Spam 'n Rice Casserole*

 View from the side... after baking....

Spam (in this case, meat, and not e-mail): You either hate it, like it, or just tolerate it.  Personally, I'll keep a can of "low-sodium" Spam on hand for 'just in case' I have to put something together in a hurry when I only have 'freezer meat' on hand.  This recipe is an easy/quick assemble.   Because of the sodium that is already in the Spam and the soup, I suggest you do not add salt when putting this together.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 can Spam, chopped into small cubes (low-sodium version is best).
• 4 cups pre-cooked brown rice OR 6-8 oz. noodles, cooked/drained.
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 cup cubed cheddar cheese
• 1 can cream soup (mushroom, suggested)
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 tube of Ritz crackers, crumbled
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted

DIRECTIONS:

• Mix first five ingredients together.

• Blend cream soup with milk and black pepper, and pour over above combined mixture.
• Toss crumbled Ritz crackers with the melted butter, and sprinkle on top of casserole.
• Bake in a non-stick sprayed 3 quart dish at 350-degrees for 45 minutes, uncovered.  If/when you see the top browning too rapidly, cover it.
• A brightly colored salad would be a good compliment to this.  Next time, I may even add some broccoli florets to this casserole. 

While I like almost every kind of food, my husband does not.  So, when I make something 'new' I ask him if he likes it, if I should save the recipe so I can make it again.  He will NOT say yes to those questions unless he seriously means it!   He answered yes to both questions so I'm putting it in my keeper file a-n-d, ...I'm posting it.

*This recipe started out to be like that of Cindy Alger who was the submitter in the  Thorp Centennial Christian Women's Cookbook (1893 - 1993).   The recipe changed when I added cooked brown rice in place of the cooked noodles.