A Recipe Revival

Not too long ago, I read an online article about seven forgotten dishes that should be brought back to life.  Over the years, I've written about three of these dishes.

Meat Loaf:  The Sweet and Sour Meat Loaf recipe I shared in 2014 is a twist on the classic.  It's not your grandmother's meat loaf!

Salisbury Steak:  A fancy name for a humble hamburger patty.  The version I wrote about three years ago calls for the sauce to be baked with the meat.  Mix, shape, bake and serve.

Tuna Noodle Casserole:  I shared this classic six years ago.  Unlike the recipe from years gone by, this one is cooked in the microwave, except for the pasta.

Click here to see the rest of the list and rediscover a dish or two you might have forgotten about.

© Margaret's Morsels

Dinner in a Dash

Last week when I posted Pineapple Pointers, I said I'd share a recipe that is delicious with fresh pineapple.  Although pineapple is often paired with pork -- baked ham with pineapple rings, maraschino cherries and a brown sugar glaze comes to mind -- it's also tasty with tuna.

Until I was a teenager, my favorite meal was a casserole my mother made called Chinese Casserole.  I'm not sure how the dish got its name because, other than using soy sauce and rice, there's nothing Chinese about it.

Chinese Casserole is made with everyday ingredients, ready to eat in a little over 30 minutes and, unlike some quick to prepare meals, full of flavor.

The recipe uses what is known in Cajun and Creole cuisine as the "holy trinity:"  onion, celery and green pepper.  

Onion, celery and frozen chopped green pepper

It's a real time saver to chop and measure the vegetables ahead of time. Store the vegetables together in an airtight container in the refrigerator. When it's time to cook, the time consuming prep work will already be done.

All the ingredients will eventually be combined so use a large 10 or 12-inch skillet.  Saute the onion, celery and bell pepper in a little margarine.  Once they're tender, stir the uncooked rice and sauteed vegetables together.  

Add the remaining ingredients.  One of the ingredients is a 10 ounce package of frozen green peas.  I can't find that size package anymore so I add about half of a 12 ounce package.  I would add more, but my husband doesn't like green peas.  The extra two ounces won't affect the recipe so you can add the entire package or reduce the amount of green peas to suit your taste.

Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly to prevent the rice from sticking.  The easiest way I've found to loosen stuck on rice is with a metal spatula.  Turn the spatula upside down in the skillet and push the rice away from you.  The rice should come right up.  If the rice sticks no matter how much you stir, turn the heat down to medium.

Let the mixture boil for 10 minutes while you continue to stir.  The rice starts cooking which reduces the amount of time the dish has to be baked. Pour the mixture into a greased 2-quart casserole dish and bake at 350° for 20 minutes.

The casserole after it's boiled 10 minutes.

The casserole is delicious served with fresh pineapple, but you can substitute canned pineapple chunks or rings.  Put some garlic bread in the oven at the same time as the casserole and you've got dinner in a dash.

Chinese Casserole

4 to 6 Servings

1/2 medium onion, chopped

1 cup chopped celery

1/3 cup diced green pepper

1 1/2 Tbsp. margarine

1 cup rice (uncooked)

1 (10 oz.) pkg. frozen green peas (unthawed)

2 Tbsp. soy sauce

1 1/2 cups cold water

1 (5 oz.) can chunk tuna (undrained)

1 (10 3/4 oz.) can cream of mushroom soup (undiluted)

Saute the onion, celery and green pepper in margarine until tender.  Stir the rice into the vegetables until thoroughly combined.  Stir in the remaining ingredients.  Bring the mixture to a boil and boil for 10 minutes, stirring constantly.  Transfer the mixture to a greased 2-quart casserole. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes.

© Margaret's Morsels

Hey Mom, What's for Supper?

I have days when my well laid plans fall apart faster than an ice cube in boiling water.  I've got a deadline for work, my son needs to be picked up at school, the repairman that was supposed to be here between 10:00 and 2:00 hasn't show up at 4:00.  I'm ready to yell, "Calgon, take me away," but am snapped back into reality by five little words:  "Hey Mom, what's for supper?"


On days like this, I forget about cooking whatever was on that night's menu.  Instead, I fix Microwave Tuna and Noodle Parmesan using a recipe I found in a magazine 20 years ago.  Not only is it quick and easy -- two of my favorite things -- it uses ingredients I always have on hand.

The original recipe called for a five ounce package of noodles.  I can't find this size so I buy a 12 ounce package and use not quite half the noodles.  I only use 1 tablespoon of chopped onion, but you can add more to taste. The recipe calls for two teaspoons lemon juice.  I highly recommend adding it because lemon juice enhances the flavor of food without adding a lot of calories.


When I make this casserole, I substitute healthier versions of three of the canned items.  I use 98% fat-free soup, fat-free evaporated milk and chunk light tuna in water.  When mixed with all the other ingredients, you can't taste the difference.


To speed up the cooking process, I put a pot of water on the stove to boil before I do anything else.  While the water comes to a boil, I chop the onion, drain the mushrooms, open the cans and measure the remaining ingredients.  By the time the noodles are in the boiling water, I'm ready to start cooking the first two ingredients in the microwave.  If everything goes as planned, the noodles are done right before I'm ready to add them to the casserole.  Once the casserole is assembled, it takes just nine minutes to cook in an 1100 watt microwave.  This gives me enough time to steam fresh broccoli as a side dish.


If you keep a well stocked pantry, you can make this dish when you need something quick, have unexpected company or can't let Calgon take you away until the family has been fed.

Microwave Tuna and Noodle Parmesan

4 to 5 Servings

1 (5 oz.) pkg. medium noodles

1 Tbsp. chopped onion or to taste

2 Tbsp. water

1 (10 3/4 oz.) can cream of mushroom soup (undiluted)

1 (5 oz.) can evaporated milk

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 tsp. lemon juice

1 (5 oz.) can tuna, drained and flaked

1 (4 oz.) can mushroom stems and pieces, drained

grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Cook noodles according to package directions; drain and set aside. Meanwhile, in a 1 1/2-quart microwave-safe casserole, combine onion and water.  Cook in microwave, covered, on High for 3 minutes.  Stir soup, milk, Parmesan cheese and lemon juice into onion mixture.  Fold tuna, mushrooms and drained noodles into soup mixture.  Cook, uncovered, on High for 9 minutes, stirring every 4 minutes.  Sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese before serving, if desired.

© Margaret's Morsels