Casseroles help busy families in economic crunch time

Our Cape Central Marching Band has done it again: another first-place rating at the Farmington, Mo., contest Saturday. Despite a little rain shower, we had a fun day and the children looked great. The white uniforms and bright sparkling silver sashes look so pretty in the sun with the shine of the instruments. Yes, they look really sharp! I was so proud of our students, because they didn't celebrate too much out of respect to the other competing schools. Congratulations once again to all of the Cape Central Marching Tigers Band, directors and parent volunteers on a job well done.

In a recent conversation with a parent, she asked if I had a few casserole recipes she could use to stretch her food budget a little during tight economic times. She has a family of four and would like a variety of recipes using chicken and beef to make her dollar go a little further. In my search, I found a mind boggling number of recipes, so I have chosen just a few to include here today.

Cheeseburger Casserole

1 pound ground beef

1/2 cup chopped onion

2 cups water

2/3 cup ketchup

2 tablespoons prepared mustard

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 cups uncooked instant rice

2 slices Cheddar cheese, cut into 1-inch strips

In a skillet over medium heat, brown the beef and onion. Drain. Add water, ketchup, mustard, salt and pepper. Mix well. Bring to a boil. Stir in rice. Cover and remove from the heat. Let stand for 5 minutes. Top with cheese. Cover and let stand for 3 to 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Yields: 4 servings.

Burrito Supreme Casserole

8 (8-inch) flour tortillas

1 1/2 cups tomato juice

1 envelope taco seasoning mix

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1/2 pound ground beef

1 (16 ounce) can refried beans

3 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, divided

1 small avocado

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 1/2 cups shredded lettuce

1 cup chopped tomato

Wrap tortillas securely in aluminum foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Combine tomato juice, seasoning mix and oil. Stir well and set aside. Cook ground beef in a large skillet until browned, stirring to crumble. Drain. Stir in beans and 1/2 cup tomato juice mixture. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes or until mixture is thoroughly heated, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Place 1/4 cup beef mixture and 2 1/2 tablespoons cheese down center of each tortilla. Roll up tortillas and place seam side down in a lightly greased 13-by-9-inch baking dish.

Pour remaining tomato juice mixture over casserole. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake an additional 5 minutes or until cheese melts. Peel and cube avocado. Toss with lemon juice. Sprinkle avocado, lettuce and tomato over casserole. Serve immediately. Yields 4 servings.

Busy Day Casserole

1 1/2 pound ground beef

1 tablespoon oil

1 (4-ounce) can sliced mushrooms, drained

1/2 cup chopped onion

12 ounce can whole-kernel corn, drained

1 can tomato soup

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Salt and pepper, to taste

8 ounces egg noodles

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In large skillet, add oil and onion, saute until tender. Add ground beef and cook until brown. Drain. Add mushrooms, corn and soup. Mix well.

Cook noodles in salt water according to directions, drain. Mix noodles, meat and 1/2 cup cheese. Spoon into casserole dish. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake for 30 minutes.

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

2 large onions, thinly sliced

2 cups cooked chicken, chopped

1/2 cup roasted red peppers, chopped

6 ounces cream cheese, cubed

2 tablespoons butter

1 package flour tortillas

1 large can green enchilada sauce

8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

Salt to taste

In a wide frying pan over medium heat, cook the onions in butter for 20 minutes. Stir frequently to keep onions from burning. Remove from heat and add chicken, red bell peppers and cream cheese. Stir gently to blend, and season with salt. Pour a little green sauce in bottom of 9-by-13 baking pan. Spoon about 1/3 cup of filling down center of each tortilla and roll. Set enchiladas, seam side down, in baking pan. Continue until pan is full. Cover with remaining sauce and top with grated cheese. At this point you may cover and refrigerate. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. If refrigerated, bake for 30 minutes, 15 minutes covered with foil and 15 minutes uncovered. If not refrigerated, bake uncovered for 20 minutes. Makes approximately 12 enchiladas, about 6 servings.

Fresh Broccoli and Ham Casserole

8 ounces macaroni (small elbows, small shells or other), cooked

1/4 cup margarine

1/4 cup flour

2 1/2 cup milk

3/4 cup sharp Cheddar cheese, grated

1 teaspoon grated onion

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1 cup mayonnaise

1 cup diced ham

2 cups cooked, chopped broccoli

2 teaspoons salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1 cup corn flakes or bread crumbs, mixed in 2 teaspoons melted margarine

Cook macaroni. Rinse with boiling water. Make white sauce of margarine, flour and milk. Add cheese, onion and mustard. Fold in mayonnaise, ham, broccoli and seasonings. Top with corn flakes or bread crumbs which have been mixed in melted margarine. Bake in 2 quart casserole at 375 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or bake in several smaller casseroles. Freezes well.

Enjoy this first week of fall, and be sure to send in your tasty fall recipes. I would love lots of reader mail and to have a flood of recipes come in. Have a terrific week and until next time, happy cooking.

Susan McClanahan is administrator at the Cape Girardeau Senior Center. Send recipes to her at smcclanahan@semissourian.com or by mail at P.O. Box 699, Cape Girardeau, Mo. 63701. Recipes published have not been kitchen-tested by Southeast Missourian staff.