Prairie Casserole

It's been a busy week again, and the time change, losing that hour of sleep, did nothing to help.  While it does mark the beginning of Spring and has not really upset my internal clock much since my kids were babies (when the time change meant meal times & naps were slow to re-coordinate)
I'm still trying to get my feet back under me though.  The flu hit me hard and I"m still battling a lack of energy.
Emily had seen this recipe in my notebook last week and thought it looked good.  As it happens it is good.  I haven't made it in ages because I don't want leftovers for too long, but now that Emily is eating almost adult sized portions and taking leftovers to school it isn't such a big issue.  And if there is still too much I make TV dinners to freeze for Peter to eat when he's working.
When I got home from work Monday I suggested Emily start cooking, since the casserole takes 30 minutes to bake, plus cooking & prep time.  While she chopped the onion I grated the heels of a couple of blocks of cheese.
The recipe calls for a 6 ounce can of tomato paste or sauce.  Since I rarely use these things, and often simply omit it from this recipe I had neglected to buy it.  But Emily wanted it, so I dashed off to the store, leaving her to start browning the ground beef with the onion and starting water to boil to cook the noodles.
Once the water was boiling I handed Emily the package of broad egg noodles.  She glanced at her recipe and told me it called for "flat noodles", not egg noodles.  I explained that the egg noodles were what I usually used, and they are indeed flat.  I have, incidentally, used rotini in a pinch, and once even used rice.
Once the meat was browned she spooned it into a casserole dish and then stirred in two cans of tomato soup, the cheese and the cooked noodles, along with a can of corn.  As I helped her stir (It is easier to mix everything in the skillet, if you choose a big, deep one) I noticed she had forgotten the tomato paste!.
While the casserole baked Emily did the dishes, cleaning up her considerable cooking mess.
Dinner was, as always, very good.  The casserole tasted the way I remembered it.  It was one of my favourites for pot luck suppers once upon a time.

Prairie Casserole

1/2 package flat noodles (broad egg noodles)      1 can niblet corn

1 cup sliced onion                                                 1 garlic clove, minced (optional)

1 pound ground beef                                             1/2 cup green pepper, chopped (optional)

1-6 ounce can tomato paste or sauce                    2 cans tomato soup, or 12 ounce can tomato juice

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce                        2 cups grated cheese

Cook the noodles according to the package directions, drain & set aside.  Meanwhile brown the beef, onions, pepper & garlic.  Combine all the ingredients in a 3 quart casserole dish.  Bake, uncovered at 350 F for 30 minutes.