The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
3/9/2015 column
MacGyver was a TV show in the 80’s in which the lead character would use whatever he could find to build the right gadget to get him out of a jam. He would use ordinary items like paper clips, chewing gum and baking soda; combine them in different ways to escape in the nick of time. My mom is a MacGyver style cook. She can make meals with whatever she can find and with practice and experience; she can pull off a great meal. I haven’t had as much practice as her so my kids call it cleaning out the frig meals. When I pull it off, they are as greatly surprised as MacGyver’s sidekicks. Here are a few example of MacGyver style cooking.
What do you do when you only have a few dried out hamburger buns on the counter, a couple cans of tuna in the cupboard and sliced cheese in the frig and everyone is hungry NOW! You make do. I’m sure that is how my Mom came to create Tuna Melts for our family. She probably hadn’t had time to run to the grocery store that week and these were the only things she had on hand. With a flash of genius, she started grabbing what she could find and created our favorite meal in minutes. I have never seen a recipe for Tuna Melts. It was something my family all learned how to make as kids. I passed it on to my kids for a quick meal. I think Katie even made it for the girls at Clovia in college. When you need something filling and warm in less than 15 minutes…tuna melts are the perfect meal.
6 Hamburger buns split in half
1 can cream of mushroom soup
3 or 4 cans tuna, drained
Velveeta, sliced American or any favorite cheese
Paprika
Turn broiler on in oven or to 500 degrees. Mixed soup and tuna. Spoon on half a bun. Place on cookie sheet. Top with slice of cheese. Sprinkle with paprika. Place in oven even if not preheated yet. This way the tuna/soup mixture will warm up and the cheese won’t burn. Keep an eye on the melts. Only takes 5 – 10 minutes depending upon oven. Can’t go wrong with this.
When Mom wanted to dress up a Friday meal, she would splurge and make Salmon Patties. Ohhh, these were such a treat. I would even eat them cold for breakfast, if there were any leftovers! I don’t know where Mom came up with this recipe either, but again it was something she could make fast and off the top of her head. I learned how to make them by watching her and passed it on to my kids.
2 cans of canned salmon
1 egg, slightly beaten
Crushed saltine, Ritz or Club crackers
Butter
Lemon juice
Discard bones and oil from canned salmon. Add egg. Add crushed crackers. Mix well. Make into patties like you would hamburgers, about the size of the palm of your hand. Melt butter in frying pan. Add patties. Fry over med-low heat. Flip after a couple of minutes. Should be golden brown. Add more butter if needed. Serve with a splash of lemon juice on top of patties. Won’t be able to eat just one!
I figured out how to use leftover macaroni and cheese in a flash. I would throw in some tuna and frozen peas in the leftover mac and cheese. I would dump this in a casserole dish and top with crushed potato chips. Throw in the microwave or oven until heated through. Instant tuna noodle casserole! But when I have the time to make real tuna casserole, this is my favorite recipe. I found it in a magazine and modified it to fit my family’s taste. This is their favorite Lenten meal.
1/2 c. water
1 TBSP chicken bouillon
1 pkg frozen peas
1 c. chopped onion
1 c. sliced mushrooms
¼ c. chopped celery
1 garlic clove, minced
½ tsp dill weed
½ tsp salt
Dash pepper
4 tsp corn starch
1 ½ c. milk
½ c. Velveeta cheese, cubed
¼ c. mayonnaise or Miracle Whip
2 ½ c. medium noodles, cooked and drained
12 oz tuna (4 small cans), drained
1/3 c. dry bread crumbs
Butter
Cook the noodles first. While they are cooking, bring water and bouillon to a boil in a large saucepan. Stir to dissolve. Add next 8 ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 5 minutes. Dissolve corn starch in milk. Add to vegetable mixture stirring constantly. Bring to a boil; boil 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in cheese and Miracle Whip until blended. Fold in noodles and tuna. Pour into a greased 2 ½ qt. baking dish. Brown bread crumbs in butter. Sprinkle on top of casserole. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 25 – 30 minutes. Yield: 4-6 servings.
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* As their 4 children pursue dairy careers off the farm, Natalie and Mark are starting a new adventure of milking registered Holsteins just because they like good cows on their Minnesota farm. Natalie grew up in Stronghurst, the daughter of Becky and the late Larry Dowell.
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