[Jamestown1630]

This week: ‘fancying-up’ some retro comfort foods.

(If you would like to be on or off of this weekly cooking thread ping-list, please send a private message.)

-JT

[jcon40]

Tuna has apparently been moved to Thursday this week

A Meaty MEMO is apparently being served Friday !

[Rushmore Rocks]

Speaking of old school favorites, any one remember “porcupine balls”? Ground beef mixed with rice, formed into meatballs and slow simmered in marinara sauce. I haven’t made it in many years, but it is in the crock pot now.....smells good.

[leaning conservative]

You’ve got to be kidding me!!! I haven’t made tuna casserole in forever. Husband HATES IT. Its rainy & quite cold here so after school I picked up what I needed. Going to put it together soon.

Tuna casserole...... Swoon!
How is your brother doing?

[Purdue77]

I love tuna noodle casserole. But, my wife started giving her cats canned tuna (people food) and now attributes the smell of tuna as cat food. I no longer get TNC or tuna melt sammiches. I only get tuna these days when the golf course has tuna sammiches on the menu. I think that I’ll spring for some albacore tuna and make my own TNC while she is at work.

[Uncle Miltie]

Goulash underway!

[kalee]

Meatloaf, the old fashioned kind with oatmeal and tomato juice in it and a toping of ketchup, brown sugar, and Coleman’s dry mustard. Several it with mashed potatoes and English peas, just like Grandma.

We also like toad in the hole, bangers and mash, Guinness beef stew, and shepherd’s or cottage pie.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

You can’t go wrong with Ree! Her recipes are SO good!

Have you read her book, ‘High Heels to Tractor Wheels?’ Really cute - about meeting her husband and their romance and her initial troubles becoming a Ranch Wife. Loved it. Not High Literature, but I couldn’t put it down and read it in two days. So. Funny. :)

P.S. I’m not crazy for Tuna Casserole unless it has GOBS of crushed potato chips on top. And you need to use decent water-packed tuna! Whatever the EnviroWeenies say we CAN’T use? Use that tuna, LOL! :)

[mylife]

Love Tuna Noodle Casserole.
Love Corned Beef Sangwiches.

Hint: Mar 18th corned beef is HALF price!

[Aliska]

My family's favorite, 5-can casserole. Maybe I posted it before, think I did because I remember some discussion about Chicken and Rice Soup (some don't like it).

1 large can tuna, drained and broken up
1 can Chicken with Rice Soup or Chicken and Stars, or Chicken Noodle
1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 small can evaporated milk
1/2 package minus some to sprinkle on top LaChoy Chinese noodles (save the other half for another batch or snack on them

Lightly spray 3 quart casserole or 9X9 square baking pan.
Empty contents of Cr of Mushroom soup into the pan
Slowly stir in contents of Chicken and Rice Soup (so the mushroom won't be clumpy)
Stir in the small can of evaporated milk
Add broken up tuna, stir
Add Chinese noodles minus the ones for the top

Bake at 325 or so for 25 minutes or until bubbly.
Open oven and sprinkle reserved noodles over the top
I like to lightly press them into the casserole
Return to oven and bake for another 5 or so minutes

I could eat some right now but don't have all the stuff

************************************************************** My aunt gave me her recipe for tuna noodle casserole and I lost it. I remember it had some cheese in it (a more conventional version)

But this is very close:

Used to be food.com, don't know what it is now but one of the two photos is one I saved with the recipe

My photo is the one with the buttered bread crumbs as I don't use potato chips.

Pretty much how I did mine but I like real butter better for most things now. Don't need to brown the onions. Don't use chopped celery. Can use Cr Celery coup in place of the Cr Chicken but I prefer the ones given..

And I guess the thyme won't hurt, don't think I ever used it for this. You can tweak to taste.

[Clutch Martin]

Ping

[Aliska]

And a special surprise I stumbled across in my meanderings a week or so ago, was enchanted with them:

It happened when I was looking for a sugar cookie made with cr of tartar, drop cookie, crispy with air bubbles pockets. Looked and looked, landed on pinterest and found these Christmas trees) couldn't find anything quite right for the drop ones. Luckily I went through my old recipe file and found the ones a farm wife had made and brought to our family reunion). After I found my recipe (and I hugged it close to my heart in gratitude I still had it - also a yummy ginger-molasses drop cookie with it). I found similar on the web but will use mine because it has more cr of tartar.

And I found what I think is an exact match for the cookie cutter she used (a reviewer wanted one and couldn't find it )(remember the white horse? haven't seen anything like that yet.)

Nice blog she's got there, some other recipes look good.

These are so pretty but out-of-season, will post anyway.

Lots of detailed instructions and more photos for all of it at link. Amazon has those pearly sugar things too. And little squeeze bottles. Need some meringue powder for the frosting with the powdered sugar.

[CottonBall]

My favorite fixer upper is to add some horseradish to mac & cheese. I use Ina Garten’s mac & cheese recipe, but we always think mac & cheese seems to be a little dull. The horseradish is just perfect and you can’t really tell that’s what it is. I think it also cuts the richness a little. I had some people over and they raved about it but nobody could figure out the “secret” ingredient.

[boatbums]

Sorry...just thinking about tuna casserole makes me gag. The same goes for the ubiquitous green bean casserole at Thanksgiving. YUK!

[Bellflower]

I look forward to the cooking thread every week. It is fun, informative and relaxing. Thank you for hosting it!

[Trillian]

https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2018/01/29/nutella-babka/

*excited screech*

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

Salisbury Steak

Take one large onion and grate it, smush up three garlic clove. Mix half with a third of a cup of bread crumbs and let the bread crumbs soak up the juice.

Mix with one pound of hamburger, an egg, a heavy squirt of ketchup, two squirts of Gray Poupon, a dash of Worcestershire and one of those left over beef raman flavor packets you have sitting around.

Form into six patties.

Brown these on both sides in a large skillet. Remove patties and add to skillet the other half of the onion and garlic and two cups of sliced mushrooms. Salt and let cook for about three minutes.

Add a couple of pats of butter and some flour to make a roux. Stir until the raw taste is cooked out of the flour. (Or use toasted flour, better flavor). Stir in about a pint of beef bone broth. Add about a teaspoon of green peppercorns. When combined add the patties back into the gravy and turn down. Let simmer for about seven minutes.

Add in about a half cup of heavy cream at the last minute if you like.

You can leave out the cream and use olive oil instead of butter if you want to make this kosher.

[pugmama]

Some great retro makeover recipes here:

https://homecookingmemories.com/grown-up-tuna-melts/

[pugmama]

Tomato soup and grilled cheese-always a favorite in our house:

http://catholicfoodie.com/grown-up-grilled-cheese-with-tomato-soup-for-sundaysupper

[pugmama]

I think I’ve made everyone of these over the years! Hubby likes the Italian meatballs and I like the cabbage roll casserole.

https://www.tasteofhome.com/collection/retro-recipes-that-deserve-a-comeback/view-all/