Welcome the return of comfort food season with this great 1950s casserole recipe

For the third time in a single year, quite a rarity on the ol' calendar, we get to experience a Friday the 13th. I'm not a very superstitious person myself, so this doesn't phase me in the slightest. If anything, I actually tend to find Friday the 13th to be a really positive day for me - or at least not one that differs from your run-of-the-mill Friday.

{Vintage Friday the 13th image source}

Presently my mind is focused far less on bad luck and suspicious mojo and much more on the fact that we are really and truly into comfort food season once again. Winter may still technically be more than a month away, but in Canada it might as well start on November 1st for all intents, because once Halloween wraps up, most of us switch into winter holiday mode and the weather tends to take a substantial nose dive early in November as well. Not always, and certainly more so in some parts of the country than others, but in general, yep, November = the start of winter here.

I'm a huge fan of comfort food, of gathering friends and family around the table and satiating our bellies and souls alike with food so delicious you nearly tear up with joy as you smell it cooking. Food that evokes thoughts of cozy autumns and icy winters past, of childhood memories, and sometimes of places we've traveled to throughout our lives as well. Such food doesn't have to be an epic calorie feast either, but sometimes it is, and there's nothing wrong in the slightest with that (at least once in while!). We need the extra fuel to stay warm and stave off winter's energy zapping chill.

Today's vintage recipe falls somewhere in the middle I think, though it could be more or less of a treat, just depending on what you put inside it. This 1950s recipe for Chili or Stew Casserole is dead simple to make and isn't too hard on the wallet either, especially if you put existing leftovers to work in it.



{Tasty mashed spuds combine with your favourite chili, stew or similar filling (a thick corn chowder is fabulous here!) in this classic mid-century cold weather perfect casserole that first appeared in the pages of Women's Day magazine back in 1952. Vintage recipe ad image source.}


One of the great things about this recipe is that it can easily be made vegetarian or vegan, if so desired (simply omit meat and/or other animal products), and you can also use a good all-purpose gluten-free flour for the topping. I've made GF versions of this recipe numerous times and it always comes out aces!

You can also swap out the regular potatoes for cooked yams, sweet potatoes, mashed turnips, hearty squash or pumpkin verities, mashed (and drained) cauliflower or broccoli, carrots or, one of my personal favourites, parsnips.

Likewise, as with many casseroles - and this is certainly one of their most appealing qualities - you can add or subtract from the filling, if so desired (for example, you add further cooked chopped veggies to stretch out a small amount of leftover stew or chili). This dish is also nice, especially if you're using chili for it, topped with a little grated cheese before you put it in to oven to bake.

This is not the first, nor, I'm sure, will it be the last vintage comfort food recipe that I post here. I love dishes like this that satisfy and more than live up to their name. They make us happy, are reliable, and work well for as well for solo meals as they do large crowds - plus they usually freeze wonderfully to boot (perfect for those busy December holiday season weeks that lay ahead). What's not to adore? :)

Wonderful Wednesday Recipes: Crème fraiche, Sweet Corn & Tuna Penne

The sun sets far too early, the air jabs at your throat like an assassin in the night, the wind screeches at all hours of the day, and the snow piles up until the ground looks a powdered sugar factory exploded. It's mid-January, thick in the depth of another freezing winter, the body craves warmth and simplicity. On chilly nights like this my mind turns to comfort foods that can be prepared without needing to venture to the market.

Store cupboard staples, always ready at your beck and call, are on the menu tonight in the form of a wonderfully easy - yet surprisingly tasty - pasta dish that I first whipped up about six years ago. It sprung forth from the fact that my husband adores the combination of sweet corn and seafood together (not that one can argue with him there, some types of fish and seafood do match wonderfully with the earthy, juicy, vaguely sugary taste of corn), and has popped up at our table each winter since its inception.

{Who could pass up a vintage ad featuring one of the main ingredients in this Wednesday's recipe that also happens to star the timelessly beautiful Maureen O'Hara? Not me, that's for sure! In fact, not only does Maureen look ravishing (as always, she was such an elegant knock-out!), but the salad in this ad actually doesn't look half-bad either - though I'd probably save that for hotter weather, when the opposite of today rings true and the last thing you want to sit down to is a warm meal. Vintage Star-Kist Tuna ad via Bluwmongoose on Flickr.}

 

As with most pasta recipes, you can play around quite a bit here. If tuna isn't your favourite, why not swap in tinned or smoked salmon, tiger shrimp, or even some large, succulent langoustines (scampi)? You could also (and I have, it's equally tasty) forgo the seafood in favour of some (precooked) chicken, turkey or even (should you happen to have any on hand) duck meat. Likewise you can play around with the seasonings, trading cilantro or basil for the parsley, if you prefer (a large handful of arugula swirled through during the last few seconds of cooking, in lieu of, or in combination with, the parsley is also delightfully tasty).

Days like today, heavy with with the force of a snowstorm and tiring on the soul, really do call for nourishing, one plate dishes that can be thrown together in a matter of minutes, and this savoury, subtly Mediterranean pasta fits that bill perfectly.

 

Crème fraiche, Sweet Corn & Tuna Penne

Ingredients

- 1 can of good quality tuna (if you can get some of the wonderful Italian canned tuna that comes packed in olive oil, all the better), drained of any liquid/oil

-125ml crème fraiche

-2 tbsp freshly grated parmesan cheese

-2 tbsp (or to taste) fresh flat leaf parsley, roughly torn or chopped

-1/4 tbsp dried oregano

3 tbsp olive oil

-200ml (or a bit more, if desired) evaporated milk

-1/2 cup cooked (frozen/fresh) or canned sweet corn (you can certainly add more if you’d like)

-Salt and freshly cracked black pepper, both to taste

-175 grams (dried) penne pasta

 

Directions 

In a large non-stick frying pan, heat the drained tuna and olive oil over medium heat for a couple of minutes. Turn down the heat to low and add the crème fraiche and herbs. Stir well and simmer for 5 minutes, then stir in the corn and continue cooking over very low heat (stirring periodically while cooking).

Meanwhile, cook the pasta as per the directions on the package. Once the pasta is cooked to your liking, drain and add to the frying pan with the tuna mixture. Add in the parmesan cheese, evaporated milk, and salt and pepper, stirring well to combine.

Cook mixture over low heat for 2-4 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened to a nice, creamy consistency. Transfer pasta to a serving bowl or plate each portion and bring it to the table to be enjoyed at once (a little extra parmesan and some more chopped parsley sprinkled over top is a lovely finishing touch).

 

Makes 2 lunch or diner main course servings (this recipe can easily be multiplied as needed).

Bon appétit!