Amish Wigglers are a casserole, a hearty, delicious casserole that is quite popular among the Amish. I laugh every time I hear the name.
"Wigglers", just doesn't sound too appetizing. But the casserole is good and the conventional food wisdom is that the spaghetti in it gives a "wiggling" type appearance. Anyway, some people call worms "wigglers" and I can see how the spaghetti could resemble that. Appetizing!
But this is, despite the name, a delicious supper and if you go through almost an Amish cookbook from almost any Amish community, you will come across a recipe for some variation of wigglers.
But if you don't mind the funny name and want an easy hearty casserole (can anything with bacon be bad tasting?) this dish is very typical of Amish cooking changes over the past 50 years: processed foods. Velveeta cheese and canned soups. Both of these items became popular with Amish cooks after World War II. I've found these items actually more popular among the Old Order. New Order Amish seem to pay a bit more attention to diet and nutrition than Old Order, but this is only an anecdotal observation on my part.
Fry fresh bacon. You really can't go wrong with a recipe that involves freshly fried bacon!
The bacon fat is not wasted, you'll fry the onions in that and you get a super amazing flavor!
Brown the ground beef with the onions in that same bacon fat!
The green peas and some wonderful color, flavor, and texture to this dish. You can also use some chopped carrots and celery if you wish. There are a lot of variations on this dish, but peas are always found in it!
Potatoes add some bulk to the dish. I mean, if you think about it calorie-packed protein-packed meal has everything: two types of meat, potatoes, veggies, and pasta, I mean, that is a lot of food packed into one meal. Plus, soup, and cheese. Wow! And I will say for those of you - like my parents - who are not Velveeta/processed cheese fans, you can just use shredded cheese.
Peas, carrots, veggies, etc go on top of the potatoes!
Then the spaghetti gets piled on, that'll give the dish the "wiggle" moniker!
Put the celery and bacon on top and then cover with cheese.
The recipe calls for Velveeta cheese and, absolutely, it'll be amazing if you use it. But you can use just regular shredded cheese in its place. That'll make the dish a little less processed, perhaps a hair healthier.
Amish Wigglers is one of these classic casseroles that can feed a family or a congregation because you can easily double and triple and quadruple amounts. Or you can cut the proportions way down. The meal travels easily, just stick in a sealed tupperware container and it'll bounce along on a buggy ride just fine! Here is this delicious recipe!
🍲 Amish Wigglers
- 3 lbs. hamburger
- 3 onions - chopped
- 3 c. cooked celery
- 2 cans cream of mushroom soup
- 2 cans peas
- 1 c. grated cheese
- 1¾ qt. tomato soup
- 1 lb. Velveeta cheese
- 2 small pkg. cooked spaghetti
- 9 slices bacon
- 3 c. diced cooked potatoes
📋 Instructions
- Fry bacon in skillet, remove to plate and brown hamburger and onion in bacon fat.
- Put meat and onions in a six qt. casserole.
- Add potatoes, soup, carrots, and spaghetti.
- Arrange celery and bacon slices on top.
- Put grated cheese on top.
- Bake in moderate oven at 350° F. for 1 to 1-½ hours.
👩🍳 More Favorite Amish Casseroles
Casseroles are popular in Amish kitchens, they are versatile and feed families, here are some of our favorites!
Grandma Graber's Quick and Easy Casserole
Classic!
The Bishop's Overnight Casserole
The flavors really meld in this one!
🖨️ Full Recipe
Amish Wigglers
Ingredients
- 3 pounds hamburger
- 3 onions - chopped
- 3 cups cooked celery
- 2 cans cream of mushroom soup
- 2 cans peas
- 1 cup grated cheese
- 1¾ quart tomato soup
- 1 lb. Velveeta cheese
- 2 small pkg. cooked spaghetti
- 9 slices bacon
- 3 cups diced, cooked potatoes
Instructions
- Fry bacon in skillet, remove to plate and brown hamburger and onion in bacon fat.
- Put meat and onions in a six qt. casserole.
- Add potatoes, soup, carrots, and spaghetti.
- Arrange celery and bacon slices on top.
- Put grated cheese on top. Bake in moderate oven at 350° F. for 1 to 1-½ hours.
victor
u forgot an ingredient carrots
Kevin
Oops, thanks for pointing that out!
Thomas T Nealeigh
In the "Wigglers" recipe, is the grated cheese different from the Velveta? If so, what does one do with the Velveta?
Kevin
Always good to hear from you, it's been awhile! Sorry for the unclear instructions, I did look and the grated cheese is different than Velveeta...the Velveeta goes in Step 2, mixes in with the meat. It's a very cheesy dish!
Gerry Altrichter
do you cook the hamburger before putting it into the potato casseroles or leave it raw?
Kevin
Good question, Gerry, go ahead and cook it.