Makes 1 large (9" X 13") casserole of 8-10 servings OR divide the dish in two smaller pans, one for the freezer or for a friend!
Ingredients:
• 1 pound pasta of your choice
• 1 T olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 1 ½ pounds lean ground beef or turkey (See variations below.)
• 2 10.5 ounce cans condensed cream of mushroom soup OR (Saute 8 oz sliced mushrooms in 2 T butter, add 2 T flour and 1 1/2 C milk. Stir until thick and use in place of canned soup.)
• 1 C milk
• salt and pepper to taste
• ½ tsp paprika, optional
• ½ tsp dried parsley, optional
Instructions:
1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray am 9 X 13" oven dish with cooking spray.
2. Cook the pasta until al dente (You will bake the dish in the oven.)
3. Saute onion and garlic in oil until soft – add ground meat and cook until done. See note below.
4. As soon as the pasta is done – drain and return to the pot on very low heat.
5. Add the cooked meat, soup and milk to the pasta – stir through – season to taste with salt and pepper.
6. Transfer to the prepared baking dish or dishes – sprinkle with paprika and parsley, if using – bake 25 – 30 minutes.
Variations: Cubed or shredded leftover chicken can be used instead of ground meat. For a cheesier dish, stir in an 8 ounce package of cream cheese and 2-3 C grated cheddar or Monterey Jack Cheese. If your family likes veggies, add 1 C chopped green pepper or 1 C frozen peas.
Freezing Instructions:
- Before baking, transfer to one 9" X 13" or two freezer small oven safe dish(es). Aluminum pans work well, especially if you want to gift someone with a meal.
- Cool completely and cover with an airtight lid or foil. Label with thaw/cook instructions and date before placing in the freezer. Make sure to have an airtight lid or seal tightly with foil.
- Thaw/Cook Instructions: Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Bake uncovered in a preheated 350 degree oven until it bubbles, about 30 – 40 minutes.
If you would like to be notified when we share new recipes, be sure to scroll to the bottom, provide your email address, check the box confirming you are not a robot, click on a few photos to prove it and click subscribe! You will then receive an email after each new post. Remember, we're always looking for new recipes and stories, so keep sending them to ecopact@fspa.org!
To find a recipe or specific ingredients, simply add it to the fspa.org search bar and past recipes will be listed!
Story:
This recipe puts a meal on the table and one in the freezer. It can be doubled or with some arithmetic skills can be made for a crowd! Make ahead meals save time and limit waste. You can use one to surprise a friend, new parents or someone in your community with a thoughtful and convenient supper.
Many Amish and other farm families make freezer meals as a community project. Prepared with some favorite freezable recipes, a shopping list and the right containers, a morning of preparation can fill a freezer with simple suppers. Imagine a kitchen full of recipes, tools and hands to make hearty meals like Chili, Sloppy Jo’s, Pulled Pork, Ground Beef or Turkey Casseroles, Lasagna and other Pasta Recipes. Soups, Stews, Breakfast Dishes, even Cookie Dough, also freeze and defrost well. Click here for practical tips and tested make ahead recipes from Gina of “The Shabby Creek Cottage” prepared with the spirit of Amish simplicity.
Besides Amish kitchen skills of simple meals, pickling and curing home-raised produce and meats, the Amish embrace a life of faith and community. Sharing their talents and sharing time with neighbors and family is at the heart their beliefs and lifestyle. It is much like the Gift Economy and the Franciscan Economy where wealth and talents are shared in good times and in bad.
Invitations:
- Reflect on a time when you have been gifted by someone with a meal or when you have been the one to share. How did the experience affect you and the relationship?
- Consider the skills (childcare, needle crafts, carpentry, gardening, leather work) you could share with someone to create a "Gift" Economy as described by Robin Wall Kimmerer in her latest book. It is entitled “Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprosity in the Natural World”, published by Birchbark Books.
- Read about Amish faith and simplicity. Kathy Kuderer, a Cashton, WI woman who has had relationships with Amish neighbors most of her life wrote “Down a Country Road with the Amish”. Amish farms in her area and all around the country make up a large part of Organic Valley Cooperative. Their products are ethically sourced and help retain fertile land for farming as they work to save small family farms when the earth needs small regenerative food production. The photo above of an Amish Farm is by Vladimir Kudinov courtesy of Pexels.com.
- Buy Amish made food products, furniture, crafts and more.
- For a fun fall outing, search for "Amish Country tours near me" to find a tour in the Midwest, New York, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and more. Try Bluffscape Amish Tours in Lanesboro, MN.
- The internet has lots of make-ahead meal sites and videos. Another reference for preparing meals in advance is Once A Month Cooking by Mimi Wilson and Mary Beth Lagerborg who started small and learned to save time and money cooking together for their families and others in need. It’s a great project for a family, a group of friends or neighbors or a church group.
Post a Comment