Tablecloths and TV Trays

Many of us have special memories of sitting around the kitchen or dining room table with our families. At the end of a long day, we would sit down to share a meal and the latest news from work or school.

For Anne Elizabeth from Waukee, Iowa, some of the most memorable meals of her childhood took place around a different table:

“When I was a child, we always sat at the kitchen table for dinner but on occasion we would get the opportunity to eat in the family room while watching television. I remember my mom had the ‘family room dinner’ table cloth that fit perfectly over our coffee table to place the meal on. It was white with purple flowers and only made an appearance on these special nights. My sister and I would get to eat off our special TV trays, mine being Strawberry Shortcake and my sisters was the Smurfs. These special meals would consist of my sister Kate and I’s favorite meals, one being Warrior casserole.”

Anne Elizabeth was kind enough to share the recipe for Warrior Casserole, straight from her mom’s kitchen.

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Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 stick (10 oz) sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed cream of chicken soup
• 1 cup milk
• 4 teaspoons chopped green chilies
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• 12 corn tortillas

Instructions:

1. Brown meat; drain.
2. Slice 2″ chunk from cheese; cut into 6 arrows , 2″ by 1/4″ thick, for garnish. Shred remaining cheese.
3. Combine meat, shredded cheese, soup, milk, chilies, and garlic salt.
4. In a 1 1/2 or 2-quart casserole, layer 1 cup meat mixture and 4 tortillas; repeat layers 2 more times. Top with remaining meat mixture.
5. Cover and bake 350°- 50-55 minutes.
6. Garnish with cheese arrows, shredded lettuce and small tomato wedges. Serves 6.

Thanks for sharing your memory, Anne Elizabeth! We (Sarah and Lisa) can’t wait to try Warrior Casserole for ourselves!

What did dinnertime look like for your family? Are there dishes from your childhood that you still make today? We’d love to hear from you! Click here to share your memories.

Follow Anne Elizabeth on Instagram (@anneelizabethrd) and check out her blog and podcast on her website!