Summer get-together perfect 1950s 7-Layer Casserole

Now, I'm the first to say that the words "summertime" and "casserole" are not always one that I instantly group together, but there's a very practical side to large, substantial dishes of the casserole variety during the sunny, sizzling hot months of the beautiful season that we now find ourselves in again (huge "yay" about that point!).

First and foremost, unless you're serving a large crowd or making a very small quantity of food, most casseroles will last for at least a couple of meals, meaning that you don't need to heat up the oven two (or more) days in a row. Many are also fantastic served cold, perhaps with a fresh salad, some lightly steamed veggies, or something such as corn on the cob that you whipped up on the grill.

They're also great for summertime barbeques, picnics, and other such get-togethers where you're feeding a hungry crowd who are keen on something both visually appealing and taste bud pleasing, to boot.

As well, you don't need to go in for the richest, heaviest, most starchy casserole ever invented either. Leaning heavily on vegetables and/or lighter protein sources (chicken, turkey, lean ham, shrimp, etc) can really help to make a casserole into an excellent warm weather meal choice.

Today's example hails from a 1950s Hunt's Tomato sauce ad and is pretty as a picture!



{Hearty, but not per say heavy, this delightful mid-century 7-Layer Casserole makes for a splendid summertime dish, especially if you're planning, or attending, a group get-together and want to feed a hungry crowd. Vintage recipe image source. Click here for a larger version of this recipe.}


Relatively budget friendly (especially considering how many servings it yields), vibrantly attractive, and downright delicious sounding, this great 1950s 7-Layer Casserole can be altered as desired. If you're a vegetarian or vegan, you can skip both meats and use a vegan ground meat and bacon substitute here instead or simply forgo them entirely, perhaps adding in two more layers of other veggies that you enjoy (black olives, for example, would be great here, IMO).

There isn't too much in the way of seasoning here, so I'd definitely introduce some. Basil, oregano, (fresh) parsley, chives, chervil, paprika, and chili powder, flakes or fresh chillies would all be great ways to inject even more flavour into the mix. You could certainly also top it with some bread crumbs, crumbled crackers or pretzels, French’s onions, slivered almonds, and/or cheese, if the mood strikes.

So much of the beauty and appeal of casseroles lies in their versatility, as well as their classic standing on dinner tables the world over. The fact that many freeze marvelously well, doesn't help either - especially, again, when the temps are off-the-charts warm and you not, in the slightest, in the mood to cook from scratch.

As we embrace summertime, I hope that this season will give you many awesome opportunities to celebrate with your favourite foods, perhaps even including a classic 7-layer casserole or two like the one featured here today. I'm already planning a version of it that I can safely eat for some of our family events in the coming months.

Wishing you all a stellar first weekend of the season and a truly incredible, fun filled summer ahead!

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.