Mustcohola- 1930's Supper Casserole

By Kathie Carr
@kathiecc

This recipe has become comfort food in our family. It was a recipe used during the depression to stretch a pound of meat to feed 6-8 people. Its filling and good.

As to the origin of the recipe... its hard to say. This dish was very popular in the 1930-1950's in the midwest and appears in many church cookbooks of that time.

Rating:

★★★★★ 1 vote

Comments:

2 Comments

Serves:

6-8

Prep:

15 Min

Cook:

40 Min

Ingredients

2 slice: bacon cooked crisp and crumbled
2 Tbsp: bacon drippings (if you do not have 2 tablespoons drippings add vegetable oil to make the total)
2 large: onions, chopped
2: green bell peppers, chopped
4 oz: sliced mushrooms, canned
3/4 lb: ground beef
1/4 lb: ground pork (or use all beef)
2 tsp: chili powder
3/4 tsp: salt
1/4 tsp: black pepper
2 c: canned tomatoes (chopped or crushed)
8 oz: elbow macaroni, cooked and drained
1/2 -1 c: shredded cheddar cheese, optional

Step-By-Step

1Set aside bacon crumbles. In the large skillet you cooked the bacon in, saute onions and bell peppers in bacon drippings at medium heat. Cook about 3-5 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in mushrooms and cook for 3-4 minutes more.

Add meat and continue to cook, stirring all the while, until no pink remains and meat is broken up into small pieces. blend in chili powder, salt, and black pepper.

Add tomatoes and simmer, uncovered for 40-45 minutes. mixture should begin to thicken a bit.

2While above mixture is simmering cook macaroni according to package directions and drain.

Preheat oven and butter a 2 1/2 quart casserole.

3Stir macaroni into meat mixture. Adjust seasonings to your liking. Pour all into casserole and bake uncovered for 30 minutes. *

*If using cheese sprinkle on top and return casserole with cheese to oven. Bake another 15 minutes until cheese is melted.
OR
*If not using cheese just bake another 15 minutes.

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