When I think of distinctively American Foods, I always come back to the “Noodles with Cheese” Casserole! It’s hard to find a recipe book or a listing in a family’s epicurean collection of 3 by 5 cards that does not reference this dish!
History tells us that this bit of yummy Americana can be traced to before Thomas Jefferson’s time (circa 1800)… however, something always was missing in this dish for me… I always asked,”where’s the beef?” Somewhere in time, possibly to make it more appealing to young boys, chefs added a bit of hot dog or such to raise the male interest… which worked.
So, I decided to put a recipe together, that contained the traditional three ingredients: cheese, noodles and butter… but added some needed refinements: cream, various sausages, Mirepoix and complementary fresh herbs and spices. I think it turned out wonderfully.
So, here is my recipe for a “Mighty, Meaty Noodles with Cheese Casserole”.
Enjoy!
Roger Freberg