Sasserole!

I don't know about most kids but I hated the thought of eating some nasty casserole for dinner.  Some mixture that would include ground beef, rice, green beans and a can of some cream soup all baked together.  Disgusting.  It was like a staple growing up which is probably why I spent a lot of time throwing... okay, that's not true.  I suffered through it.  There is just something not right about a casserole.  A sasserole on the other hand, that was all about the sass!  It was a casserole with some attitude and it was definitely worth every bite.  Sadly there are not many casseroles that are worthy of the title of sass.  In fact I dare say there is only one, zucchini casserole.  Doesn't that just sound sassy?  I think it does.  It may go down as the best casserole in the existence of casseroles.  Is there such a thing as a bad asserole?  If there is zucchini casserole tops those charts as well. 

Gotta send props out to Violet Pearl Fontano for including this recipe in her recipe book to her family of, I don't know, 14 or 15 years ago.  Secondary props out to Kathleen Griffin Fontano, my sweet momza who made us this casserole a plenty whilst growing up.  Oh, they both made some of those other nasty casseroles, I don't know why.  I make one casserole and one casserole only.  Not true.  I make two casseroles and two casseroles only.  One, the green chilies breakfast casserole from Grandma Vi and then this zucchini casserole.  I must needs correct my previous statement.  There are in fact two casseroles worthy of the title of sass.

Tonight I made some sasserole - the zucchini variety.  I decided not to mess around.  I made a double batch.  I don't know how well it freezes but I broke up the second batch into two 9 X 9's and will have those on hand for whenever, which could really be whenever because anytime is a good time for some zucchini sasserole.

It calls for zucchini, ground beef (made it tonight with ground pork and ground turkey), white rice, cottage cheese (that's like a casserole staple as well), cream of mushroom soup, a bit of garlic salt and oregano and some grated cheese.  Do you want the actual recipe?  If so, comment on the post and I'll put it up.  Otherwise this is just a little chit chat for my kids to review and remember where the greatest sasserole of all time came from.  I do expect that it is being shared with your own families!  It is a Fontano family tradition that must live on.  I guess adding the recipe would help facilitate that.  Here is is:

1 1/2 lbs sliced zucchini (1/4" thick) Cooked until barely tender - should be about 6 cups cooked.
1 lb. ground beef (sub ground pork or turkey or a combo if you wish) cooked and seasoned a bit.
1 cup rice.  I put in a little extra and prefer it sticky, calrose rice, cooked in a rice cooker.
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp garlic salt
1 lb (16 oz.) cottage cheese
2 10 oz. cans of cream of mushroom soup
1 or 2 cups of grated cheddar cheese

Place half of the cooked zuchini in a casserole dish.
Combine cooked ground beef, rice, oregano and garlic salt.  Mix thoroughly.  Spread on top of zucchini.
Put cottage cheese on top of ground beef/rice mixture.
Add the second half of zucchini.
Cover with cream of mushroom soup.
Top with grated cheese.
 Bake in oven at 350 degrees for 35 to 45 minutes.
Allow to cool a bit, then serve it up and prepare for a little taste of heaven!