A Little Old Fashioned But That's Alright

Hobo Casserole

Sometimes the most unlikely influences come your way.  I discovered Anna Buchholz  of Cooking the Books  on YouTube.  She makes recipes from vintage cookbooks.  Basic, one might say, boring recipes, but somehow I love her demonstrations and discussions afterwards about the old books and how excited she gets about graphics illustrations. Admittedly, she is a replica of my grade school bestie who passed but that is merely a bonus.  Her content is compelling and I love her passion.  It's also incredible how our palettes have changed since the 50's and how salt and spices amped up but simple recipes can still work.  This got me on to depression era cooking sites and beyond.  Back before the convenience brands like Hamburger Helper or frozen dinners came along, dishes like this Hobo Casserole became popular, using what vegetables were on hand along with ground meat, cheese and potatoes.  

And like these chicken legs,  slow cooked in broth with olives, garlic and lemon until they fall off the bone.

I fancied up the Hobo Casserole by layering potatoes and cheese like lasagna with ground turkey, a bechamel sauce, American cheese and spinach.  I topped mine with French Fried Onions. Lots of salt and pepper is all that is needed for this homey feast. 

Except maybe a biscuit!