The freshest tasting casserole I’ve ever had. You don’t normally think of casseroles as light, but this is definitely the closests I’ve had to what I would call summer casserole. Don’t get me wrong it’s still hardy and warm and satisfying, just like a casserole should be, but it has so many veggies and it’s not too rich, so you can enjoy it any season, really. It’s called Bride’s Pride Casserole. 

Helen Honda contributed it to her community’s cookbook ‘More Saratoga Secrets Shared’ and it’s delicious, and budget friendly, and super easy to make. Everything a casserole should be. I’ll break down just how budget friendly it is at the end, so stick around for that. Right now, I’ll show you how to make it! 

To start, all you need to do is brown some ground beef with salt. When I was reading the recipe, I didn’t realize how much the flavors would come together with an Asian influence, but it really does, so if you want to lean into that, use soy sauce instead of salt. I think it would be delicious. Make sure the hamburger is nice and browned, then transfer it to a casserole dish. 

Top the meat with the veggies. Frozen peas first, then sliced celery, and finish with green onions. 

Then set that aside while you blend a can of cream of mushroom soup with a can of mushrooms. Make sure not to drain the can. The water adds mushroom flavor and thins the soup a bit. Pour that mixture over top the veggies, and spread it evenly. 

Almost done, now we just need some crunch. I love that this recipe gives you options for the topping. Great casseroles should be made with whatever you happen to have on hand, and this recipe is great for that. Helen gives potato chips, corn chips, or crunchy chow mein noodles as options, and any of them would be awesome. I had some potato chips on hand, so that’s what I used, but if you’re really wanting to enhance the Asian influence, go with chow mein. Totally up to you. Don’t know why I never thought of chow mein noodles as a casserole topping, so thank you Helen for expanding my casserole topping options! 

Cover the top with your choice of crunchy goodness and pop it in the oven. 45 minutes later, you’ll have a bubbly, creamy, crunchy delight ready to enjoy! 

It was not at all what I expected when I read the recipe, but I am so glad I made it. I could see really craving this if I grew up with it. It has enough veggies and protein to be a stand alone main dish with no sides, which is always a bonus for convenience and cost. 

I was torn on portions because of that, though. Alone, I think it could more than satisfy four adults, or two adults and four kids, but if you added a side dish, it could definitely serve six, so I split the difference with 5 portions, which means you can enjoy a satisfying veggie packed hot meal for about $2.45 a serving. That’s only $12.22 to make dinner! That’s less than it would cost for one person’s to eat fast food. 

So thank you so much, Helen,for sharing your recipe. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did, and I hope it inspires you to save more vintage community cookbooks, and cook more old recipes.