Mrs. Mast's Washday Dinner

Laundry on the line usually means a throw-together supper.

By Kevin Williams

Washday meals at Amish homes are hearty, throw together meals that can simmer for a long time with the laborious task of doing laundry is going on.  Not all Amish recipes are written in a "recipe format."  This is a recipe that comes from Buchanan County, Iowa's large Amish community and I bet this makes an amazingly flavorful supper, very typical Amish washday dish.  The recipe doesn't say whether this should simmer covered or uncovered.  If it were me, I'd turn it down on low heat and cover.

MRS. MAST'S WASHDAY DINNER

Using a large flat pan, melt 1 tablespoon butter and line the bottom with a layer of onion.  Then add a layer of potatoes.  Sift 2 tablespoons flour over this.  Pour a can of tomato juice over all (I'll interject a note here, this would typically be home-canned tomato juice, not sure what you could use if you don't have that handy, I guess probably tomato sauce.  That'd be a bit thicker, but probably the closest) and over with sliced sausage.  Add boiling water to cover and salt to taste. Bake slowly 2 hours.  Turn meat if it gets too brown.