So when I was invited to participate in a full-on balls-to-the-walls Casserole Cook-Off using old "Church Lady" recipes, I jumped at the chance. And even though it might compromise my Retro Weight Watchers code of ethics, I figured - why not? What could possibly go wrong??
Then I got my assignment. (Courtesy of my pal, Yinzerella)
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| Ruth Silverstone Will Casserole Your Ass Off! |
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| Recipes and Napkin Folding from the JCC of Harrison County |
Aside from the fish (which we must eat 5 times per week on the Retro WW Program) and the broccoli (which is my favorite "legal" vegetable) - the rest of the dish is a multi-layered pile of gooey dietetic wrongness.
But -- Since the Casserole Cook-Off rules demand that substitutions are not allowed, I wasn't able to lighten this dish up for my dietetic needs. In true Retro WW fashion, I would normally replace the celery soup with a gelatin/buttermilk combo and I would swap the margarine with a butter flavored extract. And for the love of Jean Nidetch -- poach the fish in WINE?!? Dear lord - alcohol is at the top of the list of forbidden foods. We do our poaching in plain old water, people. I could go on, but you get the idea.
So after making an official public apology to my entire Retro WW Sisterhood, I present you (layer by layer) with...
Anything Anytime Casserole!
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| Butter and Broccoli and Noodles - Oh My! |
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| Water Chestnuts. Unexpected, but totally made the dish. |
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| Poached Fish? Nailed it. |
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| Celery soup, mushroom and seasonings. The Great Gooey Goodness! |
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| Top with cheese and pop in the oven! |
This casserole had 7 layers, and required me to dirty 6 dishes. Seriously? I almost ran out of Palmolive half way through my clean-up.
And what about the name of the recipe? Anything? Anytime? Wow! Do you mean I can whip this up at 3:00am? Can this dish possibly be more versatile?
But how did it taste?
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| It. Was. Delicious. |
As I wipe the drool from my chin, I would just like to say thank you Ruth Silverstone. You are the creator of this casserole. You are the mastermind behind this delicious combination. You deserve a spot in the comfort food Hall of Fame! I am sure the rest of the ladies in the Jewish Community Center of Harrison would agree. Mazel Tov!
So just how am I supposed to go back to my Retro WW eating after this? Hmmm?
I mean, really.
Wanna check out the other Casserole Challenge posts? Including the Potato Casserole which I threw in the mix - courtesy of the Polish Hill Civic Association of Pittsburgh? Go ahead. Tap into your inner Church Lady! Here are the links...
Caker Cooking - Polish Potato Casserole
Dinner is Served 1972 - Cock-a-Doodle Casserole
Mid Century Menu - Sausage Apple Noodle Casserole
Retro Recipe Attempts - Lazy Bride's Dish
5 comments:
I really thought the poached fish would make it gross.
Ruth Silverstone got me.
Caloric overload aside, I didn't expect this would work, BUT IT DID? Wow. I'm impressed, too, Ruth Silverstone!
I love how they don't tell you what kind of fish. Just fish. Throw some shark in there, whatever. ;)
Everything is just so....green. The casserole. The Pyrex dish. The plate. Talk about color coordination. (See? I spelled colour the American way as a gesture of good will.) I'm glad you enjoyed this, Mimi, but I can honestly say, I don't think I'll ever make this one.
Oh my god, BLARGH! It looks so green and terrible. I am totally shocked it tasted good. But I suppose that cream of celery soup covers a multitude of sins. And I really mean that. That soup overpowers anything.
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