Comfort food attack

This weather has totally done it to me. I am so over-the-top into comfort foods, it’s almost scary. I last wrote about flipping through my mom’s Women’s Club cookbooks, and finding the most interesting, fatty-fat-fat-heart-attack-developing recipes in the universe.

This week, I offer you one better: I have modded (to use a gaming phrase from my son) one of those recipes, to make it less fattening and equally delicious. In my household, less fat is always a good thing.

As you may recall, vegetarian is also super helpful.

Thus, I present my mom’s modded Chinese Hamburger Casserole, now called:

Chinese Vegetarian Hamburger Casserole

1 bag Morningstar Farms meatless crumbles
1 c cooked rice
1 can reduced fat Cream of Mushroom soup
1 c nonfat plain yogurt
1 c chopped celery
7-8 oz sliced mushrooms
1 large onion, diced
1 bag fresh bean sprouts (about 7 ounces)
1 can sliced water chestnuts
2 Tbsps soy sauce
1 can crunchy Chinese noodles
Salt & pepper to taste

Defrost the meatless crumbles in the microwave (regular setting, 4 minutes).

While that defrosts, sauté onion, mushrooms, bean sprouts, water chestnuts and celery, until onion is translucent.

In a separate bowl, combine Cream of Mushroom soup, plain yogurt and soy sauce. Mix well. Add rice, meatless crumbles and sautéed vegetables to the mix. Transfer to a 2 quart casserole dish. Cover and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Sprinkle noodles on top, and bake uncovered for another 15 minutes.

My kids loved this. All of them. If you need meat, substitute 1 lb of browned lean ground beef for the crumbles.

Enjoy!