But It's Not Good For You!

I was one of those odd children who actually often enjoyed cafeteria meals at school.  We just didn't have food like that at home, so it seemed interesting and tasty to have tater tot casserole and chicken-fried steak and that sort of thing.  Our family ate wholesome, homemade, old-fashioned, kinda-British-type stuff, and we did not resort to food from mixes or cans.  I still don't, actually.  If I want tomato soup, I'm much more likely to whip up a batch with fresh tomatoes in the Vita-Mix than I am to open a tin.  

But sometimes a junk food meal is kinda tasty, especially if it's not what you're accustomed to.....and that's why I "indulged" today.  (I'd like to think that it wasn't totally bad because I did use fresh potatoes.)  On a cloudy evening of the first cool day of autumn, it seems the time to have something simple, soothing, and warm, something easy.

Cheesy Peasy

Preheat oven to 350.  (And kindly do not expect proper directions or amounts because this is lazy food.)

Pare several medium-size russet potatoes.  Slice in 1/4 inch slabs.  Boil gently until nearly done.  Drain.  

Open a can of English Peas.*  Drain.

Open a can of Cream of Celery Soup.  (Cream of Mushroom is a nice alternative.)  Empty the soup into a small mixing bowl, and whisk with a half-can of milk.  

Grate sharp white cheddar.  Or, if you're feeling really lazy, open a package of the grated cheese of your choice.

Butter a quart casserole.  Ladle in a thin layer of soup mixture.  Then layer potatoes, peas, cheese, soup until you've used it all up.....do save cheese for the very top layer, though, because that's the best part.

Pop it into the oven for 35 minutes or so until it's all bubbly and browned on top.  Wait 5 minutes to serve to give things a little while to settle down because it will be very hot.

And then enjoy a big helping in a nice thick pottery bowl.  Eat with a spoon--it just tastes better that way.  It's easy cheesy peasy.


*.............I mean regular old green peas (you know, the kind in the Green Giant cans).  It has been brought to my attention that only people from the Deep South call them English Peas.  Well, that's all I ever call them!