Doctor Domestic

I’ve found it very nice to discuss my gardening with my Grandma.  She has decades of knowledge and used to keep a beautiful, huge garden.  I have very fond memories of picking strawberries and foraging for tomatoes in that garden.  Its partly what inspired me to convert part of my own back yard into a garden.  I love bringing in the harvest.

But then there are the zucchinis.  I planed 6 zucchini plants – so I know it is totally my own fault.  But I only bought 2 $1.99 containers of seedlings with 3 plants apiece.  I planted all of them thinking for sure that at least 2 or 3 would die.  I was so very, very wrong.  Now I have 6 healthy, producing zucchini plants, and that’s about 5 too many.

The beginnings...healthy vegetables

So this recipe that my Grandma sent me could have had more perfect timing.  And just check out how awesome this recipe card is.  Why can’t you find these anymore?  I LOVE that my grandma knew that I’d be inundated with zucchini and took the time to write out this recipe and mail it to me.

Recipe Card

This recipe is good old 1950’s style cooking.  The original recipe actually calls for butter or “olio”.  Love it.  So anyway, by 1950’s style cooking, I mean that it pays absolutely no heed to healthiness.  It is not good for you, it manages to pack in about 17 forms of fat and carbs in a 3 quart casserole dish.  Somehow, even though it is chalk full of vegetables, you could put it on a plate alongside fettuccine alfredo and a twinkie, and it probably wouldn’t be the healthiest item on the plate.

The other main ingredients

That all being said, it is quite tasty, in that creamy-comfort-food kind of way.  I’d recommend it alongside a nice grilled or sauteed chicken breast or pork cutlet.  Something lean.  And its most redeeming feature is that is uses up 6 WHOLE CUPS of zucchini.  That’s like 5 zucchini people.  That’s at least a DENT in the pile.

The stuffing topped creamy goodness

So yea, not to healthy, but yummy – Thanks Grandma!

Zucchini Casserole

Happy Zucchini Season!!  Recipe after the jump.

Grandma’s Zucchini Casserole

6 cups shredded zucchini
1 cup shredded carrot
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced celery (I omitted this…I don’t like celery)
1 cup sour cream
1 can Cream of _____ Soup (I used Cream of Chicken, you can use cream of Celery, Mushroom, whatever)
1 cup shredded mild cheese (I used colby-jack)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne papper (my addition, it added just the perfect amount of warmth)
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 cup butter (I used slightly less, 6 Tbsp plus ~1/2 cup chicken stock)
~8 oz Herbed Stuffing bread cubes

Prepare the vegetables.  Parboil the vegetables – place the shredded and diced vegetables in a large pot with about 2-3 cups of water.  Bring to a boil and cook for about 5 minutes until they are cooked but still slightly crisp.  Drain in a colander.  Meanwhile combine the soup, sour cream, cheese and spices in a large mixing bowl.  Add the cooked and drained vegetables and stir to combine thoroughly.

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter, then add the stuffing cubes.  Coat with the butter, then add the chicken stock if you are using that option.  Stir and cook a bit until the cubes are coated and slightly softened.

Place the vegetable mixture in a greased 3 quart casserole dish.  Top with the stuffing bread cubes.  Bake at 350F for ~30 minutes, or until the stuffing is browned and crips adn the casserole is warmed through.

Allow to cool for a few minutes before serving.