There must be some dishes that are more suitable for canned peas than, say, for frozen peas.  I remember a casserole, or ‘hot dish” as we called them, in our elementary school cafeteria that probably used canned peas.  That hot dish was pretty tasty.  As a matter of fact, I remember it quite fondly.  It was one of those casseroles that I might use to clean up a lot of leftovers.

The ingredients are simple enough.  Of course, start with ground beef that’s browned.  Add onion, tomatoes of some kind, cooked noodles, maybe some corn, then a can or two of some cream of any kind of soup, some cheese, and, of course, a can of peas.  Simple, yes, but every bit a “comfort food.”

If you happen to remember this type of “hot dish” or you have any other suggestions for what to make with canned peas, I’d love to hear your opinions and suggestions.

I continue the tradition to this day and often serve sauerkraut meals to my family.  Maybe not once a week, but routinely.  My problem is that I am running out of ideas for new recipes.  Don’t get me wrong; I love the traditional skillet meal that I grew up with, but also would like to enjoy sauerkraut in other dishes.

Does anyone have a nice side dish, main dish casserole, or an unusual but tasty sauerkraut dish they would like to share?  I’d love to hear from you!

My quandary remains then to find ways to use cream style corn in dishes without having to make a second meal for myself.  I will tell you that I have tried one dish that’s surprisingly pleasing to both of us.  This is a corn chowder using both frozen corn and cream corn.  I just make sure there’s enough bacon, salt, black pepper, Dijon mustard, and Worcestershire sauce to mask the sweetness of the cream corn.  It turns out pretty well.

Other than cream corn in corn chowder, have you used it in some casseroles or other side dishes with success?  If you’re not a great cream corn fan, I’d love to hear how you, too, have “hidden” the cream corn in some of your dishes.  And, if you are a fan of cream corn and really crave certain dishes, I’d like to hear from you, too, so I can make something nice for my husband, even if I don’t eat it!

Any way you make it, Navy Bean Soup is probably one of the most satisfying soups there is on the entire planet.  Depending on the garden, my Grandma would add carrots, onions, parsnips, parsley, potatoes, and whatever she could dig up or snip off.  Now, I’ve made this soup a few times in my life, but it never, ever, will turn out as good as my Grandma’s Navy Bean Soup.  That’s just the way nostalgia works. I would, however, like to hear if anyone else has a favorite memory or recipe using navy beans.  I don’t know if it would be worth trying them in a casserole, or a salad, but why don’t you tell me what you think.

But, now that hurricane season is coming to a close soon (please!), and we’ve stocked our cupboard with more black beans than we’ll ever be able to eat cold,  I have to figure out the best way to use large amounts of black beans in delicious family-pleasing meals.  And now that power is restored, and the cooler months are upon us, a few nice soup or casserole dishes would be a welcome change.

I’m not skittish about trying to hide the flavor or texture of black beans because everyone in my house likes them.  I don’t want my family to get bored with black beans, so don’t be afraid to share your most adventurous recipes!