Joe's Mama's Crabmeat Casserole
I've been eyeing this one since Joe's Mama gave me this recipe box. For those just tuning in, this recipe box is packed with cake recipes that her mama used in her many, many years as a professional cake decorator. Those are really cool.
Joe's mama also included several recipes that are family (for "family" read "Joe's") favourites. So far Joe claims that this is comfort food that he doesn't really like the taste of very often but has one clear memory of it being amazing and that's what gives it the comfort food designation. Deep breath.
I set out to make this exactly like the recipe but I couldn't resist playing with the proportions a bit.
1 cup uncooked elbows (I used 2 cups uncooked whole wheat pasta)
1 can crabmeat (I used 2 cans)
1 cup white sauce (McCormicks or any pkg white) (I used Knorr)
1/2 cup shredded cheddar (I used closer to 3/4 because that's all I had left)
1 egg yolk
3 T melted butter (I probably used more)
1/4 to 1/2 cup bread crumbs
Cook elbows.
Make white sauce.
Add cheese to white sauce stir until melted
Remove from heat
Add beaten egg yolk
Add crabmeat
Turn into greased casserole.
Mix butter & breadcrumbs
Sprinkle top with breadcrumb mixture
Add cover 350F for 30 minutes.
Also very good with fresh cooked crabmeat.
Okay, it was really delicious. Because I started the pasta water and the white sauce at the same time and had to keep whisking, I wasn't able to wander away from the pasta and lose track of time until I had mush like I usually do so the pasta was perfectly al dente. I don't know how large a serving is supposed to be in Joe's family home but 1 cup of pasta didn't seem like that much to me (not for more than two people anyway) so I doubled it and it filled my small casserole dish nicely, the amended recipe makes for a nice yield for 4. It seemed like the bread crumbs were really wet but because it's covered while it's cooking, they get all melty.
Next time I make it I'd like to try baking it without the lid for at least 10 minutes at the end, maybe all the way through even. I'd like to see if the breadcrumbs crisp up at all. I'd also like to just do the bechemel from scratch, 2 cups of milk with 2 T of flour, a little salt and pepper. I can totally see doing this in individual ramekins, the larger ones. Nice.
Oh yeah, I served it with steamed asparagus spears.
** Editorial Correction: Joe has since informed me that this casserole always attains the status of "good" but sometimes achieves the lofty height of "amazing". I stand corrected on my recollection. It is very likely that I was wrong because if it had only been good one time, I would have heard about it many more times. **
Joe's mama also included several recipes that are family (for "family" read "Joe's") favourites. So far Joe claims that this is comfort food that he doesn't really like the taste of very often but has one clear memory of it being amazing and that's what gives it the comfort food designation. Deep breath.
I set out to make this exactly like the recipe but I couldn't resist playing with the proportions a bit.
1 cup uncooked elbows (I used 2 cups uncooked whole wheat pasta)
1 can crabmeat (I used 2 cans)
1 cup white sauce (McCormicks or any pkg white) (I used Knorr)
1/2 cup shredded cheddar (I used closer to 3/4 because that's all I had left)
1 egg yolk
3 T melted butter (I probably used more)
1/4 to 1/2 cup bread crumbs
Cook elbows.
Make white sauce.
Add cheese to white sauce stir until melted
Remove from heat
Add beaten egg yolk
Add crabmeat
Turn into greased casserole.
Mix butter & breadcrumbs
Sprinkle top with breadcrumb mixture
Add cover 350F for 30 minutes.
Also very good with fresh cooked crabmeat.
Okay, it was really delicious. Because I started the pasta water and the white sauce at the same time and had to keep whisking, I wasn't able to wander away from the pasta and lose track of time until I had mush like I usually do so the pasta was perfectly al dente. I don't know how large a serving is supposed to be in Joe's family home but 1 cup of pasta didn't seem like that much to me (not for more than two people anyway) so I doubled it and it filled my small casserole dish nicely, the amended recipe makes for a nice yield for 4. It seemed like the bread crumbs were really wet but because it's covered while it's cooking, they get all melty.
Next time I make it I'd like to try baking it without the lid for at least 10 minutes at the end, maybe all the way through even. I'd like to see if the breadcrumbs crisp up at all. I'd also like to just do the bechemel from scratch, 2 cups of milk with 2 T of flour, a little salt and pepper. I can totally see doing this in individual ramekins, the larger ones. Nice.
Oh yeah, I served it with steamed asparagus spears.
** Editorial Correction: Joe has since informed me that this casserole always attains the status of "good" but sometimes achieves the lofty height of "amazing". I stand corrected on my recollection. It is very likely that I was wrong because if it had only been good one time, I would have heard about it many more times. **
posted by Jody at
6:49 PM
1 Comments:
Well, a couple of things. This is the first time my mother has ever been referred to as "Mama." Also, I didn't say I sometimes didn't like it. I just said it was always okay, but occasionally amazing. Luckily, your version sounds like it was on the amazing end of the spectrum.
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