A box of rice in the cupboard lends itself to easily prepared and tasty dishes for quick meals in a busy household.
If casseroles are cooked in foil containers with lids, they may be frozen and used at later dates when meal preparation time is short.
This week’s recipes come from a favourite Mennonite cookbook.
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Curried Rice
- 2 cups cooked rice
- 1 green pepper, diced
- 2 cups stewed tomatoes
- 3 cups water
- 4 tbsps. butter
- 1 1/2 tsps. curry powder
Mix all ingredients together to blend. Pour into a well-greased large casserole dish and bake at 375 degrees F for 30-40 minutes until the onion and pepper are well cooked.
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Spanish Rice
- 4 slices bacon
- 1 cup chopped onions
- 1/4 cup minced green pepper
- 1 tin cream of tomato soup
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 whole cloves
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup uncooked rice
Cook bacon until crisp in a large skillet. Remove from pan and break into bits.
Add onion and pepper to bacon drippings and cook until both are soft. Add bacon and remaining ingredients. Cover.
Cook slowly for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove bay leaf and cloves.
Spoon onto plates and serve hot. Serve with a garden salad. Makes 4 servings. Note: this may also be cooked in a greased and covered casserole dish at 350 degrees F.
• • •
Beef Steak Casserole
- Several minute steaks
- 2 onions, sliced
- salt and pepper to taste
- barbecue or Italian spice to taste
- 1 tin tomato soup
- 1/2 cup water
Grease a large casserole dish. Remove any fat from steaks. Use meat hammer to pound steak as thin as possible. Slice into small pieces.
Place a layer of steak in the casserole. Top with a layer of sliced onions, add salt and pepper and spices. Add another layer of steak and then more onions.
Mix the soup and water in a small bowl then pour over steak and onions.
Cook in a 350 degrees F oven for 1 1/2 hours. Serve with baked potatoes and salad.
Note: carrots may be sliced and added as another layer in the casserole.
Joyce Walter can be reached at [email protected]
