Rice and Sloppy Joes

Rice is sometimes called “the food of the ages”…for it is as old as history. Twenty-eight hundred years before Christ, a Chinese emperor, Chin Nung, established a ceremonial custom of serving it. From Asia to Europe to America, rice cultivation has spread until rice rivals wheat as the world’s most important food. Betty Crocker’s Picture Cook Book, 1950
These baked rice recipes were on a handout from a 1970’s junior high, Home Economics class.
Baked Rice: Combine in casserole 1 cup white rice, 1 package dry onion soup and 2 cups boiling water. Bake in covered casserole for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.
Rice Pilaf: Brown 1 cup rice and 1 twist crumbled vermicelli in 4 Tablespoons of melted butter. Add one half teaspoon of salt, 2 chicken bouillon cubes, 2 and one-half cups boiling water and cook gently 20 minutes. (Cook over the stove and cover with a lid)
Bulghour Pilaf: Brown 1 cup bulghour wheat (Ala) in 4 Tablespoons of butter with 2-4 cups boiling water. Steam for 15 minutes or until tender.
Barley Casserole: Melt 2 Tablespoons butter. Add 1 cup pearl barley. Cook over medium heat until golden brown, stirring constantly. Add 2 cans undiluted onion soup*, three-fourths cup (4 oz. can) mushroom pieces and liquid. Heat to boiling. Pour into 1 and one-half qt. casserole. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for one hour. Garnish with one-half cup grated process American cheese. *Substitution: 1 package dry onion soup mix combined with 2 and one-half cups boiling water.

Sloppy Joes, 
1980
A reminder of a popular elementary cafeteria food offering. The meat filling dripped over a homemade bun and a thick slice of cheddar cheese closed the deal. At that time, cafeteria workers made meals from scratch  in school cafeteria kitchens. The smells were wonderful and by lunch time, everyone’s stomachs growled with hunger. Very few empty trays!
2 pounds hamburger
1 can tomato sauce
1 onion, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
One-half teaspoon salad mustard
One-half teaspoon chili powder or less
Stir until hamburger is broken up. Simmer 20 minutes.
My notes: cook hamburger and drain. Add other ingredients ( a small can of green chilies too) and simmer for 20 minutes. . Scoop sauce on the bottom of a hamburger bun, add a slice of cheese and top with bun.
Helpful Hints, 1980: Cottage cheese will remain fresher longer if stored upside down in your refrigerator. To prevent mold, store cheese in a tightly covered container with some sugar cubes.
- Ann Marie Bezayiff is a local food columnist and published author who lives in Strathmore. She can be reached at ambolor@ocsnet.net. You can also find her column at www.annsrecycledrecipes.blogspot.com.
- This column is not a news article but the opinion of the writer and does not reflect the views of The Foothills Sun-Gazette newspaper.