Delightful one-dish dinners

By LISA LOSASSO BELL

Whether you’re feeding a family of four (give or take a few), or your children are grown and living on their own, one-dish meals are a perfect solution. Those wonderful, quick, stick-to-your-ribs meals that remind you of home are a comfort no matter where you are in your life.

Jane Evans, of Poland, grew up in a home with one other sibling, and meals were cooked fresh daily. When she grew up and had three children of her own she found that one-dish- meals were a convenient and cost effective way to feed her family.

“I think it made life simpler,” she said. “You could fix it earlier in the day and it would be ready to put in the oven for dinner.”

Although many moms were stay-at-home moms during the 1950s and ’60s, they were often involved in volunteer work and kept themselves quite busy.

Many mothers today hold down full-time jobs and there are also many more single-parent homes. And so, although the reason has changed, the need is still there.

If you have a large family, casseroles and skillets are a money saver and a time saver. The same is true if you need only one or two meals at a time, because a one-dish meal can be broken down into portions, frozen and thawed for future meals.

Planning a weekly menu ahead of time also allows you to make a master list of everything you’ll need for your next-week’s meals. Give it another day or two and add odd and ends as you think of them, and when you go shopping, don’t stray from your list.

According to The Ohio Department of aging, “Planning meals in advance is a key to preparing appropriate and useful amounts of food.”

The ideal one-dish meal includes proteins, starches or pastas, herbs and spices and vegetables. There are so many combinations that it even helps to keep meal time interesting and fun.

According to Ohio nutrition experts Denise Reed and Alma M. Sadaam, co-authors of “The Senior Series” nutrition booklets, it is important to make the most of every meal. “Hold weekly potlucks with friends so that all of you can look forward to trying new foods and socializing with one another,” said Reed and Sadaam. That’s also a good time to exchange recipes for new or unique one-dish-meals.

There is nothing more satisfying than throwing a delicious meal together in a flash. Just throw everything into a casserole dish, wok or skillet. One-dish meals always freeze well, and often taste even better the second time around.

According to www.health.org, one of the simplest and most effective healthy choices you can make is to know what you are eating, and cooking at home is the best way to plan, keep track of calories, portion sizes and nutrients.

Not only are they quick, easy and inexpensive, but they are a great way to get kids involved in helping with meal preparation. If they help to make their food, they are more likely to eat it. Kidshealth.org suggests that cooking dinner with your children helps them to learn to follow recipe directions, clean up after themselves and make healthy choices.

The USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggest eating 2 cups of fruit, 21‚Ñ2 cups of vegetables, 3 or more ounces of whole-grain products and 3 cups of fat-free or low fat milk products per day.

Well balanced one-dish meals will usually include protein, dairy, vegetables and starches or grains. The possibilities are endless.

Homemade goodness

Recipes from homemaker Jane Evans, Poland, Ohio:

Johnny Marzetti

2 to 3 pounds ground chuck

2 green peppers, finely diced

2 large onions, finely diced

2 large cans of stems and pieces mushrooms

16 ounces egg noodles

1 quart (or a bit more) spaghetti sauce

2 cans stewed tomatoes

3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and set aside. Make ground chuck into patties then brown well in large skillet. Set meat aside. In same skillet, add a bit of olive oil and cook until lightly browned, add the green pepper, and onion. Add stewed tomatoes; cover. Simmer until tender. In large pan, place meat, noodles, peppers and onion mixture, spaghetti sauce, mushrooms and salt and pepper to taste. Grease two 9x13 casseroles and divide mixture evenly between them. Put 11‚Ñ2 cups cheese on each casserole. Bake at 350 degrees until cheese is browned and edges are bubbling, perhaps 45 minutes. This may be made ahead and refrigerated. Baking time must be increased. Also, freezes well. It is also easy to cut the recipe in half. With a nice tossed salad and bread, you can feed 16.

Brunch Casserole

1 pound sausage, bacon, or ham (cook and drain sausage or bacon)

6 eggs, beaten

2 cups milk

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Grease 9x13 casserole. Cut bread into squares and lay in casserole. Spread meat on top. Next layer the cheese. Pour on the eggs. Finally, mix milk with salt and mustard and pour over all. Must refrigerate over night. Bring to room temperature. Bake 45 minutes at 350 degrees. Fruit and rolls complete your meal, even at dinner time.

Lamb Shanks Dinner

2 tablespoons oil

4 lamb shanks

1 carrot, chopped

1 rib celery, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

1 turnip, cubed

1‚Ñ4 teaspoon thyme

Salt and pepper

11‚Ñ2 cup chicken broth

3‚Ñ4 of a cup ofgrain regular rice

1‚Ñ2 pound green beans, cut into 1 inch pieces

2 tomatoes, quartered

In large Dutch oven, heat oil and brown lamb shanks on all sides. Remove shanks from pan. Add carrot, celery, onion, turnip and brown lightly. Return lamb to pan, add broth and seasonings. Cover. Bring to boil then lower heat to simmer for one hour. Add rice, but make sure it is on the bottom submerged in the liquid with shanks on top. You may add a bit more broth if necessary to make sure the rice is covered by one inch of liquid. Add green beans and tomatoes. Cover. Bring to boil again, then lower heat to simmer about 20-25 minutes until rice has absorbed liquid and lamb is very tender. Just add fresh bread.

Conservative outlook

Recipes from “Cook With Us: Hubbard Conservation Club,” published in 1984

Bill’s Best Mess

1 pound ground beef

1 medium onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

2 cans cream of mushroom soup

Salt and pepper to taste

1 quart green beans

sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded (approximately 1‚Ñ2 cup)

7 potatoes, cooked and mashed

1‚Ñ2 cup sour cream

1‚Ñ2 stick margarine

Cook ground beef, onions and garlic. Add cream of mushroom soup, salt and pepper and green beans; mix well. Place in casserole, 9x13 inches. Set aside. Mash potatoes using sour cream and margarine. Put mashed potatoes on top of casserole mixture. Top all with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Serve hot and bubbly.

Recipe contributed by Bill Ryser.

Tuna Casserole

1‚Ñ2 cup chopped celery

1‚Ñ4 cup chopped onion

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

1 (61‚Ñ2-ounce) can tuna, undrained and flaked

1 (101‚Ñ2-can condensed cream of mushroom soup

1‚Ñ2 cup mayonnaise

1 cup milk

1 (4-ounce) can sliced mushrooms, drained

1 tablespoon chopped pimiento (optional)

1 (8-ounce) bag noodles

1‚Ñ2 cup bread crumbs

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

In a large skillet, saut onion and celery in butter. Stir in tuna, soup, mayonnaise, milk, mushrooms and pimiento. Meanwhile, cook noodles according to package directions and drain in colander. In a 2- quart greased casserole, combine noodles and tuna mixture. Top with bread crumbs, tossed with 2 tablespoons melted butter. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until lightly browned and bubbly. Makes 6 servings.

Recipe contributed by Ruth Loveless.

Some nostalgia

Recipes from “Recipes to Remember: Personal Favorites,” Sponsored by Local 717 Women’s Committee, published in 2001

Mexican Chicken Casserole

1 bag large white tortilla chips

1 pack of family size mixed chicken parts

1 can tomatoes (diced chili and tomatoes)

1 can cream of chicken or mushroom soup

Minced onion (sprinkle to taste)

Chili powder (sprinkle to taste)

Velveeta cheese, sliced generously

Layer as written in 9x13 inch casserole dish. Keep layering until you get to the top. Always end with cheese (cover). Bake at 350 degrees for about one hour and 20 minutes.

Recipe contributed by Jackie Perry.

Super Bowl Chili

1 pound lean ground beef

1 pound lean ground pork

2 (151‚Ñ2-ounce) cans hot chili beans or red kidney beans

1 (28-ounce) can tomatoes, cut up

2 large onions, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons chili powder

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon crushed red pepper

3 tablespoons wine vinegar

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese, approximate (optional)

Sour cream (optional)

In a 4 quart Dutch oven, brown beef and pork. Drain off fat. Stir in undrained beans, undrained tomatoes, onions, green pepper, garlic, chili powder, sugar, red pepper, wine vinegar, and cumin. Cover and simmer for 1 hour, stirring frequently to avoid scorching.

To serve, ladle the chili into soup bowls. If desired, top each serving with shredded cheese and sour cream. Makes 6-8 servings.

Recipe contributed by Bill Gilliam.

Steakhouse Onion, Beef and Pepper Stir-Fry

1 pound boneless beef sirloin steak (3‚Ñ4-inch thick)

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1 (141‚Ñ2 ounce) can beef broth with onion

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1‚Ñ4 teaspoon garlic powder

2 cups red pepper strips

4 cups cooked rice

Slice beef into very thin strips. Mix cornstarch, broth, soy sauce, and garlic powder. Stir-fry beef in nonstick skillet until browned and juices evaporate. Add peppers. Add cornstarch mixture, cook until mixture boils and thickens, stirring. Serve over rice. Serves 4.

Recipe contributed by Cecilia Clair.