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Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Mealtime memories

Today I'm sharing an old family recipe with you, and thought I would share some memories that come up when I think about mealtimes when I was growing up.

I  remember sitting around a table that had aluminum legs and a fake marble top. (I was born in 1960 and I'm sure it was "in" at the time!) I remember the many chips that were in one end of the table top because my sister Terri decided it would be fun to take a table knife and pound it on the table. I remember the whole family always sat around the table and talked. We always opened with prayer and when the meal was done my Dad would read from the Bible (us kids thought he read too long) and then closed with prayer. My Dad was a farmer and our meals were usually meat and potatoes meals, with vegetables and fruits my Mom had canned or frozen. There was one meal that was a favorite at our house, that was not the standard meat and potatoes. It was a casserole and Mom served it with applesauce and bread on the side.
This must have been a popular recipe in our area during the 60's and 70's because when Bob and I got married, his Mom gave me the same recipe and said it was one of his favorites.  We still like it, however Laura and Andy were never happy to see it on the table when they were home, because of the celery that's in it.   As a matter of fact, the recipe card I just copied this from has been altered by one of them, to read "Happy Casserole". Believe me - she (Laura) was being sarcastic when she wrote happy!  The picture below isn't the best because I didn't remember to take it, until we'd made a mess of it!



Casserole Delicious
1 onion chopped
1 # hamburg
4 stalks celery
1/2 cup white rice
1 1/2 cup water
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
Brown hamburg and onion, season to taste. Simmer with rice, celery, and water 10-15 minutes; add soups. Place all ingredients in casserole. Sprinkle with cracker crumbs. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

15 comments:

Terri D said...

I'm thinking the rice is already cooked before you add it in? Doesn't seem like enough liquid to let it cook properly in the oven.

Sounds good! I grew up on casseroles, and am sad that Joe doesn't like them...nothing mixed together.

I enjoyed the memories, and will tuck the recipe away...who knows!!

Mari said...

Terri - the rice simmers on the stove top for 10-15 minutes with the other ingredients and is mostly cooked that way.

Judy said...

This looks good, I'm definitely going to make this.

Jean said...

Your childhood memories of mealtime are very similar to mine. Three of us kids always sat on a bench on one side of the table. And I still have that bench at my kitchen table!

Anonymous said...

Your memories of meal time are similar to mine. This sounds like a good comfort meal for a cool evening. I look forward to trying it.

Linda said...

Your memories of meal time are ours as well. I grew up with casseroles and casseroles are a staple in my/our house. We always open with prayer and end in prayer. There is a constant chit chat at our table. As Phil Robertson puts it,"Happy, Happy, Happy." Thanks for sharing. Blessings

Betsy Brock said...

Me and my siblings always thought my dad read the Bible too long, too. ha.

We had one of those casseroles. We had it weekly and my little sister loved it...she was the only one! It was creamed soup with hamburger and green beans, topped with tater tots. I can still taste that thing. ugh. hahahaha....

on the other hand...yours actually looks good!

Nancy said...

What an example your parents set for you as to what the dinner table is suppose to be about...What a blessing..

Susan said...

Memories are so associate often with our taste buds and our sense of smell.

Unknown said...

You will not believe this, but I just took the recipe sheet out of my cookbook, and set those same ingredients on my counter!!! It was my mother in law's recipe and we all still love it...thanks for the memory.

Jennifer Hays said...

I've seena similar recipe before but I've never tried it. I love casseroles and I wish people still made them. Tuna-noodle was always my favorite as a kid. :)

Michelle said...

Comfort food at its best!

Terri said...

hey - that was just a slight lapse of judgment on my part with the table! (especially when Dad walked in with me holding the knife). Still love that casserole - it's one of my old standbys! Delicious - casserole delicious that is

Jenny said...

That sounds delicious and so hearty! And what precious memories.

Kathy said...

It looks super delicious!