Subj : Spaghetti Squash Casserole
To : Sean Dennis
From : Ruth Haffly
Date : Thu Nov 09 2023 14:31:07
Hi Sean,
RH> I don't remember my mom buying Velveeta--she would get the kraft
RH> American singles for sandwiches (basic cheese, just bread & cheese
RH> with mustard or butter or toasted cheese). For mac & cheese or to go
RH> with apple pie, she would buy a chunk of cheddar cheese. I don't
RH> recall how sharp she would go, probably mild or medium, but that
RH> cheese was not our every day eating cheese. However, Steve and I have
RH> bought no Velveeta or American slices in decades. We buy the real
RH> thing, with as few ingredients as possible. We'll buy as sharp a
RH> cheddar as we can find, also going for well aged ones if possible.
SD> Unfortunately, my budget doesn't allow for the really good stuff (I
SD> love extra sharp Cheddar) so for sandwiches, I buy the big block of
SD> pre-sliced processed cheese slices at Sam's Club. Usually lasts me a
SD> month or more and tastes pretty good.
Get as big a chunk of the real thing as you can afford. Experiment with
different ones. We took some home made fig preserves out to our
daughters on this last trip--older daughter put a bit of Camaberet (?)
on a cracker and then added a dab of the preserves for snacks.
Absolutely yummy! It can be done with Brie also. For sandwiches I'll
usually buy (all Wegman's brand) sliced sharp cheddar, Swiss, and
provelone; usually 2 of the 3 one month, another 2 the next month, etc.
We also have several Cabot cheddars aging in the fridge--picked them up
at the Cabot outlet in Waterbury, VT in July.
RH> We're "mice" when it comes to cheese. (G)
SD> I am also. My "nom de 'Net" is digimaus so I live up to my moniker.
Sounds like an apt choice of names.
RH> No problem; I usually don't include one. But, talking about cheese--a
RH> simple cheese crispy can be made by melting a bit of cheese in a heavy
RH> pot/pan until it turns brown and the bubbling has stopped. Optionally,
RH> then you can blot off the excess oil but there's usually not a lot
RH> left at that point. Enjoy as a snack or crumble into soup, salad, etc.
RH> Works with a lot of different varieties of cheese.
SD> I bought a brand new Lodge cast iron skillet at one of the Lodge
SD> outlet stores in Sevierville. I've already tried it out and I do like
SD> to make those crispies using real shredded Cheddar. They pair well
SD> with wheat thins!
I've got several cast iron fry pans--6,9,10 and 12" plus a 5qt dutch
oven and a few odd pieces--don't know how much is Lodge but I'd like to
get to the outlet some day. Saw that they sell some pieces at Cracker
Barrels; we boondock there from time to time in their RV lot. Picked up
a self cleaning garlic press at the one we stopped at in West Virginia
on the way home last month.
My mom would make one of these from time to time--not very often because
of the fuss it was to make. Her cooking was usually as basic as possible
because Dad was a picky eater and feeding 5 kids was a matter of "what's
the cheapest but easiest and most filling thing on sale?".
---
Catch you later,
Ruth
rchaffly{at}earthlink{dot}net FIDO 1:396/45.28
... I'm clinging to sanity by a thread. Hand me those scissors.
--- PPoint 3.01
* Origin: Sew! That's My Point (1:396/45.28)
