Cooking Lesson #957: Conglomeration Casserole

…from the Perspectives’ Kitchen

How you doin? Okay, this recipe isn’t going to win a beauty contest or even the front cover of Bon Appétit or even Mad magazine—but My Conglomeration Casserole (my mother’s name) might not be pretty, but it is tasty, great for a busy-night and a kid-friendly meal. The prep time is generally limited to how fast your can opener works and how hard it is to unwrap your meat. The big bonus is that it is a complete one-pot meal!
 
The history of casseroles is long and detailed. The word "casserole" comes from the French word casse, which means "pan" or "ladle". Casseroles may have originated as communal pots shared for family meals. Early recipes involved pounding and pressing rice into a dish and filling it with a savory mixture and baking it.
 
The oldest written casserole recipe is from 1250 and is for pasta sheets layered with cheese and spices—sounds a little like lasagna. Thomas Jefferson's daughter, Mary Randolph, prepared a pasta dish like a casserole that was served at the White House, no less. Casseroles became more popular due to the introduction of oven-proof cookware and canned and boxed foods. Casseroles were a simple, quick, and inexpensive way to feed a family. Recipes for casseroles began to appear on the backs of all kinds of food packaging. Casseroles are still popular today, with recipes and ingredients that vary by kitchen and even cuisine. 
 
Prep time:  10 minutes
Cook time:  20 minutes
Yield:  4 to 6 servings:
 
Ingredients 
1 pound lean ground beef (80/20)
1 (7.25 ounce) package macaroni and cheese mix
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
1 cup whole milk
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup frozen corn
1 cup frozen diced carrots
1 teaspoon seasoned salt or to taste (I prefer Lawry’s)
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
 
Directions

1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir the ground beef in the hot skillet until browned and crumbly, about 5 to 7 minutes. Drain the fat before proceeding.
2. Stir the pasta and cheese mixture from macaroni and cheese package into beef.
3. Stir in the tomatoes, milk, peas, corn and carrots.
4. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the macaroni is tender, about 12 minutes.
5. Season with seasoned salt.
6. Stir 1/2 of the Cheddar cheese into dish to melt.
7. Top with remaining cheese.
8. That’s it—you’re done and it’s ready to serve.

ChefSecret:  To make this recipe, I used Kraft-Macaroni and Cheese with the creamy cheese paste.

Quip of the Day:  My former wife’s idea of a surprise meal was to remove all the labels off the cans.
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