Throwback Thursday

I saw this in my Mom's cabinet the other day ~ and it brought back tons of memories!

("This pattern is the second most produced design. It was produced from 1972 through 1987 and featured the earth tones that were so popular in the 1970s. 

Spice O' Life was a band of vegetables that included mushrooms, artichokes and garlic.

 L'Echalote (the shallot) was written in script under the vegetables on some pieces. 

This pattern was also known as "French Spice" because of this.")

My Dad bought my mom the set for Christmas, probably around 1973-1976, and my older brothers added to it for various b-day gifts, mother's day, etc. I remember all kinds of family dinners served in these dishes.  The marketing ploy was that you could serve the food in the same dish it was cooked in.  These little beauties could be used not only in the oven, but also on the stove top.  And when we received our 1st microwave in 1980-1981, it seemed to just be made for the microwave as well! Roasted chicken, mac & cheese, casserole after casserole, vegetables ~ you name it ~ were served in a casserole dish just like this one!

My mom enjoyed the pattern because it went well with her copper-colored stove and refrigerator! Ah, the earth tones of the 70's ~ gotta love them! (No, not really!)

To celebrate the psychedelic 70's, here is one of my mom's casserole dishes:

Busy Day Casserole

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
1 medium onion, cut up
1 tsp. oil
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 #2 can green beans, drained
salt & pepper to taste
8 slices of mild cheese
1 can buttermilk biscuits

Directions:
Fry beef and onions in oil;, break up and fry until browned.  Drain.  Place meat in casserole; add soup and beans and seasoning.  Bake for 25 minutes at 350*.  Remove from oven and place cheese slices over all. Top with biscuits.  Return to oven and bake for 12 minutes or until cheese is melted and biscuits are brown.

(I found this recipe in my former church's cookbook ~ probably circa 1986-1988.)

Mom wrote:  "I usually just serve a salad with this.  Pudding can be served for dessert."

Simply Dad's Favorite Casserole

Here's a blast from my childhood past!

Ingredients:

2 c. uncooked noodles
1 lb. lean hamburger, browned
1/2 c. diced onion, sauted in 1 T butter
1 c. cottage cheese
1 c. milk
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 c. grated cheddar cheese
1 beaten egg

Directions:
Cook the noodles in boiling salted water just under al dente. Drain. Mix the browned hamburger, onion and cottage cheese together. In a greased 2 qt. casserole, layer 1/3 of the noodles and 1/2 of meat mixture. Repeat, ending with noodles. Combine milk and soup together. Pour over top of casserole and sprinkle with grated cheese. Pour beaten egg over cheese. Bake, covered, at 350 for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes or until golden.

This was one of my mom's go-to meals when I was growing up. She usually served peas on the side as well as the constant plate of bread and butter that went with every meal. I remember her serving strawberry Jello with Cool Whip as dessert.

As Promised!

For my friend Kim:

Kim is a sweet lady at church who has been a wonderful help and inspiration to my "tween" daughter.  She's thoughtful, kind, and is a wonderful help to me in my Preschool choir class.  When she read the blog, she asked if I would share some recipes with ground beef, so Kim, this one's for you!

Southwest Chili Pasta Bake

1 lb. pkg. rigatoni or other tube pasta, cooked according to directions 

1 T melted butter
1/2 c. diced onion
1 lb. hamburger
1 pkg.  McCormick's Chili mix
1 can fire-roasted tomatoes
1/2 c. water

4 T butter (1/2 stick)
1/4 c. flour
1 c. milk
1-1/2 c. grated cheese, divided (Whatever kind floats your boat.  I like to use a mixture of Cheddar & Pepper Jack)

Oven 350*

Cook pasta as directed on package.

While it is bubbling away, saute onion in the butter in a medium saucepan.  Add hamburger & brown.  Drain off excess fat.  Add in chili mix, tomatoes and water.  Cook on medium for 5 minutes, then turn to low.

In another saucepan, melt butter over high heat.  Add flour all at once, whisking to make a paste.  Cook at least 1 minute. (This gets rid of the raw flour taste)  Add milk, all at once, whisking to combine.  Continue whisking until a thin gravy consistency. Add in 1 cup of the cheese, whisking until cheese is melted and sauce is thickened.

Drain pasta, return to pan and add meat sauce.  In a greased 9x13 pan, pour in half of the pasta mixture and top with half the cheese sauce.  Repeat.  Sprinkle remaining cheese over top.

Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.  Uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

A side salad with Southwest Ranch dressing and those tortilla strip salad topping thingies round the meal out great!


You can make your own Southwest Ranch dressing by adding a little bit of salsa to plain Ranch.  Yum!