Recipes: Classic Casseroles

Casseroles have gotten a bad wrap. Nowadays we think of dishes laden with who know what mixed together with canned condensed cream of something soup. This was a post World War II phenomenon born out of the desire for ease and convenience. Many great casserole dishes belong to the American repertoire of cooking including Lasagna, Johnny Mazetti, and King Ranch Chicken.

The most nationally recognized of all classic casseroles today is Macaroni and Cheese originally introduce by Thomas Jefferson as Macaroni Pye. My paternal grandmother, Kate Hammond Shirlin, always referred to macaroni and cheese as Macaroni Pye. It was a favorite dish at every big family gathering, especially at Thanksgiving.

Pye, a colonial British connotation, do not necessarily contain a crust, but more often than not are a savory filling topped with some type of starch element such as cracker crumbs, bread crumbs or even mashed potatoes. The term is still common in the Carolina Low Country today.

MAMA KATE’S MACARONI PYE

There are numerous variations of making this American classic. The boxed variety with the little pouch of dried cheese flavored stuff does not count as one of them. This is the way I learned to make it and make it this way I do. The secret is using the best sharp cheddar cheese you can find. I like using Cougar Gold from Washington State University, Grafton cheddar from Vermont, extra sharp cheddar from Ashe County North Carolina or just good old sharp Oregon Tillamook Cheddar. What ever you do, don’t skimp on the cheese!

Yield: four portions for healthy appetites or six if you eat like a bird

1 Tbsp. butter, softened
2 quarts water
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups elbow macaroni
2 cups half and half or milk
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp. butter
1/2 pound sharp cheddar cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 350° F.
Butter the inside of a 1 1/2 quart casserole dish with the 1 Tbsp. of softened butter.
Put the water and salt into a saucepot and bring to a boil over high heat.
Stir in the macaroni and return the pot to a boil.
Stir this periodically while the macaroni cooks to prevent is from sticking to the bottom of the pot and from sticking together.
Cook the macaroni about five minutes. It should be undercooked.
Drain the macaroni into a colander. Remember to set the colander in the sink before draining pouring the macaroni into it.
Combine the half and half or milk, the beaten eggs and the salt.
Place half of the par cooked macaroni in the buttered casserole dish.
Season with a few grindings of black pepper.
Dot with 1 Tbsp. butter.
Distribute half of the grated cheese over the top of this layer of macaroni.
Add the remainder of the macaroni, seasoning with black pepper and dotting with the remaining 1 Tbsp. of melted butter.
Pour the milk and egg mixture over the macaroni in the casserole.
Top with the remaining cheese.
Place on a baking sheet and put the casserole in the preheated oven.
Bake about 45 minutes to one hour until the center is no longer liquid.
Remove from the oven and enjoy.

SHRIMP AND GREEN CORN PYE

Corn was one of the first foods introduced to European colonist by the native Americans and became an integral part of traditional American food. Back before the modern varieties of sweet corn so familiar to us, field corn was picked at a young tender stage before the sugar had turned to starch. At this stage it was known as green corn. This casserole, a tradition of the South Carolina Low Country, combines shrimp and sweet corn in a creamy mushroom sauce topped with buttered crackers. This makes a nice entrée by itself or as a special side dish for a buffet or holiday entertaining.

Yield: 8 servings

2 cups whole kernel corn, about 5 or 6 ears
1 pound small shrimp (51/60 to the pound)
1 1/2 sleeves saltine crackers, coarsely crushed
1 stick butter (4 oz), melted
2 Tbsp. butter, melted
1/2 medium onion, medium dice
3 green onions (including at least 3 inches of the green tops), chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, medium dice
4 oz white button or Crimini mushrooms, sliced
1 cup heavy cream
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Creole seasoning to taste
1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Preheat oven to 350° F.
Cut or scrap the corn kernels off of the cob and set aside.
Peel and devein the shrimp and set aside.
Toss the crushed crackers with the stick of melted butter and set aside.
Place the two tablespoons of melted butter into a large heavy skillet and heat over moderate heat.
Add the diced onion, chopped green onion, diced bell pepper and the slice mushrooms to the skillet.
Sauté the vegetables until tender but not brown.
Add the heavy cream to the skillet. Add salt, freshly ground black pepper and Creole seasoning to taste along with the poultry seasoning, nutmeg and Worcestershire sauce.
Bring the mixture to a boil and reduce until the cream is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, stirring constantly.
Stir the corn into the sauce and remove the skillet from the heat.
Stir the shrimp into the sauce.
Sprinkle half of the buttered cracker crumbs in the bottom of a 9” x 13” casserole dish.
Pour the contents of the skillet into the casserole dish lined with half of the buttered cracker crumbs.
Cover the top with the remaining buttered cracker crumbs.
Place the casserole in the oven and bake until bubbly, about 30 to 45 minutes.