Easy Peas Recipes

Before I begin in earnest, I need to explain the concept of the Date Night Casserole. This was a meal that my boyfriend, later to be husband, made us for dinner when I went over to visit. At the time, we were on tight budgets, so a date night dinner needed to be creative.

My husband has always been a good cook. He cooks sometimes with a recipe, but more often than not, he just puts things together and cooks. He explains that this is a type of “soul food” cooking – cooking with some experience but mostly just from the heart. The results of his date night dinners were always very good. But again, we only had basic ingredients to work with most of the time.

Date Night Casserole began as an experiment by a bachelor with a creative mind. The ingredients were changeable, but the concept was familiar; a starch layered with a protein, a veggie, a sauce and maybe cheese. The result was a warm, comforting meal that was also filling. The layers sort of melded together in a savory, melty, creamy way that was too easy to eat. In fact, it was so deliciously easy to eat that I usually ate more than I had planned to. I would return home after dinner, full and sleepy.

The Date Night Casserole didn’t always appear as it tasted. What I mean is, it was not always an attractive dish. To be honest, I usually asked, “What is it?” It wasn’t that I didn’t trust his cooking, but I kind of wanted to know what I was digging into. But, I’m starting to digress. On to the story of my first Date Night Casserole.

It was a dark and stormy night. No, really, it was. I had just finished a twelve-hour shift at work, and it was 9 p.m. I was hungry and tired and not in the mood to cook. I didn’t even have the energy to drive through for fast food somewhere. I phoned my then-boyfriend and most likely whined about my situation. That’s when he offered to cook. It would take a half-hour for me to drive to his apartment, enough time for him to prepare dinner, he said. I was easily persuaded and headed over.

When I arrived, his apartment smelled nice, a toasty, savory sort of smell that made my stomach growl impatiently. It would be a few minutes until dinner was done, he said, and I sat down and waited while he made rustling and clanging sounds in the kitchen. The apartment was so warm and comforting that I would have fallen asleep had it not been for my empty stomach reprimanding me.

Finally, Then-Boyfriend appeared with plates and forks for the table and quickly disappeared into the kitchen again. Moments later, he reappeared, holding a small casserole dish with a towel and placed the dish on the table, very matter-of-factly. The top of the casserole was a field of golden brown. I couldn’t tell what was in it but it smelled like something I could eat for days.

“What is it?” I asked.

He wouldn’t tell me, but said, “It’s just something I put together. But, I made it with love, just like my Momma would.” Aw, that’s sweet, I thought. He then served me up a large serving of the Date Night Casserole… literally half of the casserole.

“You don’t need to eat it all, just eat what you can,” he said, smiling. He knew me too well. I’ve long been a member of the Clean Plate Club. I just laughed and looked at my plate. The inhabitant of my plate was large, yes, and a little lopsided. It looked soft and yet it seemed to still hold together. It did however have that lovely golden brown top to its blobby mass. I nudged it with my fork, trying to decipher it’s ingredients.

“Why are you poking it?” Then-Boyfriend asked with concern on his face, “Just try it.” He was staring at me and my stomach was gnashing in hunger, so I finally gave in and scooped a piece from the pile with my fork. As soon as the fork of whatever it was entered my mouth, I realized that this was the dish I could not stop eating. It was familiar and yet new, and reminded me of eating dinners that my mom made when my sisters and I were growing up. And, the layers! Each layer had its own special taste but they all melted together like a watercolor. Now that I was able to taste and see everything as I ravenously ate, I realized how simple the dish was – and how expertly my Future Husband had crafted it. I think it took four minutes to clean my plate, which surprised my chef. After some good conversation, and time for my stomach to digest dinner, I went home – driving in the cold rain – warm, full and content.

I can’t say that the Date Night Casserole was the only thing that upgraded Then-Boyfriend to Future-Husband status, but it was a major factor. Even now, a couple decades later, he surprises me with his culinary creations. His cooking is a reminder that all the fancy techniques and complex ingredient lists can’t outdo the greatest ingredient of all – love!

Now, if you thought this story was “cheesy,” maybe it’s time you cooked up your version of Date Night Casserole. Here’s the original recipe to get you started!

In a 9×16″ buttered casserole dish or dutch oven, layer in this order:

• 1 box stuffing that has been prepared according to the directions on the box
• 1 pound 85% lean hamburger that has been sauted with 1/2 a diced onion and 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 can of green beans, drained
• 4 to 6 slices American cheese
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup that is mixed with 1 can of milk and a pinch of black pepper
• 2 servings of instant mashed potatoes, prepared according to the directions on the box
• 2 Tbsp melted butter
• Bake at 350° F (176°C) for 30 minutes