Nourishments—

Dishing It Out

By Nancy K. Crevier

I was a hot dish hold out, growing up in the north country. I did not want my macaroni touching any sautéed hamburger, and certainly not any hamburger doused in tomato sauce. This meant that when the weekly offering of macaroni hot dish got stirred up, my kind mother would separate out a portion of hamburger, a portion of plain macaroni, and put some sauce on the side.

The same went for wild rice hot dish. The venison or hamburger could be set aside, thank you, as could the tomato or cream sauce, leaving the pure wild rice to stand up for itself.

Tuna macaroni was another story, though. For some reason, it was perfectly okay for canned tuna, peas, and pasta to sit intertwined on my plate in this mayonnaise laden salad that was a staple of summer. Tuna noodle hot dish, in which canned tuna mingled with egg noodles in a cream of mushroom sauce, also made it to my dinner plate intact. Go figure.

I think the more refined name, here in New England, is “casserole.” But in Minnesota, we call it “hot dish.” It is that conglomeration of starch, protein, and sauce that is baked in the oven and placed on the table for all to dig into at dinner time. It can be rice, pasta, or potatoes combined with fish, hamburger, chicken, or cheese, and the sauce might be cream of mushroom or celery soup, tomato sauce, or a thick and rich cheese sauce. It is the kind of food that fills up a lot of people, uses up a lot of odds and ends in the refrigerator or cupboard, and is a hearty meal that satisfies the appetite when the air gets a nip in it.

It is a combination of sensory satisfying foods, resulting in a meal that makes everyone happy.

The casseroles I grew up on were not known for their nutritional qualities, but did rate high on the yum factor, as will most high fat, high salt foods. So in my longing to recall those days, but not the calories and questionable preservatives and nutritional value, I went about altering some of my favorite hot dish recipes to include healthier options.

White rice and macaroni are replaced by brown rice or whole wheat macaroni. Organic chicken takes the place of supermarket bargain chicken, or, truth be known, canned chicken. I make my own white sauce, add fresh, sautéed mushrooms and celery and end up with a fine replacement for cream or mushroom soup. My cheese sauce does not involve a bit of Velveeta or Cheez Whiz, and tomato sauce starts out with real tomatoes simmered in olive oil with wine. I balance the starch to vegetable ratio more heavily on the side of vegetables, and when we have left over grilled or broiled tuna, it takes the place of canned tuna.

The point is, there is often a way to tweak childhood favorites to make them a better choice. Sometimes it takes a bit of experimenting, but a lower fat, lower salt meal that still hangs onto the cachet of the times is possible.

The changes I have made are minimal, but I think the results are satisfying, both in taste and nutritional quality. No one, at least, has complained yet… although I have not tested them in a Lutheran Church basement dinner.

Classic Tuna Noodle Hot Dish

1 large can chunk light tuna, drained

1 lb macaroni, cooked and drained

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 10-oz bag frozen peas

1 C crushed Kellogg’s cornflakes mixed with

   4 Tbs melted margarine or butter

Grease a large casserole dish.

Mix all ingredients together, except the cornflakes (Add a half can of cream of celery soup if mix seems dry.)

Pour into casserole.

Spread crumbs over the top and bake at 375 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes, until very hot.

Better For You Tuna Noodle Hot Dish

1 large can albacore tuna packed in water, drained

1 lb whole wheat macaroni, cooked and drained

1½ to 2 C white sauce with mushrooms*

1 10-oz bag frozen peas

1 C whole wheat bread crumbs tossed with 1 Tb olive oil and

   1 Tb melted butter

10 oz sliced button mushrooms

2 Tbs canola oil

Squeeze of lemon

2 C 2 percent milk

3 Tbs unsalted butter

4 Tbs whole wheat flour

Salt and pepper

Sauté mushrooms in oil until very tender, adding a squeeze of lemon and pinch of salt toward end of cooking time. Set aside.

Heat the milk until just warm.

Heat butter in small saucepan until just bubbly. Whisk in flour and stir for a minute.

Whisk in the milk and continue whisking over medium low heat until milk thickens. Remove from heat.

Stir in the sautéed mushrooms, and a bit of salt and pepper.

Spray a large casserole dish with Pam or similar lecithin spray.

Mix all ingredients, except crumbs, together and pour into casserole dish. (Add enough white sauce that the ingredients are well coated and saucy, but not soupy.)

Top with crumbs and bake for 20 to 30 minutes at 375 degrees, until very hot and top is lightly browned.