We had a pitchin today at work

[innerslytherin]

[Poll #1599432]

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Comments

[fabrisse.livejournal.com]

I think this is a "define your terms" for me. If you mean real macaroni and cheese, or even a potato-chard tian dish, sure. My mother's zucchini casserole is to die for (sadly, I mean that nearly literally as the last time she made it she used rancid crackers and gave us all food poisoning) when it's made right.

If you mean tuna things made with "helpers," then I'm against them.

So, "yes" to one-pot baked dishes in the autumn through early spring, and "no" to fake things made with processed stuff.

[innerslytherin]

Okay, good point. What I mean is one-dish things where a lot of foods are thrown together and not entirely identifiable. I know that's pretty generic, but usually if I can tell what's in a casserole (by looking and not asking, preferably) I'm more inclined to eat it. *G*

[katewallace.livejournal.com]

Yes to mac and cheese, or mac/cheese/ham. Or tuna/noodles/mushroom soup. With browned bread crumbs on the top. Yes to pork chops/sliced baking potatoes/ mushroom soup (really needs to go in a 13x9 pan, so I don't know of you would consider it a 'casserole', but it's still yummy!).

No to anything involving chopped up hot dogs and anything else or anything that my mother-in-law might come up with, but she doesn't cook much anymore, so I think I'm safe.

[innerslytherin]

Hmm. I don't really consider mac & cheese type dishes casseroles, but tuna/noodles/mushroom soup is what I call tuna fish casserole. *G* Anything where lots of ingredients are jumbled together in one dish is suspect to me, unless my mom or I made it. LOL

[katewallace.livejournal.com]

Oh yes, I've been to some pot-luck dinners at church..some scary stuff there, I must say! (And at one of them, our pastor's wife called something a "Hoo-see-ay" cake..it took me a minute to realize she meant "Hoosier"...though I have no idea what a "Hoosier cake" is supposed to be! But she was the 'best pastor's wife ever' so I didn't hold it against her! )

[darkhawkhealer.livejournal.com]

Out of curiosity, is 'pitchin' considered to be a Yankee term? You call yourself a Yankee, right? Cause you're in the midwest and you swear you don't have an accent? *g*

Because I've never heard that particular phrase before - we always called them potluck(s). *g* Or parties.

[innerslytherin]

I do NOT consider myself a Yankee. I am a Hoosier, yes, but not a Yankee. Please do not insult me that way again. *dignified*

But I don't know if it's a Midwestern term or just an Evangelical Christian term. LOL We call them pitch-ins, though the term potluck is recognized. I thought y'all in the Pacific Northwest called them potlatches?

[lar_laughs.livejournal.com]

I love casseroles! "Baptist to the bone" and all that!

[innerslytherin]

LOL But what if you can't identify what's in them?!

Also, I have a feeling that only the Protestant Christians on my friends list knew automatically what I meant. LOL

[lar_laughs.livejournal.com]

If I can't identify... I try to figure out who made it. That usually helps. But if I still can't and it looks good... half a spoonful! That way it won't look bad if I don't eat very much. I'm a PK. We can't be dissing anyone's dish!

[writerbuggie.livejournal.com]

To be honest, I don't know that I've ever HAD a casserole, defined as such...? People mentioned mac & cheese and of course I've had that home made, but otherwise I can't recall any casseroles in my life! Is it not a New England thing, maybe?

[innerslytherin]

Yeah, I wasn't even thinking about mac & cheese when I said casserole. I was thinking things with at least three ingredients, one of which is usually egg and/or mushroom soup. LOL But of course we don't eat as much seafood here in the Midwest as you New Englanders do! :D

[losingntrnslatn.livejournal.com]

Mom's Tuna Casserole w/ potato chips on top pretty owns my soul. She could get me to do ANYTHING by making this.

There's also chicken & rice casseroles of varying flavors that always leave me in a state of yum.

Most noodle casseroles are good.

The problem comes when you get into the "weird" ingredient stuff. If I can't tell what's in it just by looking...I ain't touchin' it. Too many years spent at Methodist Potlucks for me not to spot a Franken-Casserole. But there are lots of 1 Pot dishes that are fantastic. Jambalaya immediately comes into mind... Hmmm, I might need to make that Sunday.

[innerslytherin]

YES. Franken-Casserole! Hahahaha! Yes, mine were Independent Christian Church pitch-ins/potlucks, but yeah, I have a feeling those church dinners have scarred a lot of us.

[lar_laughs.livejournal.com]

CHICKEN N RICE! I love that type of casserole so much! I've even been able to modify it so that I can make it for one (or two) meals since I'm single.

Mmmmm...

[winky3018.livejournal.com]

Pitchin? What is "a pitchin?"

I am not overly fond of other people's casseroles. With my mom's (or my aunt's) I know what has gone in it. Too many bad experiences with "casserole surprise" to try anyone else's anymore. *shudders*

[innerslytherin]

Hmm. Pitch-in, potluck, potlatch, carry-in? I'm not sure what else you would call them, but it's where everyone brings a dish of some kind to a common meal.

And yes, your opinion is mine. :D

[winky3018.livejournal.com]

*doh* I got it! Never heard it referred to as that, we call them potlucks.

[innerslytherin]

A regionalism maybe? I'm in Indiana. I'm also of the Protestant Christian persuasion, so it might be lingo from that. *G*

[winky3018.livejournal.com]

Hmmm, maybe - I am a Catholic girl in central Texas, originally from waaaay south Texas.

You seem not to be too fond of the "eggy casseroles" - I don't blame you *eewwww* My favorite casserole is one of my mother's from when she and my dad first got married and had to really stretch their budget and it has nooo eggs! :)

[nebula99.livejournal.com]

From reading the comments, I think my definition of a casserole is a bit different. A stew, usually involving meat, cooked slowly. Proper winter food - especially with dumplings.

[innerslytherin]

Aha! Another way language differs from one side of the Atlantic to the other! :)

Yes, my definition of casserole for this post involves veg, some sort of meat usually, and probably egg or cream of mushroom soup. The problem with them is that you can never quite tell what's in them. Eww!

[essayel.livejournal.com]

Not sure what a pitchin is. Since you mentioned work I initially though it a coy way of saying "bitch in" so 'casserole' threw me completely.

Come to that do we mean the same thing by 'casserole'? The other commenters reference to mac and cheese made me go @_@.

Here's what I mean by casserole: Turn the oven on to about 100 degrees C then take a deep sided heavy bottomed cast iron pan with a lid, add a splash of olive oil and two smashed garlic cloves, heat the oil. Add 4 chicken thighs, skin on, and let them brown wihile you chop onions/shallots, carrots, peppers, courgettes/zucchini, and mushrooms. Add those to the pan and turn every thing over to let it begin to brown a bit. Add a pinch of dried mixed herbs or, if you have fresh, a sprig of thyme and 2 bay leaves. Put a spoonful of cornflour in a cup and add a little water. Mix thoroughly til it's smooth. Into the casserole pan pour about half a pint of red wine[ it needs to come well up the sides of the pan to almost cover the contents]. Add the flour mixture and give it a bit of a stir then clap on the lid and put the pan in the oven for about an hour. Check every 20 minutes or so to make sure it's not getting too dry. If it does, add a bit more wine or water, if you'd sooner drink it. After the hour put some rice on too cook and by the time that is done the casserole will be as well. Serves 2 well, 4 if you add extra veggies.

Variations: If you believe that wine is for drinking not cooking you can use water instead but add a stock cube. You can use pork/cider or beef/guinness but roll the bits of meat in flour before you brown them and miss out the step with the flour in a cup. You can brown everything in a frying pan and transfer it to a ceramic casserole dish. You can not bother to brown the food first [though I think it tastes better if you do]. You can not use meat at all but add a can of beans for a bit of ballast. You can serve with couscous or potatoes or just a lump of bread and butter. 'Bits' of meat are better than joints of meat if you have the kind of household where people are likely to drop by at meal times - thin the sauce a bit and add a can of sweetcorn and you can stretch it to fill another plate.

I really <3 casseroles!

[fabrisse.livejournal.com]

That's a great ragout or stew recipe. I'm going to try it.

[innerslytherin]

LOL Well, for this particular workplace especially, "bitch-in" would be an appropriate term! But a pitch-in or carry-in or potluck is where everyone brings a different dish and there's a community meal. It happens a lot at Protestant Christian churches here Middle America, anyway. :D

The sort of thing you're calling a casserole isn't too related to what I mean, if I'm reading this recipe right. What I'm referring to usually involves eggs and/or cream of mushroom soup and is a muddle of ingredients shoved together and baked in a common dish.

[essayel.livejournal.com]

Ah, potluck is a term I'm familiar with.

You can make a casserole out of almost anything but the base is some kind of meat, a variety of vegetables all on one pan with enough liquor or whatever type to make a sauce, cooked fairly slowly in an oven.

I've used soup, not just mushroom but minestrone and chicken as well, but I've never put eggs in a casserole.

This is the sort of thing one needs a Brit/US picker for.

[chaoticprose.livejournal.com]

I love casseroles in general, but I don't love every one I've tried. I love the idea of casseroles, and I've had some amazing ones. Likewise, there are some I just don't like. I love almost any casserole containing pasta and cheese. Likewise, my husband (of all people) taught me how to make a really yummy one using refried beans, tortilla chips, cheese, and taco sauce.

[innerslytherin]

Ooooh I want the recipe for the casserole your husband taught you! Yum!!!!!

I usually like my mom's casseroles, but I am phobic about my food touching, so casseroles sort of freak me out. Also I'm not a fan of eggs, and a lot of casseroles are just too eggy for me. *G*