Welcome to the “Small Town Gourmet” recipe category. Many of these are a nostalgic remembrance from my childhood in midwest small-town America. These magical concoctions served up by my mother and grandmother on shoestring budgets would feed a hungry flock and sometimes leave a little left over for our lunch boxes the next day. Casseroles were a foundational part of our weekly menu. They were simple, often quick, and always satisfying.
This first offering used to be a family favorite. We would chuckle about the military grade ingredient list, but never before licking our plates clean! It comes almost entirely from “the box,” and when I was a little girl it would serve an entire family for about $2.00. The cost has increased a little, but if you catch the right sales, you can still pull this one together for around $5.00 and maybe half an hour of work.
Meaty Baked Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
1 Cup – Frozen Peas
1 Box (7.25 oz.) – Macaroni and Cheese Dinner
½ Cup – Milk
¼ Cup – Butter or Margarine
1 Can (10.5 oz.) – Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 Can (12 oz.) – Spam (or generic equivalent)
Preparation
- Place peas in a colander rinse and let drain
- In a medium saucepan, bring 4 to 6 cups of water to a boil. Add macaroni and cook until done
- Add about 1 cup of cold water to stop the cooking process and pour the macaroni into the colander with the peas. Let drain
- Once drained pour macaroni and peas back into saucepan
- Add milk, butter, cheese mix, and mushroom soup and mix well
- Spread contents evenly into a 9 by 13 inch glass baking dish
- Cut Spam into 12 equally sized slices and place over macaroni mixture in three rows of four slices
- Place baking dish in a 350-degree oven and bake for 15-25 minutes until Spam has browned
- Remove from oven and let stand for about 5 minutes
- This dish is a meal by itself
- Serve with a side of bread and butter and a glass of cold milk
Tips
- You can add salt and pepper if desired, but I find the combination has enough flavor by itself
- I get (relatively) even slices of Spam by halving it, then halving those two halves, and then cutting the four pieces into thirds
- Try not to get between a hungry child and this dish – you could lose a finger!
Enjoy!
Kate
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