the mushrooms tossed in flour.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Repeat with remaining
ingredients, finishing with layer of
potatoes. Sprinkle with wheat
germ. Dot with butter. Bake at
350°F. for 1 to IV* hours or until
potatoes are tender. Cool 10
minutes before serving. Serves 4
people.
CHEESE BEAN CASSEROLE
6 cups cooked (3 cups raw) pinto
beans
2 large cooking apples, cut in
chunks
4 medium tomatoes, chopped
2 teaspoons chili powder
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups chopped onion
2 cups mild white cheese, grated
6 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon dry mustard
To cook beans; Clean the beans
and soak them at least Vk hours
before cooking. Cook in plenty of
water, covered, about Wz hours or
until beans are done. Drain off
excess water. This can be saved
for soup.
To make casserole: Saute the
onion in a little butter until it is soft
and clear. Add chili powder and
mustard. Combine cooked beans
with sauteed onions and all
remaining ingredients. Pour into
large buttered casserole. Cover
and bake at 350°F. for 35 to 40
minutes.
Makes 6 servings.
COTTAGE CHEESE
SPINACH CASSEROLE
1 medium onion, minced
Butter
10 ounces cooked, drained spinach
1 cup cottage cheese
2 slightly beaten eggs
1 teaspoon salt
V« teaspoon pepper
Saute onion in butter until ten
der. Mix with remaining
ingredients. Bake in buttered 1-
quart casserole for 35 to 45 minutes
at 350°F.
BEEF AND CHEESE
CASSEROLE
1 pound ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
IVz cups uncooked spaghetti
1 cup tomatoes
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
% cup cheese
Cook spaghetti until tender and
drain. In a skillet, brown beef and
Recipe Topics
Beef Recipes
Cremes
Candy
Rosene R. Ballinger
Newmanstown
casseroles
onion in the butter. Add flour,
seasoning and milk. Cook until
thick. Mix Vz cup cheese with
spaghetti. Place half of spaghetti
in greased baking dish. Put in
meat mixture. Top with tomatoes.
Put on the rest of spaghetti.
Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
Bake at 350°F. for 25 to 30 minutes.
LUCKY CASSEROLE
Vs cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
v* teaspoon pepper
4 cups thinly sliced potatoes (about
4 medium)
19-ounce package frozen cut green
beans, thawed
Vk cups (6 ounces) shredded
Cheddar cheese
115-ounce can tomato sauce
Vz teaspoon sage
1 pound lean ground beef
*'2 cup fine dry bread crumbs
Vs cup milk
v. cup minced onion
1 egg, slightly beaten
Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine
flour; salt and pepper. Layer half
of the potatoes, beans and V* of the
cheese in a 2-quart rectangular
baking dish; sprinkle each layer
with flour mixture; repeat.
Combine tomato sauce and sage.
Pour half of sauce over potato
mixture. Bake, uncovered, 20
minutes. Meanwhile, combine
beef, remaining half of cheese,
bread crumbs, milk, onion and
egg. Shape into 24 1%-inch balls.
Remove casserole from oven and
arrange meatballs over potato
mixture. Pour remaining sauce
over casserole. Bake an additional
45 minutes or until potatoes are
tender.
FRIDAY CASSEROLE
V* cup (% stick) butter
V* cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons grated onion
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
% teaspoon EACH: dry mustard,
salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
3 cups milk
1 8-ounce package egg noodles,
cooked and drained
1 10-ounce package frozen peas,
cooked and drained
1 6-ounce package frozen cooked
shrimp, thawed and drained
5 hard-cooked eggs, peeled
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
y* teaspoon salt
Dash of pepper
2 tablespoons sour cream
1 teaspoon vinegar
l /2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Melt butter in a medium-sized
saucepan; Stir in flour, onion,
Worcestershire, mustard, salt and
pepper. Cook until smooth, stirring
constantly. Remove from heat.
Gradually stir in milk. Bring to a
boil over medium heat, stirring
constantly. Boil and stir one
minute. Reserve Vz cup of sauce.
Combine remaining sauce,
noodles, peas and shrimp in a 3-
quart round glass casserole. Cut
eggs in half lengthwise.
Carefully lift out yolks; place in
mixing bowl. Mash yolks with a
fork and add remaining
ingredients; mix until light and
fluffy. Fill egg whites with yolk
mixture. Press deviled egg halves
into mixture around outside edges
and in center of casserole, Drizzk
reserved sauce over egg halves.
Refrigerate, covered, overnight.
To reheat, microwave covered
Spinach Cheese Pie is an easy-to-prepare casserole
with casserole top or plastic wrap,
on full power, about 12 minutes,
rotating a half turn every 3
minutes, until hot and bubbly. Let
stand, covered, 5 minutes before
serving.
To reheat in a conventional oven,
place casserole, uncovered in
preheated 350°F. oven about 30
minutes.
BROCCOLI-POTATO
CASSEROLE
4 medium potatoes
x k pound broccoli, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
1V« cups milk
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup diced natural cheese, any
kind
y* teaspoon pepper
Cut potatoes into quarters. Boil
in water until tender. Drain and
mash with V« cup milk. Beat until
fluffy. Cook broccoli in small
amount boiling water or steam
until tender. Drain. Combine
potatoes, broccoli, and pepper in
greased 2-quart baking dish. Melt
butter in saucepan, stir in flour,
and add milk, stirring constantly
until thickened. Add cheese and
stir until melted. Pour cheese
sauce into baking dish and stir.
Bake at 350°F. for 20 minutes.
Featured Recipes
This week’s featured recipe comes from a pamphlet distributed
by the American Mushroom Institute at the Pi nnsylvama Farm
Show. The mushroom growers and many other commodity groups
provided Farm Show visitors with tasty ways to enjoy their
products.
Look for stories about Farm Show in this section and throughout
this week’s Farming.
Mushroom Crust Quiche
1 2 pound fresh mushrooms, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons butter
1 2 cup fine dry bread crumbs
1 cup cottage cheese
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 j cup chopped green onions
3 eggs, slightly beaten
*4 teaspoon salt
1 4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Saute mushrooms until golden, about 10 minutes; stir in bread
crumbs Pat mixture into 9-inch pie pan or divide among 8 4-mch
tart pans. Combine cheeses and remaining ingredients; spoon into
prepared crust. Bake at 350°F. for 35 to 45 minutes before serving
Makes one 9-mch pie
CHEESY FRANK
NOODLEBAKE
3 cups uncooked noodles
1 HV4-ounce can condensed green
pea soup
IV4 cups milk
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Swiss
cheese
Vt cup chopped onion
6 frankfurters
2 tablespoons sliced pimiento
stuffed green olives
Cook noodles according to
package directions; drain; set
aside. Preheat oven to 350 # F.
Meanwhile, combine condensed
soup and milk in a medium-sized
saucepan. Heat to simmering
point; stir in % cup cheese and
onion; remove from heat. Cut
frankfurters in 1-inch pieces; set
aside 12 pieces. Place remaining
frankfurters in bottom of a but
tered 1 Mi-quart rectangular baking
dish. Top with noodles. Pour soup
mixture over noodles. Arrange
reserved frankfurters around
edges of casserole. Bake, un
covered, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove
from oven and sprinkle remaining
cheese and sliced olives over top of
casserole. Return to oven just until
cheese begins to melt, about 3
minutes. Serve immediately.