Jerri’s Corn & Sausage Casserole (Using up Easter Eggs:2)

Consider a casserole that has no noodles, tater tots, tuna or mushroom soup.  A casserole that helps you get rid of those colorful Easter eggs in the refrigerator.  A casserole that tastes good, is inexpensive and easy to put together.  If the idea intrigues you, try Jerri’s Corn and Sausage Casserole.

Jerri has been making this casserole almost since we were married. Unlike many hot dishes, this one uses corn and bread crumbs rather than rice or pasta to make a pound of meat stretch to serve a family.  Made with good pork sausage and a can of any “store brand” corn, it is delicious.

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb. bulk pork sausage
4 hard-boiled eggs
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
Dash of white or black pepper to taste
2 cups milk (whole or reduced fat)
1 can of whole kernel corn (about 2 cups)
1 cup soft bread crumbs

PROCEDURE:

Boil the eggs five minutes, turn off the heat and leave them in the hot water for another 8 minutes. Drain the eggs and cool them in ice water.  While the eggs are cooking, fry the sausage slowly in a skillet or saucepan, breaking it into pieces, until it is done but not browned.  Drain thoroughly and set aside on a paper towel.  Drain the corn. Cut two or three slices of bread into 1/4 inch cubes or soft crumbs.  Peel the eggs.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Slice two of the hard-boiled eggs and spread them on the bottom of a 1 1/2 or 2  quart casserole.   After draining the fat from the sausage, melt the butter or margarine in the skillet or saucepan, blend in the flour, salt and pepper and stir until the mixture bubbles and cooks for about a minute.  Add the milk and cook, stirring continuously, until the mixture thickens and bubbles.  Stir the sausage and drained corn into the sauce and pour it over the eggs.  Slice the remaining eggs and arrange them over the mixture.  Sprinkle with the bread crumbs.  Bake uncovered at 375 degrees for 30 minutes until heated through.  Serves 4 to 6.

NOTE:   I do not normally recommend margarine, but Jerri often uses margarine for this recipe, and I have to admit that it does not spoil the flavor.  Jerri also sometimes uses a 12 ounce package of lean pork sausage instead of a pound of bulk sausage.  Believe me, it still tastes good.  Leftover Easter eggs just make this casserole even easier to put together.

Thousand Island Dressing (Using up Easter Eggs:1)

When I was a student at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, university administrators still believed in cultivating the palates as well as the minds of their  charges.  Talented chefs worked with dietitians to design menus that were nutritious and interesting, and teams of skilled cooks turned the plans into gourmet dinners.

Actually, this was an ideal not always achieved.  Like many a student I too can remember Mystery Soup and, worse yet, Mystery Gravy.  In general, however, each dining hall had some specialties that were worth waiting for.  Elizabeth Waters was the premier girls’ dormitory with a reputation for fine food that explained why many male students cultivated friendships with Elizabeth Hall residents who could invite them to Sunday dinner.

When the new chef at Van Hise Hall (where I was nourished) came into his own, cultivating these friendships became easier because many Liz Hall residents were interested in the gourmet meals he offered us on Sundays. It was there, for instance, that I first enjoyed Duck a l’Orange and where I learned that a steak really did not need a pat of butter on top if you had Béarnaise sauce instead.

But I digress.  In 1965 the residents of Elizabeth Waters published a cookbook, Liz Specials.  Jerri was assistant head resident at the dormitory then and received a copy which, though a bit worn, is still a treasured resource.  One of our favorite recipes from the book is among the simplest.  If you have a rule that you refuse to make a dressing with more than six ingredients you are in luck.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup mayonnaise or whipped salad dressing
1/3 cup chili sauce
1/4 cup sweet pickles
2 hard boiled eggs
1 tsp. grated onion
1/2 tsp. salt

PROCEDURE:

Cut the pickles very fine.  Peel and chop the eggs medium (1/4 – 1/3 inch pieces).  Grate the onion.  Put all the ingredients into a mixing bowl and mix well with a fork.  Let stand at least 30 minutes before serving.

NOTE:  Leftover hard-boiled Easter Eggs are perfect for this dressing.  Since the eggs are already cooked, in five minutes you will have a  delicious thousand island dressing.  It keeps well for weeks in the fridge and tastes a lot better than “store bought.”  And if there is a little pink or green or blue food coloring on the whites, it won’t hurt a thing.