Retro Recipes #SundaySupper...Featuring Lightened Hamburger-Corn Casserole

This week, our #SundaySupper is looking back on our favorite retro foods. When I think retro, I get nostalgic and think of circa-1970s Wendy in my orange mini dress with white polka dots, matching tights, and white go-go boots…I was one styling first grader! The kind of food we ate back then included jello salads, deviled eggs, and casseroles. Lots of casseroles. Some retro foods have stood the test of time: deviled eggs and green bean casserole are now considered timeless classics. Other retro favorites have been discarded as the next big food trend came along. Casseroles made with canned soup are very retro to me…I don’t make many of them these days, but they always remind me of my childhood. I haven’t had today's dish in years, but my Mom used to make a Hamburger-Corn Casserole when I was a kid, and I loved it.

I’m definitely old enough for my childhood to be considered a retro era, so I decided to make this casserole for this week’s #SundaySupper. Mom's original recipe has canned cream of mushroom soup, hamburger, and egg noodles. We’re cutting back on fat and calories where we can post-holiday, so I decided to lighten this recipe up a bit. I used 98% fat-free cream of mushroom, 93% lean ground turkey, and fat-free Greek yogurt in place of the second can of soup My Mom always topped this casserole with cubes of buttered bread that toasted as the casserole baked. I opted to use panko breadcrumbs tossed with a smidge of olive oil and some seasoning to keep the crunch and use a healthier fat. This dish is pure nostalgic comfort…without the excess calories that my adult self doesn’t need!

Lightened Hamburger-Corn Casserole

adapted from Mary Wofford aka My Mama

Step 1: Preheat oven to 375 and cook 3 cups of egg noodles. While the noodles cook, make the base of the casserole. Add 1 lb. lean ground turkey, fresh ground pepper, and 1 tsp. garlic salt to large high-topped saute pan. Cook over med-high heat until the meat is browned. Then add: 3/4 cup chopped onion, 1 beef bouillon cube, and about 1/3 cup of water. The bouillon cube is my secret ingredient when replacing ground beef with turkey...it adds a bit of beef flavor to the dish!

Step 2: Add the following ingredients to the cooked meat: 1 can 98% fat free cream of mushroom soup, 1 cup frozen corn kernels, and 1 8-ounce container of fat-free Greek yogurt. Stir well to combine and cook over medium heat until the corn has cooked through -- about 5 minutes. Add the cooked egg noodles and stir well to combine.

Step 3: Combine the following ingredients in a small bowl: 1 cup panko breadcrumbs, 1 tsp. garlic salt, 1 tsp. dried parsley, and 1-2 tbs. olive oil. Stir well, until evenly combined. Spoon the casserole into an 8x8 or 9x9 square baking dish, then top with the panko mixture. Bake the casserole for 15-20 minutes, until the panko mixture is golden-brown.

One bite of this dish immediately took me back to my childhood…crunchy topping, a creamy sauce, and comforting corn and egg noodles. I couldn’t tell that this was lower in fat and calories, which is always a plus. Healthy is good, but it’s gotta taste good! This dish is reminiscent of the childhood classic Hamburger Helper, with much fewer preservatives. I knew exactly what I was putting into it, and it had a much fresher taste. I’m thinking that kids…of all ages…would love this dish. Michael and I both enjoyed it…it’s not gourmet, but sometimes a homey casserole is just what you want! Orange and white polka-dot mini dress is optional ;)!

Be sure to join us for a #SundaySupper retro foods Twitter chat this evening at 600CST. In the meantime, look at all the fun retro recipes my fellow #SundaySupper bloggers are sharing. We’ve got everything from retro appetizers to retro desserts. May some of these dishes look familiar to you?

Sunday Supper Retro Appetizers: