When Casseroles Go Bad Pt 1

Raise a hand if you lived a sheltered enough life not to have had a family member, friend, neighbor, etc present this aluminum foil covered glass dish to your family for occasions such as a birth of a new baby, death in the family, parties, potlucks, welcome to the neighborhood. These concoctions were often given to the recipient by the dozens. No counter space? Freeze them. No freezer space? Give it to the dog. The dog won't eat it? Don't blame him.

Today, this casserole still remains popular though there is much more creativity than mixing mayonnaise, mushroom soup, MOUO (meat of unknown origin), cheese, and topped with the symbolic sliced boiled eggs and strategically placed pimentos. If the maker of said dish was real creative, there might be crumbled cereal or potato chips on top.

Without further adieu, let's divulge into this classic, retro, sloppy mess. Don't touch the bottom of the dish or you'll burn your hands. Also, be sure to return it or face being ostracized from any party, cut out of the will, neighborhood gossip circle. Please clean the burnt on crusty residue too!!!

The first of several casserole books I have, the Better Homes and Gardens Casserole Cookbook, 1969

 So much to do, so little time..

We shall call this, the poop food era. It looks like someone, perhaps a drunken guest thought a cabbage leaf would be a perfect place to drop a deuce. 

Another bad idea. This looks like 5 loaves covered with undigested beans, sprigs of parsley (what else?) served atop mushy penne.

Paella. Turkey Paella. With sprigs of parsley and olives. This is not what the Spaniards have in mind when they are creating their famous dish. The spigot above serves to urinate on the culture of Spain.