A Prairie Home Companion from American Public Media

Hot Dish Recipes

Meatloaf [sort of a hot dish]

Submitted by Garrison Keillor, Saint Paul, MN
I never see meatloaf on the menus of the restaurants I go to, and maybe I'm going to the wrong restaurants. The ones I patronize tend to offer you grilled mahi-mahi on a bed of basmati rice lightly drizzled with cilantro creme fraiche. Which can be good in its own way, but as deep fall comes on and the first snowfall lurks in the wings, I somehow long for a good meatloaf dinner. And that's why we serve it for the Prairie Home Companion Opening Night Street Dance. It can be cold on that first Saturday in October. Snow can fall. People who intend to dance in the street need a supper more substantial than mahi-mahi. My mother, Grace Keillor, made excellent meat loaf, which she adapted from the Betty Crocker cook book.

Hot Dish Poem

By Leo Dangel

After Forty Years of Marriage, She Tries A New Recipe For Hamburger Hot Dish

"How did you like it?" she asked.
"It's all right," he said.
"This is the third time I cooked it this way. Why can't you ever say if you like something?"
"Well if I didn't like it, I wouldn't eat it," he said.
"You never can say anything I cook tastes good."
"I don't know why all the time you think I have to say it's good. I eat it, don't I?"
"I don't think you have to say all the time it's good, but once in awhile you could say you like it."
"It's all right," he said.
.............................................
Reprinted with author's permission

1 1/2 pounds of lean ground beef
3 slices of bread, diced
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs beaten
1/4 cup minced onion
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. celery salt
1/4 tsp. garlic salt
1/4 tsp. dried mustard
1/4 tsp. sage

Bake in a loaf pan for 1 1/2 hours at 350 degrees. You can put ketchup on the top if you wish. The Betty Crocker recipe calls for one pound of ground beef, 1/4 pound lean ground pork, and 1/4 pound ground veal. And Worcestershire sauce, which usually my mother skips. Maybe nowadays she uses it, though. In recent years her children have accompanied her on trips to luxurious places ---- the Ritz Hotel in London, the Sherry Netherland in New York ---- and perhaps Worcestershire is now on her list. For the street dance, however, we'll do with the basics. Dance bands, hot coffee, ground beef. The sun goes down on October 6 and a crowd of Minnesotans dances to zydeco and rockabilly in the street. It's different, all right.

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Prairie Pot Roast
Submitted by Jon Macleod, Paducah, KY

coffee
3 cups of white vinegar
1 cup of tap water (unless you prefer the bottled kind that comes from France)
1/2 tsp. salt
pinch of pepper
4 cloves of garlic
1/2 tsp. of ginger
1 3-6 lb. pot roast

First, brew a pot of coffee (14 cups). Then pour it into a medium pot and scorch it. Add white vinegar, tap water, salt, pepper, garlic, and ginger, and mix thoroughly. Pour into roasting pan having a raised grill, add pot roast, cover pan and set up in kitchen for 3-4 days. Preheat oven to 425 degrees (only after you leave the pot roast on shelf for 3-4 days, don't start preheating the oven at that time or you will burn the house down and you won't be able to enjoy the fruits of your pot roast labor). Cook roast for 3-3 1/2 hours while intermittently basting until surface of roast is almost black. At this time roast will be cooked well done, while sauces will have tenderized it to the point that you won't have to slice it. It will just fall apart. A savory, very, very tender dish! Sauce from the cooking can be made into a very tasty gravy if you are the kind of American Ethnic people that like potatoes with your food!!!!!

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Greek Meat Loaf
Submitted by Barb Mobley, Attica, MI

1 lb. ground beef
2 eggs
20 saltines, crushed
1 chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1 T. horseradish
4 T. chopped green olives
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Mix all ingredients and bake at 350 degrees for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

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Tuna Rice Hot Dish
Submitted by Amy Kopperude, Felton, PA

1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can tuna
1 1/2 cups white rice (instant or regular)
3 cups water
3 slices American cheese

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium casserole (hot dish) dish, combine all ingredients except cheese. Cover casserole (hot dish) dish and place in oven for 1/2 hour if using instant rice, 1 hour if using regular rice, or until rice is tender. Remove from oven and place 3 slices of cheese on top of hot dish for topping. Cover for 5 minutes (until cheese has melted), then serve. Serves 2–4.

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Sour Cream Casserole Hot Dish
Submitted by Dean Anderson, Poteau, OK
Great dish for the fellowship hall suppers at church or for a young college aged gentleman to learn to impress his date. (I used it a lot with great success.) Passed down from my Aunt Sunny to my mom, it is easy and delicious. It's also great cold the day after.

1 lb. lean ground beef
12 oz. egg noodles
8 oz. sour cream
8 oz. cream cheese
4 oz. grated sharp cheddar chese
2 cans tomato sauce
1 bunch green onions

Brown ground beef, season to taste with garlic salt and/or pepper, and drain fat. Add tomato sauce and simmer while you cook the noodles according to package instructions. Mix the sour cream and cream cheese. Chop up onion and add all chopped onion minus a handful of green top to the sour cream/cream cheese mixture. Rinse and dry noodles. Layer a 13x9 pan with half of each: noodles, hamburger, & then sour cream/cream cheese/onion mixture. Repeat. Top off the layers with the grated cheddar cheese and for style and color, sprinkle the handful of chopped green onion top. Cover & bake to heat through and melt cheddar at 350 degrees. Serve with salad/bread/cold beverage. And a dish from Aunt Sunny would not be complete without parsley garnish.

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Chicken Enchiladas...Hot Dish?
Submitted by Kimberly Rodriguez, Virginia Beach, VA

2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
1/2 lb. cheddar cheese, cut up (Colby/Jack works well, too)
8 corn tortillas (6 inch)
1/2 cup Salsa, divided
1 small can green chiles (w/ cilantro if available)

Mix chicken, soup and cheese. Spread 1/2 cup of the chicken mixture on bottom of 10x6-inch baking dish. Cover with 4 tortillas. Top with 1/4 cup of the salsa and 1/2 of the remaining chicken mixture. Repeat layers with 4 tortillas, remaining 1/4 cup salsa, the green chiles and remaining chicken mixture. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Top with additional salsa/cheese, if desired.

Microwave: In microwavable dish - HIGH 10 to 14 minutes or until thoroughly heated, turning dish after 5 minutes.

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Bohemian Cassarole
Submitted by Rodney Ziemer, Leavenworth, KS

Spinach or florentine pasta
1/2 lb. ham
1 T. minced garlic
2 cups sour cream
Slices of white cheeses (Monterey Jack, Provolone and or Mozerella)

Prepare Spinach or florentine pasta, according to package. In a skillet, brown 1/2 pound ham in 1 Tablespoon minced garlic. Add 2 cups sour cream and stir until hot. Drain pasta, and put into a casserole (hot dish) dish. Mix in cream and meat sauce. Cover with slices of white cheeses, Monterey Jack, Provolone and or Mozerella, and cover and bake at 300 degrees for 20 minutes.

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Ship-Wreck
Submitted by Alicia Sackett, Champaign, IL

Sliced potatoes
Minute Rice
Sliced onions
Hamburger

Grease any casserole (hot dish) dish. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Layer above ingredients in dish. Top w ith one can of tomatoes. Season each layer as desired. A wonderful winter dish!!!

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Meat Pie
Submitted by Barbara Brown, Stillwater, OK
Forget the meat loaf and macaroni. This is true comfort food. When my Mom made this, she used any of the juice left from the roast or gravy for liquid and flavor. She would also use any leftover carrots, onions and/or potatoes in place of or in addition to fresh.

1 can green beans
1 cup water
2 carrots, cut in coins
2 potatoes, cut in 1/2 inch cubes
1 small onion, chopped
2 cups leftover pot roast cut in 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 bag frozen peas
1/2 bag frozen corn
Salt and pepper to taste
2 T. flour
1/2 cup water
1 can refrigerated biscuits

Heat oven to temperature directed on refrigerated biscuits. Spray a large hot dish with vegetable spray. Drain bean liquid into a large pan or Dutch oven. Set beans aside. Add 1 cup water to green bean liquid. Add carrots, potatoes and onion. Bring to boil and simmer 5 minutes. Add meat, peas, corn and green beans. Return to simmer and continue cooking until potatoes are barely tender. Season with salt and pepper. Mix flour with 1/2 cup water. Stir into meat mixture. Return to simmer and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Pour meat mixture into prepared hot dish. Top with biscuits. Quickly put into hot oven and bake as directed for biscuits. Lift up a biscuit to be sure they are done on the bottom before removing pan from oven.

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Shepherd's Pie
Submitted by Kathy Conklin, Chicago, IL

1 lb. ground beef
1 can green beans
1 can whole kernel corn
1 can tomato soup
1/4 cup chopped onions
potatoes
cheddar cheese

Brown the ground beef. Mix together the vegetables, soup and onions, and place in a two quart casserole (hot dish) dish. Top with mashed potatoes and cheddar cheese. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes.

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French's Chili-O With a Kick
Submitted by William Volpe, Tryon, NC

2 packs of French's Chili-O
Chili Powder
Cumin
2 lbs. of ground beef
2 cans of red kidney beans
2 cans Rotel tomatoes and peppers
Water
1 splash of ketchup

Brown meat and stir in both packs of seasoning. Add beans and tomatoes and a cup of water. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Lower heat to medium and simmer a few hours uncovered. Add a splash of water when chili gets too thick, and simmer some more. After about thirty minutes, add a few shakes of cumin and chili powder, and repeat every thirty minutes. Before serving, splash some ketchup in to allow "mellowing" effects. Serve with tortilla chips and forget the silverware. I use Chili-O because the potato starch definately makes a better tasting chili.

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Grandma Minnie's Hot Dish
Submitted by Marilyn Christenson, Burnsville, MN

1 lb. ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 cup celery chopped
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can chicken rice soup
8 oz. medium egg noodles, cooked and drained

Brown ground beef. Add onions and celery and cook for 5 minutes. Add soups and heat through. Mix all ingredients with noodles in a casserole (hot dish) dish. Bake 30 minutes or until heated through. Serves 4 generously.

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No-Peek Chicken
Submitted by Deborah Corban, Harrisville, PA
Great meal to put in the oven while at church service Sunday mornings!

2 1/2 lbs. cut-up frying chicken, raw
1 cup uncooked regular rice (not Minute rice!)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of celery soup
1 cup milk
1 packet dry onion soup

Place rice in the bottom of 13x9 baking dish, put the chicken on top of rice, and mix the canned soups and milk. Pour over chicken in dish, and sprinkle dry onion soup over ingredients in dish. Cover dish with aluminum foil and seal edges. Bake at 300 degrees for 2 to 2 1/2 hours...don't peek while baking! Enjoy!

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Wild Rice Hot Dish
Submitted by Nary Jo Hiles, Stafford, VA
We moved away from Minnesota 18 years ago. This is my Mom's recipe-not sure where she got it.

1 cup uncooked REAL MINNESOTA wild rice, rinsed and cooked according to pkg.
1 cup white Minute Rice, cooked according to pkg.
1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 can Cream of Celery Soup
5 T. Soy Sauce
1 lb. Hamburger, cooked
1 small can mushrooms

Add all the ingredients together and bake 1 hour for 350 degrees.

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2 variations on PHC TaterTot Hot dish

2lb. ground beef
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 cans French string green beans (drained)
2 cans cheddar cheese soup (undiluted)
32 oz. bag of frozen Tater Tots

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In skillet, brown ground beef with onion; drain. Pour into greased casserole pan (9 x 13). Layer green beans on top of ground beef. Spread cheddar cheese soup on top. Finish with a healthy layer of Tater Tots. Bake 60 minutes. Makes 8 servings of hot dishy goodness!!

Now, to mix things up a bit...

1. Submitted by Matt Johnson, Sioux Falls, SD

Substitute peas for beans (frozen works well) and use Cream of Mushroom soup in place of cheddar cheese soup. YUMMMYY!

2. Submitted by Janis Kaiser, Rowayton, CT

Brown the meat and onion in a large cast iron skillet. Drain the fat. Mix in a can of Veg-All and a can of Cream of Mushroom soup and then apply the Tater Tot topping. Bake in the cast iron skillet. Delicious!

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Easy, Good, Hearty, Soup/Hot Dish
Submitted by Barbra Kaprielian, Reno, NV

1 can chicken
1 can kidney beans
2 cans tomatoes (Mexican spiced is good)
1 can chicken broth
1 package stew vegetables

Heat tomatoes, chicken, and chicken broth. Add kidney beans and veggies. Dinner is served!

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Thursday Night Special
Submitted by R. Hastad, Waubun, MN
My Dad would put this together on my Mother's bowling night.

1 lb. hamburger
1 onion, any size, depending on how well you like onions
1 cup macaroni
1 28 oz. can tomatoes (1 qt. of home-canned is better)

Brown hamburger and onion. In the meantime, cook macaroni according to directions. When all is done, combine hamburger, onion, macaroni, and tomatoes. Simmer for a little bit and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with ketchup (optional), a salad, and some kind of bread. Some people add a can of corn to this recipe if they need to stretch it.

Serves 8 polite Lutherans or a family of 4. (If corn is added, bring to a Lutheran church potluck supper. It will serve a lot more.)

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Sunburgers with Soybeans [sort of a hot dish]
Submitted by Claudia Howard, Bass Lake Township, WI

3 carrots, shredded
1 can tomato sauce
A lot of olive oil
Basil
Sage
Lemon pepper
Cooked soybeans
Rice (ground or otherwise)
Onions
Spinach
Other veggies as desired

Throw the whole mess in a casserole (hot dish) dish and bake at 375 degrees until done.

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Mom's Bacon, Sauerkraut, and Noodle Hot Dish
Submitted by Carol LeDuc, St. Paul, MN
Although I've never been there to verify this, Mom says the folks in Austin eat every bite of this when she takes it to suppers there.

1 lb. bacon (Hormel, please - this is Austin, Minnesota we're talking about)
1 bag egg noodles
1 can undrained sauerkraut

Cut bacon up into small pieces and then fry to a crisp. Cook egg noodles according to the directions on the bag, drain and then mix, along with the bacon and all of the bacon grease, with the can of undrained sauerkraut. Bake in a casserole (hot dish) dish at 350 degrees until thoroughly heated.

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Beef Stroganoff
Submitted by Matt Johnson, Sioux Falls, SD

1 1/2 lbs. sirloin
2 cups beef bouillon
2 T. ketchup
2 tsp. salt
2 T. margerine
1/2 tsp. pepper (optional)
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 lb. sliced mushrooms
3 T. flour
1 clove garlic, chopped fine
1 lb. extra wide egg noodles

Slice beef into 1/2 inch by 1 inch chunks. With margerine, brown beef in skillet (don't overcook). Reserve 1/3 cup bouillon. Mix remaining bouillon, ketchup, garlic, salt, and pepper in with beef and simmer covered about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally (simmer longer with lesser quality cuts of beef- until tender). Add sliced mushrooms and onion and simmer untill onion is tender (about 5 to 7 minutes). Add flour to reserved bouillon (be sure bouillon is cool) and shake or stir till smooth. Slowly stir bouillon/flour mix into skillet, bringing back to simmer to thicken. Stir in sour cream just until warmed thoroughly. Serve over egg noodles. Serves 4 to 6 "normal" people, or 2 hungry ice fishermen.
Just the thing for a cold winter day.

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Carol's Hamburger Rice Hot Dish
Submitted by Sally Peters, Mounds View, MN

3 1/2 cups boiling water
1 tsp. salt
1 cup rice (not instant)
1 1/2 lb. ground beef
1 chopped onion
2 cups chopped celery
1 cup mushrooms
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 T. Brown Sugar
1 can Cream of celery or Cream of mushroom soup

Pour boiling water and salt over rice. Let stand while you brown meat. Saute mushrooms and onions in a small amount of butter. Add remaining ingredients and combine with rice and water. Pour all ingredients into a greased casserole (hot dish) dish. Bake, covered, at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. Uncover, stir, and bake for at least another 30 minutes until all the water is absorbed. May take a little more than an hour.

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Chicken Ron's Ranch Stew
Submitted by Ron Erickson, St. Louis Park, MN

1 1/2-2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast
1/2 lb. beef kielbasa
1 1/2 lb. yukon gold potatoes
1 small rutabaga
1/2 bag carrots
4 1/2 cup chicken broth
salt and fresh cracked pepper
1/3 cup flour
1/2 cup water

Steam chicken in 1-1/2 cup chicken broth. Remove breast meat and set aside. Cut rutabaga in 1/8 inch slices about 3/4 inch long. Steam until tender with chicken broth and remove. Cut kielbasa in 1/2 inch chunks. Now, cut the chunks in half. Fry in lightly greased pan, remove and reserve the liquid. Cut potatoes and carrots in chunks. Steam these in the chicken broth till just cooked. Remove from stock(it should be good stock by now). Tear the breast into pieces. Shake flour and water together. Heat the liquid from the sausage, and add the mixed flour and water, stirring constantly until a thick consistency. Add the residual chicken stock. Now add all the ingredients to the stock. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Heat and stir gently until sauce coats everything. Serve and enjoy.

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Enchilada Hot Dish
Submitted by Deb Sandberg, St. Paul, MN

First, heat oven to 350 degrees.

1 lb. cooked chicken breast, cubed
1 pkg. flour tortillas
1 cup sour cream
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can green chilies, drained
1/2 lb. grated cheddar cheese
1/2 lb. grated jack cheese
1/2 cup sliced black olives
(Reserve 1/2 of cheese)

Mix all ingredients except tortillas. Line greased 9x13 pan with tortillas. Alternate 2-3 layers of chicken mixture and tortillas, ending with chicken. Sprinkle with reserved cheese. Bake 1 hour, let sit 10 minutes when done, and serve.

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Ham & Scalloped Potatoes
Submitted by Carol Kusnierek, St. Paul, MN
The ham is truly the friend of the poor. An 8-pound, bone-in ham will feed a family for a week. Sunday dinner, sandwiches, omelets, soup from the bone--and this truly fine, comforting hot dish.

1/2 lb. cooked ham, sliced thickly (this should be leftover home-baked ham, not deli-sliced ham)
6-8 potatoes, peeled and sliced
1/4 cup diced raw onion
2 T. flour
2 T. butter
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1/8 tsp. thyme
salt and pepper to taste
approx. 2 cups whole milk
a little paprika for color

Butter a round casserole (hot dish) dish (I use a 9" souffle dish; the straight sides are an advantage). Set the oven to 350 degrees. Place a layer of potato slices in the dish and sprinkle it with a third of the onions, a little flour, a little nutmeg, and a little thyme. Dot with 1/3 of the butter and add a little salt and pepper. Layer half of the ham on top. Repeat the whole process, then top the second ham layer with a final layer of potatoes and seasonings. Sprinkle a little paprika over the whole thing for color. Add milk until you can see it just about level with the potatoes. DO NOT cover the top layer of potatoes; you just want to glimpse the milk around the edges. Bake for an hour and a half.

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Sunday Dinner Scalloped Potatoes
Submitted by Karen Robinson, Alexandria, VA

Bag of frozen hash browns
Sour cream
Cream of chicken soup
Shredded cheddar cheese

Mix and put in baking dish. Then, top with corn flakes crushed and tossed with butter. Bake till it's done. Quantities don't matter here. This recipe is a question of applying as many luscious calories as possible to an innocent spud. Sorta like heaping Devon cream on the last crumb of your scone.

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No-Name Hamburger Hot Dish
Submitted by Diane Smith, Minneapolis, MN

1 lb. hamburger (ground beef is the fancy name. At our house, it's called hamburger.)
3 cups cooked white rice (Uncle Ben's is good)
1 can cream of mushroom or celery soup
1 cup chopped celery (if company is coming)

Mix all ingredients and bake in a greased hot dish pan at 325 degrees for about half an hour. Maybe the easiest dish ever.

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My One-afish Hot Dish
Submitted by Milt Bigger, Richmond, VA

1 cup dry noodles
1 can flaked fish
1 half can (or more) cream of mushroom soup
1 cup frozen green peas
1 bunch pretzel sticks
1 stack dill pickle slices
Some cross-sectioned black olive slices, pimento, and cocktail pearl onions for flourish

Cook noodles in salted water and drain (double noodles and soup if more than one person is eating). Heat oven to 350 degrees. In deepdish casserole, combine noodles, drained flaked fish, mushroom soup, and peas. Stir, add a dash of pepper (no salt needed), and level. Arrange pretzels and pickle slices in seasonal designs or other theme (holiday tree, ice fishing house, self-portrait). Garnish with olive slices and/or onions. Dust with paprika or parmesan cheese, depending on theme. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Serves one or more (if the other person is still there).

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Tuna Casserole [Hot Dish]
Submitted by Carolyne Gibson, Sebastopol, CA

1/2 small onion, chopped
1 T. butter, margarine or olive oil
1 can cheap mushrooms, drained (or 5 or 6 fresh mushrooms, sliced)
1 can cheap tuna, drained
1/4 cup sherry (plus a glass for the cook, if you're not a member of a dry denomination)
1 can cream of whatever soup
8 oz. egg noodles
4 oz. cheddar cheese, grated

Cook the egg noodles according to the directions on the package; drain and set aside. Brown onions and mushrooms in butter. Stir in tuna, soup, and sherry; cook until just bubbly. In a casserole (hot dish) dish that looks like it will hold everything, layer the noodles, tuna, and cheese (probably two layers; try to come out even, with the cheese on top). Bake, covered, at 350 degrees for half an hour or so. Serves about four, but can be doubled or quadrupled easily (however, might be unwise to quadruple the cook's sherry intake).

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Funeral Hot Dish
Submitted by Troy Quenemoen, Minneapolis, MN

1 bag medium egg noodles, boiled
1 lb. ground beef
1 cup diced celery
1 cup diced onion
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
salt and pepper to taste
3 cups milk
1 can corn

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In skillet, brown meat with onions and celery. In dutch oven, mix boiled noodles, soup, milk, and corn, and stir. Add browned ingredients and stir all together. Cover and bake in oven for 30 minutes.

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Spam-aroni and Cheese
Submitted by Julie Jensen, Lodi, CA
Little kids love this because there are no yucky green things to pick out.

1/2 lb. macaroni, cooked and drained
1/2 lb. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
3/4 lb. cottage cheese
1/2 lb. sour cream
1 can Spam, cubed
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Topping (crushed chips or buttered bread crumbs) is optional

Mix the whole mess together, turn into a 9X13 baking dish, add topping if you're dragging it to a potluck, and bake uncovered for 30-40 minutes. Easy!

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Stove Top Meat Loaf in Tomato Gravy
Submitted by LeVerne Kidd, Minden, LA
Living in the South, we look for ways to avoid turning on a hot oven in the summer time. This was my mother-in-law's recipe, and I sometimes add or take away ingredients according to what items are on hand. I've even grated a carrot into the meat mixture, just to get a few extra veggies into my meat and potatoes loving grandkids! So live dangerously and experiment with this recipe. You may surprise yourself with a wonderful dish, with that 'personal' touch.

1 lb. hamburger
1 med. chopped onion
1 cup (more or less) crushed cracker crumbs, or bread crumbs
1/4 cup Bell pepper
1 egg
1/4 cup catsup
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix all the above. If too dry to stick together, add a little milk. Divide meat mixture. Pat into two small loaves. Carefully roll or sprinkle flour on all sides. In a deep fry pan, lightly brown loaves, one at a time in about 1 inch hot oil. Using a large spatula, carefully remove from the pan onto a platter. Brown about 3 heaping tablespoons flour in the pan drippings. Now stir in a pint of stewed tomatoes, add water as needed to make a smooth gravy, and season with salt and pepper. Gently place the meat loaves into the tomato gravy, cover pan and cook on a low heat for about 30 to 45 minutes. Serve with creamed potatoes or cooked rice. This will be one of the most moist meat loaves you've ever put into your mouth.

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Really Easy Sorta Healthy Chicken and Vegetable Assembly
Submitted by Meredith McComb, Bolton Landing, NY

There was a Green Giant sale on when I made up this recipe.

Filling:
1 lb.boneless/skinless chicken breasts
1 large onion
1 pkg. Green Giant lo-fat creamed spinach
1 pkg. chopped frozen spinach (any brand)
1 pkg. Green Giant Honey Glazed Carrots

Crust:
1 cup Bisquick
1/2 cup milk
1 egg (preferably a yard egg)

Sprinkle the chicken breasts with some Seasoned Meat Tenderizer (don't tell anyone!) and sear both sides in a little olive oil and butter on the stove. Remove to a glass dish and finish in the oven for 20 minutes at 350 degrees. While chicken is in the oven, slice the onion and put it on low heat in the chicken pan on the stove. Once the onion's in the pan, use the microwave to cook the spinach, then the creamed spinach, then the carrots according to directions, add to onion and stir.

(There's time here to sip a glass of wine if you'd like, but use a timer if you do.)

Note: When cooked, drain the plain spinach well, then put it in paper towels and squeeze, repeating three times 'til good and dry. Don't do this to the creamed spinach, for obvious reasons. Turn up the oven to 425 degrees. Take out the chicken and cut in chunks, and add it to the vegetables. Put the whole mess back in the glass dish. Mix the Bisquick, milk and egg, and pour over the top. Add a bit more milk if you'd like to feel virtuous because the crust is thin. If you aren't afraid of the consequenses, sprinkle the batter thickly with Hot Shot ground pepper blend (equal parts cayenne and black). Bake at 425 degrees until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Some people would add two tablespoons of brandy and a can of cream of chicken soup to the filling, and who am I to tell them no? Be sure to use a bigger pan if you do.

Makes 2-4 servings, depending on if you invited Dwayne.

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Beef Chow Mein
Submitted by Jean Trester, Winona, MN

1 lb ground beef
2 cups celery cut fine
1 large onion cut fine
1-8 oz. pkg. Chow Mein Noodles
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can water
2 T. soy sauce.
Very little salt and pepper

Brown hamburger, add celery and onions and cook till done. Mix everything together in a casserole (hot dish) dish and bake at 350 degrees for 1-1/2 hours. You can add 1 can of mushrooms if desired. I like to save out a few of the chow mein noodles to sprinkle on the top before it goes into the oven. I also put the bottle of soy sauce on the table as some people like to shake a little more on while eating.

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Keilbasa Casserole [Hot Dish]
Submitted by Terrence Lewis, Rising Sun, MD
This recipe is very good. I have taken it to several covered-dish-dinners and it goes very quickly.

1lb keilbasa cut into rings about a 1/2 inch thick (I use Hillshire Farms)
4 med. red skin potatoes, sliced about 1/4 inch thick
1 large yellow or white onion, sliced 1/4 inch thick
Basic white sauce, using butter, flour, milk and some dillweed

Make white sauce first and set aside (make it on the thick side).

Layer a 9 X 13 cake pan with the sliced potatoes. Cover with one third of the white sauce. Place onion slices on top of potatoes. Place sliced keilbasa on top of onions and add more sauce. Do this until all the potatoes, onions and keilbasa are used up. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes. When the potatoes are tender, it is done. Helpful Hint: If you line your pan with aluminum foil, the clean-up is easy.

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RinCumDiddy
Submitted by Diane Amison, Williston Park, NY
A variation on a Saturday night favorite!

6 slices white (we use Wonder) bread
Velveeta cheese (cubed)
1 large can crushed tomato
Potato chips

In a saucepan, heat the tomato and Velveeta cheese cubes until the cheese begins to melt. In a greased casserole (hot dish) dish, put a layer of bread on the bottom, add tomato and cheese mixture, put another layer of bread, then another layer of tomato and cheese. Top the whole thing with crushed potato chips. Bake at 350 degrees until the mixture is bubbly. Bubbly and good.

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No-Name Bacon Hot Dish
Submitted by Kathleen O'Rourke-Fahey, Arlington, VA

3-4 strips bacon (more if you use center cut)
1 cup diced celery
1 cup diced green pepper
1 cup diced onion
1 lb. lean ground beef
3 cups cooked rice
1 can tomato soup
salt & pepper to taste

Dice bacon and cook over low heat to render most of the fat without overcooking -- you want it a bit short of crumbly. Remove to large mixing bowl. Leave a tablespoon or so of fat in pan. Raise heat to medium high and add vegetables and salt and pepper to taste. Saute vegetables until tender. Don't brown. I start with the celery and give it an extra minute or two. Add vegetables to bacon in mixing bowl. Brown ground beef, breaking into fairly small pieces. Drain and add to bacon and vegetables. Add rice and mix thoroughly. Add soup and mix again. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Put in casserole (hot dish) dish and bake covered at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour. Bacon never tasted so good!

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Crockpot Lacquered Chicken Hot Dish
Submitted by Rich Healey, Franklin, MA

1 T. vegetable oil
2 lb whole chicken
3 very large onions, peeled and chopped
5 large tomatoes, chopped
1 medium orange, unpeeled, seeded, chopped
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/2 cup water
1 bouillon cube, crumbled
3 heaping T. red currant, raspberry or red grape jelly
1/4 cup sweet sherry

In a medium skillet, over medium high heat, heat the oil and saute the chicken, turning often, until well browned all over. Remove the chicken to a plate. Saute the onion in the skillet until well browned. Turn on the crockpot. Place the tomatoes, orange, sugar, salt and pepper in the pot and set the chicken on top. Rinse the skillet with the water and scrape into the cooker. Add the bouillon cube. Cover and cook on low for 5 to 7 hours. Before serving, remove the chicken to a deep serving dish and keep warm. Turn the pot contents into a skillet, set the heat to high and simmer until thick enough to mound on a spoon. Stir in the jelly and the sherry and cook, stirring until the sauce boils. Do not overcook, lest the sauce lose its shiny quality. If you wish, add some sugar or sweet sherry to further brighten the taste. If sauce is not shiny enough, bring back to a very brisk boil and quickly stir in some jelly. Pour sauce over the chicken. Enjoy this classy hot dish!

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Mom's Mean & Meaty Chili by Janet Paetz [sort of a hot dish]
Submitted by Craig Paetz, Saginaw, MI
My wife made this recipe and took 3rd place in The 1998 Saginaw County Fair. That's what the judges gave her but in my opinion it is number one. Here goes:

3 lbs. Ground Round
1 lb. sirloin steak cut in small pieces
3 stalks celery chopped
1 large onion chopped
2 T. chili powder
2 tsp. camino (cumin)
3 large cloves crushed garlic
4 tsp. salt
pepper to taste

Brown meat. Add celery, onion and spices. Stir often for about 10-15 mins. on medium heat. Use fresh spices from a Mexican store or mail order spices like Penzeys for much better flavor. Then add:

1/2 cup ketchup
1 28 oz. can of diced tomatoes
1 28 oz. can of water (add a little at a time for thickness you desire)
1 10 oz. can of undiluted tomato soup
1 16 oz. can of dark red kidney beans
1 15 oz. can pinto beans
2 15 oz. cans traditional style refried beans (use one w/green chilies for spicier flavor)

Stir well uncovered for at least one hour or until desired thickness. Enjoy!

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Tamale Pie
Submitted by Terry Setser, Gaston, SC
This hot dish is so darn good because I have no recollection of any family member ever making this recipe! I have fed this to hundreds of church goers and none of them have thrown it up! I say if it's good enough for the Baptists, it's good enough for the Lutherans!!!

2 lbs. ground beef
1 large chopped onion
1 large chopped green bell pepper
1 cup tomato sauce
1 can chopped black olives
1 1/2 cups yellow corn meal
3/4 lbs. shredded cheddar cheese
1 tsp. ground cumin or 2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. salt (once again)

To a large skillet add ground beef, onion, green pepper, cumin, salt and pepper. Saute until beef is browned and veggies are soft. Drain fat from pan. Add tomato sauce and stir until boiling. In medium sauce pan, stir 2 1/2 cups water, corn meal and 1/2 tsp. salt. Bring mixture to boil until thickened. Grease huge casserole (hot dish) dish, coat bottom of casserole (hot dish) dish with half the corn meal mixture, pour beef mixture into casserole (hot dish), cover top with chopped or sliced black olives. Layer cheddar cheese over top of that. Spoon remainder of hot corn meal mixture over entire top. If need be, make another batch of corn meal mixture for top. Bake at 350 degrees until top is golden brown and bubbly.

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Chili-Burger Supper
Submitted by Maggie Durgin, MiWuk Village, CA
A quick and easy hot dish! A favorite with my mother, who would read a book up to the last minute before Dad's arrival at 5:00, then say, "Well, what shall I make for supper?" By this example I learned the importance of reading and am now a librarian who cooks between books!

1 cup elbow macaroni
1 lb. ground chuck
1 can condensed chili beef soup
1 can condensed tomato soup
3 slices American cheese

Cook macaroni following package directions. Drain thoroughly. Brown ground meat in skillet. Add both soups and macaroni. Heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 - 7 minutes until the mixture bubbles. Lay cheese slices on top, cover for a few minutes until cheese melts slightly. Serves 6 (or 2 adults and 2 teenage boys).

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Grandma's Sunday Chicken Hot Dish
Submitted by Lynn Peterson, Eden Prairie, MN
It was always a special treat to have my Grandmother's creamy chicken hot dish for Sunday supper. You can prepare it Saturday night, refrigerate, then have it cooking while you're at church. It's a lovely aroma to come home to.

4 boneless breasts
4 slices bacon
Buttered pan
3 oz. can chipped beef (chopped, then layered on bottom of pan)

Wrap chicken in bacon and hold together with toothpick. Combine 1/2 can mushroom soup with small carton sour cream. Pour over chicken. Place chicken in buttered pan. Cook uncovered, baking for 4 hours at 275 degrees. Serve with rice or wild rice and steamed vegetables.

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Macaroni and Beef Hot Dish
Submitted by Natalie Woods Grosfield, Bemidji, MN

1 lb. elbow macaroni
1 medium onion, chopped
1 lb. ground beef, cooked and drained
1 28 oz. can Italian tomatoes with liquid, broken up (may want to add 1 smaller can, too...drain and reserve liquid, in case it is needed)
Salt and pepper
2 C shredded cheddar or mozzarella

Cook macaroni until just tender. Brown beef with onions and drain. Mix macaroni, meat and tomatoes, season. Pour half into a lightly buttered casserole and top with half of cheese. Add remainder of mixture and top with remainder of cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
VARIATIONS: You can add oregano,chopped garlic, Italian seasoning, etc.

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Wild Rice Hot Dish
Submitted by Mildred Weedlebard-Christensen, Concord, NH
This recipe was passed down to me by my father, the Rev. David "Rocket" Christensen, who grew up in Minnesota before moving to the East Coast in the 1940s. Hope you like it.

1 lb. ground beef
1 green pepper
1 cup celery, chopped
1 can mushrooms
1/2 pkg. slivered almonds
1 can mushroom soup
4 cups canned chicken broth
1 cup wild rice, washed
1 T. soy sauce
Pinch of rosemary
Handful of cranberries (preferably fresh, although dried will work, too)

Brown first four ingredients in a pan. Add the rest of the ingredients. Bake at 375 degrees for 1 1/2 hours. Rice will soak up the broth and pop open. After 1 hour, put the cranberries on the top of the hot dish. This will give the dish a surprisingly tart flavor when the berries are mixed in with the rest of the hot dish.