Upgrade! Mom's Casserole

I saw the movie 'Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close' this weekend with my lovely friend Brenda.  It was ridiculously sad, so it's probably best to watch it in the privacy of your home with a box of tissues nearby.   The kid in the movie loses his dad on 9/11 and the story is about him searching for the lock to a key that his dad left behind.  He spent so much time and effort on the endeavor because it was his way of trying to prolong his time with his father.  I can relate. I've been looking for a way to do that with my mother.  Maybe this is it.

Anyway, on to the recipe.

While Mom's Casserole was no stranger to our house, that doesn't mean it was fabulous.  It was fine, but I tried to make it over into a more refined dish. I also made half the recipe because I didn't want to eat it for the entire next week.  The New and Improved takes a little more effort, but I think it's worth it. Behold!

Ingredients
3/4 lb ground beef
1/2 c chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, chopped
3/4 c whole kernel corn
1 c béchamel sauce (recipe here)
1/2 c sour cream
1/2 of a red bell pepper, chopped
roasted cauliflower
chopped mushrooms
fresh rosemary
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
3 c medium noodles- cooked (I used bowtie)
3 slices stale bread, buttered

Directions
Brown the meat.
Add onions and garlic, cook 'til tender, but not brown.
Add next 10 ingredients (thru noodles), mix well.
Pour into a 1qt casserole dish.
Tear the buttered stale bread into bits and sprinkle on top.
Bake in a 350° oven for 30 mins or until hot.

It looks about the same, but the rosemary and garlic add a delicious scent and flavor.  All in all, the dish is a little more grown up and probably a little healthier.

Mom's Casserole

A fitting dish to start the blog, Mom's Casserole was a staple in the Sims household.  Quick, easy, and fed a lot of mouths.  I never liked it, mostly because there were plenty of olives in it, but since I'm in charge now, I left those out. 

Ingredients
1 1/2 lb ground beef
1 c chopped onion
1 12-oz can (1 1/2 c) whole kernel corn
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 c sour cream
1/2 c chopped pimiento (Mom subbed olives. I subbed red bell pepper)
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
3 c medium noodles- cooked (I used bowtie)
1 cup buttered bread crumbs
1/2 tsp accent (I think this is what the card says, but I have no idea what that means.)

Directions
Brown the meat.
Add onions, cook 'til tender, but not brown.
Add next 8 ingredients (thru noodles), mix well.
Pour into a 2qt casserole dish.  Sprinkle with bread crumbs.
Bake in a 350° oven for 30 mins or until hot.

The card says "(supposed to serve 8-10, but around here it does fine for five or six)".  Ha!  So much for portion control!

The Verdict
Not bad at all.  It doesn't look very pretty, but it tasted better than I remember, especially with NO OLIVES!