So, that left me with two pounds of ground beef that needed to be used before I hit the road for work this week. I dug into The Big Book of Casseroles by Maryana Vollstedt (2000) and found a recipe for something she calls "Tailgate Casserole" (p. 120). That was the basis of last night's supper. I just used Vollstedt's recipe as the starting point, and ended up making quite a few modifications to it, so I'm not sure it is appropriate to call it by that name anymore.

For instance, I increased the sour cream and cream cheese and dropped the cottage cheese altogether, and I added to them a blend of Mexican cheeses. I added minced garlic and oregano and diced mushroom, and I doubled the amount of diced red bell pepper. I substituted mini-penne for egg noodles. Instead of layering the dish, I mixed it all up and let it cook together.

Since good friend Jon Piper also was here, passing through Winston-Salem once again on quick business, and since he had plans to meet a colleague at Arigato's and only wanted an "appetizer" sampler of the casserole once it came out, I have accorded him some honor in the renaming of this casserole.
"Pipetizer Casserole" is an adaptation of "Tailgate Casserole," from The Big Book of Casseroles, by Maryana Vollstedt. San Francisco: Chronicle Books (2000), p. 120.
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