Years ago I had a handy chart on my refrigerator with five columns of casserole ingredients on it. You pick one ingredient from each column, throw them together, cook for half an hour, and dinner is served. It wont be gourmet fare, but it doesnt take much effort or thought. My kind of cooking.

With so many Y2K preps (and a husband Im trying to teach not to be so helpless in the kitchen), I decided it was time to put the chart back on the fridge. Since I dont know how to make a chart on this forum, Ill just describe it and you can make your own chart.

The first column heading is Protein Foods - 1 = cups. The column list is diced cooked ham; cooked chicken or turkey; Spam; cooked beef, pork, veal, or lamb; hard cooked eggs; hot dogs; cheese; tuna or salmon.

The second heading is Sauce - 1 can condensed soup and one-third cup of liquid. Cream of celery and milk; cream of chicken and buttermilk; cream of mushroom and cream; cream of potato and sour cream; green pea and tomato juice; cheddar cheese and V-8; tomato soup and water.

Cooked Vegetables - 1 = cups. Browned green pepper, celery, and onions; cooked green beans; cooked peas; cooked carrots; cooked asparagus.

Cooked Starch - 1 = to 2 cups. Noodles; macaroni; rice; potatoes; spaghetti; corn; sweet potatoes.

Topping - 2 to 4 tablespoons. Crushed potato chips; fresh bread crumbs; fried onion rings; crushed corn flakes; potato sticks; slivered almonds; cracker crumbs; crushed stuffing mix.

Bake at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes.

-- Pearlie Sweetcake (storestuff@home.now), January 18, 2000

Answers

Hey Pearlie - thanks - my kinda cookin'!

This might also be a good way to figure what I need to balance off my current stockpile of canned goods and grains.

-- Brooks (brooksbie@hotmail.com), January 18, 2000.

Great receipe! I think I'll plan on making 1 casserole a week... Should be able to get thru the y2k preps faster with these combos!

-- mmmm (mmmm@mmmm.com), January 18, 2000.

Modular ....... oooo .... VERY trendy, modular is. Love it.

>"<

-- Squirrel Hunter (nuts@needa.newaddress), January 18, 2000.

I swear, I'm going to start the Pearlie Sweetcake fan club!

Love the tip, thanks Pearlie!

-- Mabel Dodge (cynical@me.now), January 18, 2000.

This evening I told my husband to pick the ingredients and I would make the casserole. He chose corned beef (from Big Lots, a product of Brazil--no telling what kind of animal it was made from), tomato soup, carrots, macaroni, and crushed cracker topping. In all of the times I've used my casserole chart, I think this gave the worst results. It was awfully red. But we ate some and froze the rest for later.

I should have said not to put the topping on until a few minutes before the casserole is done cooking.

-- Pearlie Sweetcake (storestuff@home.now), January 18, 2000.

Thanks, Pearlie. Will try out some combos this week. These recipes are also great for newlyweds without a lot of cooking experience and on a tight budget.

-- Lurkess (Lurkess@Lurking.Net), January 19, 2000.

Pearlie...just checked the front of my refrig. I too have one of these 'thingies', but when I read it, it was a little different in that it calls for frozen veggies. It has 6 columns including the topping. I had thought long ago of putting it on this forum but just didn't know how to do it. Is there a way of scanning onto this forum? Also, mine doesn't have Spam in its meat list. LOL But mine came out of the yuppy magazine SUNSET, published in California.

Taz

-- Taz (Tassi123@aol.com), January 19, 2000.

01-19-00 11:07 PM CST

WOW! Think this must have been written just for me. Thanks Pearlie Sweetcake. Oh, the lazy and bad cook probably fits too.

-- suzy (suzy@nowhere.com), January 20, 2000.

Thanks! I love the people who post recipes! One of my biggest dilemmas, out here in California, is what to do with canned vegetables--which I never ordinarily use. But I did buy them for preps. So, looks like they'd be good in casseroles...

-- Amy (canaryclub@aol.com), January 20, 2000.