Sunday, September 10, 2006

Sunday Dinner -- Casseroles

Both of these casserole recipes are family favorites from my mother-in-law.  The Holiday Spaghetti gets its' name from the red (tomatoes) and green (green peppers) colors.

 The Holiday Spaghetti, just before popping in the oven to melt additional cheese

Holiday Spaghetti

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

1 medium onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 C. mushroom slices (fresh or use 1 can sliced mushrooms)
1 lb. ground beef
1 t. salt
1 t. sugar
3 1/2 C. tomatoes (large can, I like diced or stewed Italian style)
8 oz. spaghetti -- boiled, drained (whole wheat holds up well here)
1 or 2 C. grated cheese

Brown the ground beef and drain. Add onions, green peppers and mushrooms. Add tomatoes, salt, sugar and spaghetti. I fold in one cup of grated cheddar cheese at this time and then sprinkle some more cheese on top of the hot casserole before serving. My mother-in-law only sprinkled one cup of cheese on top of the casserole before baking. Either way, it's good.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Serve hot.

Stella's Chicken Casserole

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

1 Pkg. Uncle Ben's original long grain & wild rice
Small amount of regular white rice (optional)
1 envelope onion soup
1 can each: Cream of Chicken, Cream of Celery, Cream of Mushroom soup
3/4 can water (soup can)
1/4 C. melted butter
Chicken pieces (either a cut up fryer or all chicken breasts on the bone)

Add enough white rice to Uncle Ben's mix to make one cup (if necessary). I have used only the Uncle Ben's if I didn't have extra rice. I have also used only two soups although I think it is better with the three soups.

Mix first six ingredients and pour into greased 9 x 13 dish. Place chicken on top. Sprinkle chicken with salt/pepper. Pour melted butter over chicken. Cover with foil. Bake one hour. Take foil off, bake until chicken is browned (15 - 30 min).

This is not a diet dish! However, it's a great dish to serve company or to serve on Sunday Dinner.

4 comments:

Brenda@CoffeeTeaBooks said...

Although my MIL did make the Holiday Spaghetti a lot, it is this chicken casserole our family will always remember.

I mix it once in awhile for nostalgia since she passed many years ago. We always called her (just in our own immediate family, you understand...) "The Casserole Queen".

Now that I'm a grandmother, I understand the delight in assembling a dish in the morning, washing up all dishes in the morning, and popping said dish in the oven for dinner.

Brenda@CoffeeTeaBooks said...

I MAKE it once in awhile...sheesh, I can tell it is late.

TheRoosterChick said...

Mmmm... that Holiday Spaghetti sure sounds yummy!

Thickethouse.wordpress said...

Very like my mother's Jaunee Muzette recipe - which I think was supposed to be Johnny Marzetti. Her book club friends made this a lot in the 50s and 60s and I made it for large groups at our Chautauqua cottage....We never used spaghetti though, we always used one of the spiraley, textured pastas.