They sure did like their cottage cheese in the early to mid 20th Century. Holy buckets o'curd! This is (unintentionally, I promise!) the third recipe in a row to use the stuff. I had to buy more since my husband kindly finished what remained in the last container.
It's been a few years since I last ate cottage cheese. The whole no dairy thing rules it out. And I have yet to find a dairy free substitute. If it's anything like the plasticky/nutty/doesn't really melt "cheese" that is available, I'll pass. What I do remember about cottage cheese is that I had a favorite way to eat it: with chopped chives. Creamy and savory (in my mind, these words are said in a very drawn out fashion, as if you can taste the words themselves and they are the most amazing thing you've ever tried). Of course, I can just go to my back garden and pull off some greenery from the chives that have reemerged with the warmer weather. Chewing on a blade of chive gives me the same effect as it once did surrounded by curds and whey.
The ingredients vary little from one recipe to the next because when you're on a farm you have a tendency to use what's readily available. It's no different than the lack of creativity in naming a recipe. Noodle Dish. Come on, Lala! You're better than that. But you're also incredibly practical. And so Noodle Dish it shall stay.
I know the photograph above doesn't look like much. And on a busy weeknight, it turns out that's the perfect home cooked meal for my family. Like lasagna in ingredients. Yet it comes together, is baked, served, and eaten is less time than it takes to precook the meat and assemble the layers of a lasagna. A Mom can get behind this time-saving-without-hauling-out-the-pressure-cooker idea. And since I can't east most of the ingredients in this dish, I went ahead and made my own meal while this one baked in the oven.
I miss delicious, restaurant produced, gluten free and vegan fare, like what I used to enjoy at Trumpet Blossom in Iowa City. My meal includes riced cauliflower and sweet potato, grilled tempeh, and pickled veg with a sprinkling of roasted pumpkin seeds. And it hit the spot.
Once Noodle Dish came out of the oven, I realized I may have used too much cheese. I know many of you out there will scold me for thinking there is such a thing. The whole thing was shinier than I expected.
When I make this again, I'll mix 1/2 the cheese into the meat and noodles, and spread the other 1/2 over the top. This should help. And if it still seems like too much cheese at that point, I'll consider decreasing the amount used.
Much like it's simplistic name and ingredient list, when I asked my kids how dinner tasted as they scarfed it down (I knew it wasn't bad), they each gave two word responses, "It's good!" and "More please!"
This recipe fills a 9x13 casserole and the best news is that there are leftovers so I don't have to cook tomorrow night!
If you like this recipe Noodle Dish, you're going to love the other foods produced by Caught Red Threaded. To find out more, visit Caught Red Threaded. Be sure to leave a comment in the thread below to let me know how this turned out when you made it (and photos are always welcome!), and follow Caught Red Threaded on Facebook and Instagram for exclusive offers and ideas. If you want to receive this and other blog entries, be sure to click Subscribe in the top right corner of this page.
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