These are three casseroles my late mother used to make:

Elbow Macaroni Creole

1/2 box elbow macaroni, cooked until tender

1 lb kilbasi or sweet Italian sausage links, sliced ½ inch

3 TBLS vegetable oil or fat from Italian sausage, cooked

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

1 green pepper, seeded and chopped

3 ½ cups canned tomatoes

¾ tsp salt

¼ tsp black pepper or cayenne pepper (if you prefer it a tad spicy)

1 ½ tsp granulated sugar

½ cup buttered bread crumbs

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Sauté onions and peppers in a large skillet, until soft. Add sausage, tomatoes and seasonings. Simmer over low heat for 15 minutes. In a greased baking dish or aluminum foil pan, arrange elbows and sausage mixture in alternating layers. Sprinkle top with buttered bread crumbs and bake fro 30 minutes. Serves 4 to 6.

June’s Frank-Noodle Bake

4 to 5 frankfurters, sliced ½ to ½ inch thick

½ bag medium egg noodles

1 can condensed tomato soup

1 small can, or ½ large can LeSuer Young Tender (baby) peas–or any brand peas, drained

1 TBLS onion powder

1 1/2 tsp yellow mustard

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Cook noodles in boiling salted water until tender. Drain and set aside. In a bowl combine all other ingredients. Fold in noodles and turn into a greased two quart casserole. (Although she never did this, if desired, you may sprinkle buttered dry bread crumbs–recipe below–on top of casserole.) Place in oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until franks are browned. Serves 4.

The above dish was one of my favourites as a child. I still sometimes make it today, when the mood strikes me.

Tuna-Noodle Casserole

8 oz. medium egg noodles, cooked

2 cans tuna, drained

1 can condensed cream of mushroom, or cream of celery soup

2 tsp onion powder

1/8 tsp garlic powder

1 1 /2 cups cooked peas

½ cup potato chips, crushed, or ½ cup buttered bread crumbs

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, stir in noodles, tuna, soup onion powder, garlic powder and peas. Turn into a greased 1 ½ quart casserole. Top with crushed chips or bread crumbs. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Serves 4 to 6.