When the roll is called up yonder, I'll be eating

By By Robert St.John / food columnist
October 27, 2004
I am a Methodist; therefore I love a casserole. A large portion of the passion I have for food can be traced to my church roots. A favorite meal as a child was the post-church Sunday lunch at my grandmother's house. It was a large, formal spread that changed from week to week: roast beef, leg of lamb, turkey and dressing and the absolute best fried chicken you have ever tasted.
My grandmother served turkey and dressing year-round. I don't know why we have become a society that only eats turkey and dressing for Thanksgiving. It tastes just as good in July as it does in November.
Another favorite church-rooted meal was the Main Street United Methodist Church covered-dish supper held every Wednesday night during my childhood. Covered-dish suppers were seen as opportunities for the ladies of the church to shine. Each and every member brought a dish. Some ladies excelled in desserts some in vegetables, others in the main course.
No one ever brought chain-store chicken or grocery-store cakes to my church. The food was always made from scratch and always good.
Tables ran the entire length of the fellowship hall, every inch filled with a homemade specialty, for this once-a-week spread.
And what a spread it was. My church never hosted any of those we'll-supply-the-meat-you-bring-the-vegetables-and-dessert covered-dish suppers. The ladies in my church brought the main course, too: fried chicken, meatloaf, main-course casseroles, casseroles and more casseroles.
My grandmother never served main-course casseroles. I got my casserole fix at church.
Casserole revival
Unfortunately, casseroles have become the red-headed stepchild of the Southern larder. In these days of micro greens, boutique vinegars and designer foams, casseroles have taken a backseat to the trendy foods-of-the-moment. It is a sin, indeed.
An honest casserole is true comfort food. As long as we can wean ourselves off of canned-soup fillers and other shortcut additions, the Southern casserole is as legitimate as any French
cassoulet.
It is written in the book of Robert 7:23 "Woe unto thee who still putteth canned cream of mushroom soup into thy casserole. Thou hast sinned against the gods of good taste and there will be much wailing and gnashing of teeth."
Hark, fear not brothers and sisters, I bring you tasty tidings of great joy, there is a recipe for a canned cream-of-mushroom-soup substitute at the end of this column.
Covered dish suppers are not exclusive to the South. They are held every day all across the country. However, I would suggest that the dishes served at Southern covered-dish suppers are far superior and much more flavorful than those served in other regions of the country.
Chicken Tetrazzini is the Queen Mother of all covered-dish supper offerings. The dish is named for Luisa Tetrazzini, an Italian opera singer admired for her high notes and staccato passages. Luisa never made it to my church on covered-dish supper night but, if she had, she certainly would have been proud of her namesake dish.
Chicken Tetrazzini
1 lb. spaghetti
4 qts. chicken broth
1 tbl. bacon grease (or canola oil)
1 cup onion, small dice
1⁄2 cup bell pepper, small dice
1⁄2 cup celery, small dice
2 tsp. garlic, minced
1⁄2 cup roasted red bell pepper, diced and minced
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. granulated garlic
3 cups cooked chicken, diced (or leftover turkey)
4 cups mushroom bchamel sauce (recipe follows)
1⁄2 cup sour cream
1⁄3 cup almonds, lightly toasted
1 tbl. Worcestershire sauce
3⁄4 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1⁄4 cup jack cheese, grated (pepper jack can be substituted)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Bring chicken broth to a boil in a large stockpot. Cook the spaghetti in broth for approximately 12 minutes.
In a large skillet melt bacon grease over medium heat. Saut onions, peppers, celery and minced garlic for 4-5 minutes. Add roasted red bell pepper, salt, granulated garlic and cooked chicken. Cook three to four more minutes.
Remove mixture from heat and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Add the mushroom bchamel sauce, sour cream, almonds, Worcestershire and cheeses. Mix well. Drain spaghetti and transfer to the chicken mixture.
Mix well and place into a buttered three-quart baking dish. Cover tightly with foil. Bake 40 minutes. Serve immediately.
Yield: 8-10 servings
Mushroom Bchamel Sauce
1 tbl. olive oil, light
1⁄2 cup onion, minced
1⁄4 cup shallot, minced
1⁄4 cup celery, minced
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. garlic, granulated
1⁄2 tsp. thyme, dry
10 oz. mushrooms, cleaned, sliced (4 cups)
3 cups chicken broth
1⁄2 cup butter
3⁄4 cup flour
1 cup whipping cream
Heat oil in a three-quart saucepot over low heat. Add onions, shallots, celery, and salt. Cook vegetables until tender. Add mushrooms and increase heat to medium. Cook 10 minutes, stirring often. Add chicken broth, garlic and thyme. Bring back to a simmer and cook 10 more minutes.
In a separate skillet, make a light-blonde roux by melting butter and stirring in flour. Add to simmering broth mixture. Cook three to four minutes and add cream. Freezes well.
Yield: two quarts