We posted this recipe a few years ago, but it is a reader favorite, so let's revisit. Â Reader Heather made this and she did a great job. Â This is a classic Amish dish: hearty, filling, easy to make and it'll feed a crowd (or give you leftovers the next day - yum:) Â And, a double-yum for the thick slice of homemade bread accompanying it.
As an aside, it is sometimes fun to go back and read reviews on Amazon of our books, the good and the bad reviews (everyone is entitled an opinion, so I just shrug off bad reviews). Â Some people express surprise that ingredients like "cream of mushroom soup" or Velveeta cheese are in so many "Amish" recipes. Â I think this is a reflection of the shift away from an isolated agrarian lifestyle that most Old Order Amish lived pre-1950. Â As the Amish slowly shifted away from farming (of course,plenty do still farm, but the majority no longer do), the whole structure of their lifestyle changed. Â The Amish, with their ingrained frugality, started visiting grocery stores more. Â Frugality and cheap processed foods were a good match for many. Â I think a lot depends on what settlement you are visiting. Â In some communities organic locavorism is definitely embraced and you'll hardly find anything that isn't homegrown or homemade on the table. Â In other Amish settlements, you'll find cases of Mountain Dew in the pantry, bags of Fritos in the pantry, and plenty of Velveeta cheese. Â So context is everything. Â But a recipe like this - sans maybe the cream of mushroom soup - would be embraced by most Amish cooks.
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 large onion, diced
- fresh potatoes, peeled and diced
- sliced fresh carrots
- 1 can cream of mushroom soup
- additional liquid as needed (water or milk, milk makes a richer casserole)
- Soft cheese (cheddar or Colby in slices or shredded)
- Brown hamburger in a large heavy skillet with a tight-fitting lid.
- Drain the meat well and top with onions, potatoes, and carrots.
- Put mushroom soup over all, then top with a soft cheese.
- Cover and simmer for 45 minutes.
- Check occasionally adding water or milk as needed. Serve hot.
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Patty Juday
Kevin I live in Elkhart and work in Goshen, IN where there is of course a lot of Amish that live nearby. The local Amish shop in the Aldi's store there in Goshen and buy cartloads full of groceries. Gallons and gallons of milk, dozens of eggs, but also chips and
pop, etc. Sometimes they come in vans (neighbors) but a lot hitch their buggies up to the hitchposts at the back of the store.
We have many Amish that work in our RV factories and are the hardest workers there. The only thing I worry about is the horses and buggy and it's passengers because the roads are very congested in Goshen.
Kevin
Yes, Aldi's is definitely, definitely a favorite among some Amish...I'll have to post about that sometime:) Thanks for stopping by, Patty!