“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 ja***@mm****.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 9×13-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, saut 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. Saut 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.
2004 Meridian Magazine. All Rights Reserved.