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? :)

Introducing a new static page of vintage recipes

On a dark and stormy night recently, as rain pelted the windows with vicious ferocity and the room was illuminated by the blinding flash of wild bolts of lightning, the idea came to me that it was high time that I rounded up all of the recipes that have every appeared here and plunked them down in one handy-dandy spot so that readers everywhere could quickly and easily scroll through the tasty dishes that have been featured here over the years and find just the thing for their next family meal, dinner party, or even holiday feast alike.

How the two events - a turbulent storm and the idea of making a static page (in the navigation bar at the top of the site) full of vintage recipes - came to be connected is really anyone's guess. I think though that it may have to with the fact that, for as long as I can recall (and part of me has always liked to think that this is because I born on a stormy night) whenever a tempest approaches, and then begins its frenzied dance across the graphite hued sky, I find myself filled with a sort of electric energy that always gives me a lot of mental clarity and makes me feel immensely recharged for a short spell. As such, it doesn't surprise me at all that this idea arrived amongst the claps of thunder on a sizzling hot, soaking wet evening.

As long time readers and new followers alike are likely to know, sharing my love of both food history and cooking has always been a key element here at Chronically Vintage. Recipe posts started popping up early on in this blog's life and have continued on a regular basis ever since. Whether I was dishing about some of the recipes that have been near and dear to me and my family for years (and in some cases, generations) or posting the instructions for a highly varied array of old school eats, there's been no shortage of culinary fun here.

I'm really thrilled actually that the this idea popped into my head, as it's one of those things that as soon as you think of it, it seems so incredibly obvious and which you know you need to implement asap. And so, my dears, that's exactly what I did. Starting that very night, I began culling through back posts and gathering up as many recipes as I could find (each recipe is listed as a link which takes you to the post where it originally appeared).

I tired diligently to track down each and every recipe that has ever appeared on this site, but should you ever happen to find one that isn't listed on the newly created vintage recipe page, please let me know and I'll add it on the double.




{Like myself, I know that many of your adore both cooking and vintage recipes, so I hope that you'll discover (or rediscover) some awesome meal ideas on this newly created page. Charming 1940s illustration of a happy homemaker via Captian Geoffrey Spaulding on Flickr.}


After mulling over how best to arrange the recipes, I decided to list them alphabetically within various categories (such as main dishes, vegetable dishes, cookies, desserts, etc), as I figured that this approach would best mirror how many cookbooks are arranged and would facilitate the easy finding of any type of dish you might be trying to locate a vintage recipe for.

As new recipes spring up here, they too will be added to the list shortly thereafter, so that whether you're hunting for something you remember seeing back in 2010 or a tasty treat from just last month, you can quickly scroll through the list and track it down.

Cooking and all things pertaining the culinary arts have been very near and dear to my heart, and I've adored sharing so many easy, classic recipes with you over the years. I hope that you'll enjoy this new vintage recipe page and look forward to sharing many, many more virtual meals with you in the future.

Hearty 1940s Sausage Macaroni Casserole recipe

✯ Day 313 of Vintage 365 ✯

 

There's an undeniable chill in the air these days. Perhaps not quite bone-shatteringly cold like the brutal arctic winds that rattle much of Canada throughout the winter, but enough of a bite so that one firmly knows summer and even the milder days of fall are well behind us.

During these mid-Novembers days as the world outside begins to slip from autumn to winter, and the possibility of snow is ever-near, I take a certain distinct joy in once again being able to keep my oven on for hours without it heating up our apartment to the point of it feeling like Death Valley.

There's comfort - timeless as the return of night time frost - to the act of creating hearty, filling, wonderful means on the stovetop and inside the oven once more.

From pots of bubbling soup and stew, to roast root vegetables, whole chickens and fragrant sweet nut and fruit breads turning perfectly golden brown, the return of nippy weather brings with it the desire - and need - to feed your family with the sort of dense, stick-to-your-ribs dishes that are rarely seen during the sizzling months of summer.

Though a handful of eyebrow-raising recipes over the years has given the given the word "casserole" a certain less desire connotation, the fact of the matter is that casseroles are a fantastic, handy, scrumptious one dish way to serve up a filling, nutritious meal (especially if you're heavy-handed with the veggies and lean protein).

I've always enjoyed casseroles a lot, be they rich, elaborate Italian cheese-topped numbers or simpler fare tossed together from store cupboard staples. Today's vintage recipe for Sausage Macaroni Casserole (which first appeared in Woman's Home Companion magazine and comes by way of curly-wurly on Flickr) hails from 1947 and speak of the culinary tastes of the decade, yet is still in keeping with many modern day baked pasta dishes.

 

As with most casseroles, this one has the added benefit of being adapted to high heaven. You could swap the sausage for lean ground beef, chicken, or turkey (or use soy crumbles instead); nix the American cheese and add a smoky gouda, mild havarti, or beautifully aged cheddar. In addition to (or instead of) the green pepper, why not try some broccoli florets, corn kernels, or sundried tomatoes?

On the table in under an hour, this creamy, crowd-pleasing macaroni casserole is precisely the kind of dish one yearns for the moment the mercury starts plunging, and is a great vintage recipe to whip up all through the freezing cold fall and winter night have returned once more.

This 1940s Lemon Chiffon Pie recipe is the perfect springtime dessert

✯ Day 96 of Vintage 365 ✯

 

Let me begin today's post by thanking those lovely folks of who shared their comments with me last week when I announced that I was going to revamp the Wonderful Wednesday Recipe post (a longstanding repeat post here on Chronically Vintage) and merge (for the remaining duration of 2011) with the Vintage 365 series. I sincerely appreciate your feedback!

Suggestions such as recipes for frugal comfort foods (thank you for that one, Rocky Mountain Homemaker!) and doing themed months - such as a month of recipes from the 1930s (care of a commenter using the very food post appropriate name of Blackberry), are both ideas that I will keep firmly planted in mind as I search for entertaining vintage recipes to share with you all.

With spring now underway (said the Canadian gal, quickly darting her gaze out the window to make it hadn't suddenly started snowing again, like it did last Thursday!), one's mind tends to turn to lighter fare that incorporates the jubilant colours and sublime flavours of the year's second season into its composition.

Few tastes call to mind the return of spring more than the tart, invigorating, immensely lovely flavour of lemon, and when paired that workhorse darling of the vintage dessert world, chiffon pie, you've got a real winner of a dish on your hands.

{Click here for a larger version of this yummy vintage lemon chiffon pie recipe.}

 

While I highly doubt many companies would likely be so bold as to promote the "healthy properties" (such as being high in Vitamin C and easy to digest) of a dessert like like Knox did back in the 1940s (when this recipe appeared in one of their gelatine ads) today, there's something extra wonderful about the fact that not all yesteryear recipes were as obsessed with being diet-fare worthy as many you see in print are nowadays are.

I rather like the idea that at one point a group of Knox marketing folks were sitting around putting together the next line up of advertisement recipes and trying to come up with seemingly healthy point for what is, there's no denying, clearly a sweet treat. Though in this marvelous sounding Lemon Chiffon Pie's defence, it's not nearly as sugary or caloric as some desserts - both past and present.

Calling to mind the colour of baby chicks, gardens of tulips or soft yellow crocuses, and the soothing return of sunshine, this delightful vintage lemon chiffon pie recipe (which comes via vintage.kitten's great Flickr stream) requires a minimal amount or ingredients, can be whipped up in a jiffy, and has the added appeal of being the kind of delicious classic that works every bit as well today as it did sixty five years ago.

Bon appétit!

Vintage 365: Charming Vintage Recipes blog more than lives up its name!

✯ Day 51 of Vintage 365 ✯

 

Recipes, be they old or new, have always been a major passion of mine. I adore discovering and reading them every bit as much as I do whipping them up in my kitchen. I think that recipes hold a secret wealth of information about who were are - or were - at any given moment in time. From the humble, generally incredibly economical recipes of the early 30s to the wild and wonderful meat/pineapple/maraschino cherry/Velveeta filled gems of the 1950s that hostesses adored serving, recipes speak volumes for the era that they hail from.

I'm always on the prowl for vintage recipes, and over the yeas I've encountered a number of excellent sites that I turn to time and time again both for the joy that they present in the form of the old school foods they features, but also for my own menu planning needs. One such site that I've adorned for quite some time now is Coralie Cederna's exceedingly wonderful blog, Charming Vintage Recipes.

Chock-a-block with fun, fascinating, often very tasty sounding recipes from the mid-twentieth century (which are presented in the form of typed vintage recipes cards, making this site even more awesome right there!), this excellently recipe-rich blog is a joyful look back at the diverse dishes that folks tucked into during the 30s, 40s, 50s, and 60s (such as the great Blueberry Pie Surprise recipe featured above, which I think sounds every bit as scrumptious today as when it first debuted decades ago!).

I visit this Charming Vintage Recipes as often as I can (new posts are added several times a week), and always leave feeling both as though I've got a lovely little history lesson and like I really, really want to head straight for the kitchen and try out these terrific vintage culinary ideas right away!

Vintage 365: Recipe request site stirs my passion for fascinating vintage foods

✯ Day 30 of Vintage 365 ✯

Would you like to know something about me, my dear readers? You would? Splendid! :) I love - and I really do mean adore with a ceaseless passion - reading and learning about new (or more accurately, new to me) recipes. For as long as I can recall I've relished pouring overcook books the way that some folks lose themselves in mystery novels or harlequin romances. I can easily devote hours to cookbooks, reading them cover to glistening food photo adorned cover, and find myself daydreaming about diner parties, holiday suppers, and everyday meals as I consume the marriage of wordsmithery and culinary creation that is a well written and/or intriguing recipe.
In fact, my passion adoration for reading (and also cooking from said) recipes extends beyond just books and culinary magazines however, I'm also rather fond of perusing the virtually endless array of recipes that are to be found online. Perhaps not all that surprisingly, I have a major soft spot in my heart (and endless love) for yesteryear recipes. From the the food that was cooked by pioneer settlers of the nineteenth century to the cocktail party spreads of 1950s homemakers, I practically eat up any sort of vintage recipe I come across.
Recently while scouting around for some WW2 ration era recipes (budget stretching and resourcefulness never go out of style in my books - or at my house), I chanced upon a wonderfully entertaining site with the witty name of Ask Uncle Phaedrus, Consulting Detective and Finder of Lost Recipes. This delightful site is a collection, compiled over the past eleven years, of requests for recipes (and in many cases the sought after recipes themselves, as provided by Uncle Phaedrus) by readers from around the world who are seeking help in tracking down a vast array of modern and vintage recipes alike.
As one might imagine, there are some rather eyebrow raising requests (such as recent one for lasagna made with celery instead of pasta, for example), though, in my opinion, a lot of the queries (and recipes that have been provided) run the gamut from quirky-but-possibly-delicious to flat out mouth-watering sounding.
With over a decade's worth of achieved immensely diverse requests (a fair number of which are for older/classic/heritage foods) and recipes to sift through, this site is a treasure trove of culinary knowledge, inspiration, and entertainment for anyone who enjoys learning around a broad range of wonderfully different foods that have been enjoyed (by at least some portion of the population) at one time or another. And I for one, cannot wait to spend many a chilly winter's evening pouring over a great many of them! :)

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!

Wonderful Wednesday Recipe: Broiled Green Onion and Cheddar Cheese Puffs

While it’s definitely the season to be jolly, we’ve also reached one of the best times of the year to throw a cocktail party, put on a lavish fete, or simply invite a few cherished friends over for a cozy evening of hearty food and rousing conversation.

Earlier this week my dear sister and I were chatting about foods that might work well for an upcoming wine and appetizer party that she’s holding in a few days. My mind instantly raced to thoughts of soothing, earthy, rich (yet in no way overpowering) autumn and winter flavours, such as dishes featuring root vegetables, warm spices (nutmeg, cloves, paprika, cinnamon), dried fruits, nuts, dense, flavourful breads (walnut, pumpkin, rye); grains (wild rice, barley, buckwheat), fennel, figs, apples, and (given its natural affinity with wine) cheese.

Reflecting on some of my favourite tried and true appetizer recipes (many of which have a delightful vintage feel to the ingredients they include), I knew that I had to share this simple, scrumptious, easy-as-can-be recipe for green onion infused cheese puffs with my sister – and with my readers, as I know many of you have your own upcoming parties to plan menus for, too.

This recipe is wonderfully fast to throw together, can be multiplied to your heart’s content (though you may want to prepare it in batches, as it really is best when served straight from the broiler). You can vary the cheese to suit your tastes and menu (just stick with a firm cheese that has a bit of flavour to it – fontina, gouda, emmental, or gruyere would all make splendid choices if you wanted to try something other than Swiss or cheddar cheese), as well as play with various seasonings and additions (just keep the overall weight of anything you add to the mixture somewhat light, so that the mixture can still poof up under the broiler).



{Yum, yum, yum cheddar cheese pairs magnificently with apple pie – as shown in this vintage ad from 1956 – and it also takes center stage in today’s recipe, where it’s paired with egg whites, green onions, bell peppers, and light seasonings to create a winning holiday party appetizer. Vintage Armour Cheese ad via Vintage Ads and Stuff.}


This classic dish (which is somewhat redolent of another fabulous retro cheese and bread recipe: welsh rarebit) makes a great dinner (or wine tasting) party starter, as well as smashing first course or light lunch when paired with a salad or soup. Give it a try this holiday season and I bet it become one of your go-to Christmas party appetizers as well! :)




Broiled Green Onion and Cheddar Cheese Puffs


Ingredients

• ½ cup mayonnaise (can use eggless vegan mayo, if desired)

• 2/3 cup shredded Swiss or aged cheddar cheese

• ¼ cup chopped green onion (or fresh chives or leeks)

• ¼ cup chopped green bell pepper (optional, but it really adds a lovely crunch)

• ½ tsp worcestershire sauce (could use Tabasco/sweet chilli instead, if desired)

• 2 egg whites, stiffly beaten

• Freshly ground black pepper (to taste)

• 8 slices toasted hearty brown bread (such as pumpernickel or rye)



Directions

Turn on oven and set to broiler.

In a medium sized mixing bowl combine the mayonnaise, shredded cheese, green onion, green pepper, worcestershire sauce and black pepper; mix well so that all ingredients are thoroughly blended together. Fold in the (previously stiffened) egg whites and stir lightly to combine.

Spoon an equal amount of the cheese and egg white mixture onto each of the eight slices of bread. Place bread on a non-stick baking sheet and place under the broiler until the cheese and egg mixture has puffed up and turned golden brown (about 4 minutes – watch carefully, as it’s very easy to burn things cooked under the broiler).

Serve cooked cheese puffs immediately (can keep warm under a layer of tinfoil for a few minutes, but the cheese and egg mixture will deflate a bit and the bread may soften slightly – the sooner this dish is served, the better).


Makes 8 appetizer sized portions or served 2-4 as part of a meal

Bon appétit!