| 
“Your
Endless Supply of Casseroles”
By Janet Peterson
Bonnie
Parkin, general president of the Relief Society, greeted
sisters worldwide at the 2004 Relief Society meeting with
this welcome: “Thank you for your countless acts of compassion,
your ever-expanding testimonies, your endless supply of
casseroles! You make a difference and are sunshine for the
soul!”
Sister
Parkin mentioned casseroles again in general conference
the following week. She described visiting missionaries
at the Missionary Training Sister in Brazil and asking them
what they knew about Relief Society. One elder said, “Casseroles!”
Just
when you thought casseroles had nearly vanished from dinner
tables of the 21st century, they have been deemed
important enough to be part of two general conference messages.
Casseroles have been included in other addresses and articles
as well.
Mary
Ellen Smoot, former Relief Society general president, said:
“The casseroles of faith and hope that we give to a friend,
the cookies of kindness that we extend to our families and
the coats of charity that we gently place on others’ shoulders
when their hearts need spiritual warming -- these are the vital services. Many of these are performed
within the walls of our own home.”
Virginia U. Jensen, a counselor to Sister Smoot in the
general Relief Society presidency, said, “As Relief Society
sisters we can bring light into the lives of those we serve
along with the loaves of bread we bake and the casseroles
we share. We can give hope, we can lift, and we can inspire.
We can teach of Christ and help others find peace and comfort
within His light.”
Pot Roast is a Casserole!
A casserole can loosely be defined as a “meal-in-one”
dish, consisting of several different foods mixed together
and usually baked in a “casserole” dish -- a glass or oven-proof ceramic dish. Many of us grew up thinking
that “casserole” meant “tuna fish.”
Most likely these Relief Society leaders referred to
the process of bringing meals to a neighbor or a sister
in the ward. The word casserole becomes a generalized
term for hot dinners brought to a home by visiting teachers,
friends, and neighbors -- whether it’s pot roast, chicken noodle soup, barbecued
spareribs, or beef noodle casserole. Still, casseroles are
a definite cuisine, can be made ahead, feed the many or
the few, and are tasty and welcomed offerings.
An article appeared in the Ensign some years
ago titled “Compassionate Service -- With or Without the Casserole.” The writer rightly
pointed out that just because we don't have something in hand, we shouldn’t stay away from
visiting someone who is ill or in need of help. She had
been a little hesitant to visit her sick friend without
bringing something, but decided to go anyway. She and her
friend talked, laughed, and reminisced. Their hour spent
together was a gift much appreciated and very healing.
However, there are many times when compassionate service
needs to go beyond words, and the situation of a sister
or family requires meals or other physical acts of service.
One Latter-day Saint woman wrote: “Sometimes words are not
enough. We need the tangible evidence of a tuna casserole,
a birthday card, a rose, or a hug to remind us that there
is someone out there who cares about us and wants us to
be happy.”
Needing the Love
Another sister told her story: “The day my husband was
to leave on a cross-country trip, I wasn’t feeling all that
great. Concerned, he offered to stay home. Having never
been more seriously ill than the flu, I sent him off saying
I would be just fine in a day or two. I wasn’t -- in fact, I became really ill and could barely move.
Every breath hurt. I managed to get myself to the doctor
and to the pharmacy to pick up medication. After that, I
just slept, drank liquids, and tried to fix simple food.
But I was too sick to do anything. I couldn’t call on our
children for help because they all lived away. It was a
busy time of year, so I didn’t want to impose on anyone
by calling for help. One of my visiting teachers called
to make an appointment (it was, after all, the end of the
month). When she heard my barely audible voice and I told
her what I had, she said, ‘Call us when you get better.’
That's when I really needed a dinner. Looking back, I would
have been more bold and made that request. Fortunately,
friends and the Relief Society president took good care
of me until my husband returned.”
While casseroles may not be considered gourmet food,
they, nevertheless, provide more than sustenance. The love
and concern that come with them are really the most important
ingredients.
When I was a Relief Society president and BYU student
in the 1960s, the wife of a counselor in our bishopric had
their second baby. I arranged for several different apartments
of girls to take in meals on successive nights to this much-loved
family. It wasn’t until years later, when I taught the counselor’s
younger brother in an English class, that I learned that
every dinner had been a tuna fish casserole! Here are some
recipes to expand your casserole repertoire – and not one
of them has tuna fish as the main ingredient.
And
if you have any favorite casserole recipes you'd like to
share with Meridian readers, I’d love to see them. Send
them to me at janet@mmmind.com,
so we can all cook together.
Chicken and Rice Casserole
Sara Graham in Best Bites of Boston
2 to 3 chicken breasts
3 cups water
1 to 2 tablespoons curry powder
Dash of salt and pepper
1 (6.2-ounce) package Uncle Ben's Long Grain and Wild Rice
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup sliced mushrooms
2 celery stalks, sliced
1/2 small onion, chopped
1 (10:-ounce) can cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
In a large saucepan, cook chicken in water with curry,
salt, and pepper. Remove chicken, reserving liquid. Cut
chicken into bite-sized pieces. Cook rice in seasoned water
(about 21/2 cups). Melt butter in a large skillet and saute mushrooms,
celery, and onion. In a large bowl, mix chicken, vegetables,
soup, and sour cream. Put into a greased baking dish. Bake
at 400o for 30 minutes, or until thoroughly heated.
Serves 6.
Secret Chicken Broccoli Casserole
Paula Heath in The Best Lunch in Town: Recipes of
the “Gone to Pieces” Quilt Group
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
2 1/2 cups light cream
21/2 cups chicken broth}
3/4 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon minced parsley
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 tablespoons grated onion
1/4 teaspoon rosemary
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3/4 cup mayonnaise
3/4 pound spaghetti or lasagna noodles, cooked
2 (10-ounce) packages frozen broccoli, thawed
4 1/2 cups cooked and cubed chicken
1/4 to 1/2 cup bread crumbs
To make white sauce:
In a large skillet, melt butter and add flour, mixing
well. Add cream and chicken broth, stirring and cooking
until thickened. While stirring constantly, slowly add cheeses,
lemon juice, mustard, parsley, salt, onion, rosemary, pepper,
and mayonnaise.
In a 9 x 13-inch pan, layer half of noodles, then half
of broccoli, then half of chicken and half of sauce; repeat.
Top with bread crumbs. Bake at 350o for 45 minutes.
Salsa Chicken Enchiladas
Lisa Boyce in Remedies for the “I Don't Cook” Syndrome
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 cups chicken broth
1/3 cup flour
1 (12-ounce) jar thick and chunky salsa
1 (4-ounce) can diced green chiles (optional)
1 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 to 1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon oregano
dash garlic salt or garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
10 large flour tortillas
2 cups (or more) grated Monterey Jack cheese
3/4 cup sour cream
Boil chicken breasts in salted water in a large saucepan
until cooked. (Save broth or use canned broth.) Cool chicken
and shred or cut into small pieces.
In a large saucepan, cook chicken broth and flour over
medium heat, stirring until broth thickens. Reduce heat
and add salsa, chiles, onion, garlic, sugar, cumin, basil,
oregano, garlic, salt and pepper. Mix well and heat through.
Heat oven to 400o.
Dip tortillas in the salsa mixture to soften. Place
a small amount of chicken and cheese in each tortilla (don't overstuff). Roll tortilla up and place in a greased
9x13-inch baking dish. Add sour cream to salsa mixture
and mix well. Pour over tortillas. Top with grated cheese.
Bake for 15 minutes. Serves 4 to 6.
My Best Lasagna
Sharon Martin in Remedies for the “I Don’t Cook”
Syndrome
1 pound Italian mild sausage
1 pound ground beef
pinch of nutmeg
48 ounces homemade or prepared spaghetti sauce
16 ounces lasagne noodles
2 to 4 tablespoons butter
2 to 4 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups milk
8 ounces sharp Cheddar cheese, grated
3/4 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese
8 ounces mushrooms or zucchini (or other fresh vegetables),
sliced or chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
olive oil
8 ounces mozzarella cheese, grated
Heat oven to 350o
In a large skillet, brown sausage and ground beef together.
Add nutmeg. When cooked, drain grease and set aside. Warm
spaghetti sauce in a large saucepan. Boil lasagna noodles
in salted water, for only a few minutes, just until noodles
are softened. Do not cook as long as package directions
indicate. This allows for easier handling.
Prepare cheese sauce by melting butter in a medium saucepan;
add a little flour and stir until thickened. Add milk, stir
again; add cheddar and Parmesan cheeses. Cook until sauce
thickens to pouring consistency. In a small skillet, sauté
mushrooms with garlic in a little olive oil for about 2
minutes.
Spread 2 cups of spaghetti sauce over the bottom of
a 10 x 14-inch or 4-quart baking dish. Layer a row of noodles.
Layer some meat over noodles. Add some red sauce. Cover
with another layer of lasagna noodles. Add the rest of the
meat and the red sauce. Place mushrooms or other vegetables
over the sauce. Layer any remaining noodles. Spread the
cheese sauce, the final layer, evenly over entire pan. Sprinkle
with mozzarella cheese. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until
bubbly. Allow to cool a little before cutting. Serves
10.
Black Bean and Rice Enchiladas
Marci Shaw in The Best Lunch in Town: Recipes of
the "Gone to Pieces" Quilt Group
12 flour tortillas
1/2 onion, chopped
1 (14-ounce) can mild enchilada sauce
1 (20-ounce) can mild enchilada sauce
2 (15-ounce) cans black beans (do not drain)
2 cups cooked brown rice
1 cup grated cheddar cheese (or more to taste)
Garnish
chopped green onions
sliced olives
chopped tomatoes
sour cream
Spray a skillet with cooking spray. Sauté onions. Add
beans and mash. Add one-half of 14-ounce can enchilada sauce
and rice. Place a portion of bean-rice mixture in tortilla,
sprinkle with a little cheese; roll up and place in a baking
dish (use a 9 x 13-inch pan and an 8 x 8-inch pan for all
12 enchiladas). Pour on remaining enchilada sauce and sprinkle
with more cheese. Cover and bake at 350o for
30 to 40 minutes. Serve with garnishes. Serves 6 to
12.
Beef Noodle Casserole
Pat Menlove in Remedies for the “I Don't Cook” Syndrome
1 pound ground beef
2 (8-ounce) cans tomato sauce
1/2 to 1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 (8- to 12-ounce) package egg noodles, cooked according
to package directions and drained
1 (8-ounce) carton sour cream
2 to 3 green onions, chopped
Sliced mushrooms (optional)
1/2 to 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
Heat oven to 350o
Brown ground beef in a large skillet. Add tomato sauce,
garlic salt, and pepper. In a large saucepan or pot, cook
noodles al dente. Drain and place in an ungreased
3-quart casserole dish.
Mix sour cream, onions, (including most of the green
tops), mushrooms (if desired), and a shake or two or pepper.
Stir into noodles. Top with meat mixture. Sprinkle cheese
over top. Bake, uncovered, 20 minutes, or until cheese is
bubbly. Serves 6.
Click
here to sign up for Meridian's FREE email updates.
© 2004 Meridian
Magazine. All Rights Reserved.
|
