November 12, 2018

White Dog watched another pan being prepared while the others were all focused on the turkey in the oven. She knew the simple casserole being assembled was the ultimate in wintery comfort food.

Thick worm-like noodles combined with chicken, mushrooms, peas, carrots, celery and broccoli was smothered in thickened sage-spiced broth with cream. It was topped with bread crumbs and drizzled with melted butter. Then it was baked. My grandmother used this recipe to stretch bits of meals leftover but it was never considered "seconds" in my family.

It is a meal that reheats easily to provide a quick one-pan meal which is what was needed on Monday night. Steve and I had concert tickets but his schedule did not provide the luxury of dinner out before. We relied on the tried-and-true...and promised to make enough to share with the entire White Dog Army so we could ALL enjoy an expedient dinner that did not compromise to junk food to carryout. White Dog was the only one who knew what to expect; she loved the slurpy noodles.

In recognition of our haste, Steve left bowls on the ground when we left. Not that there was a single molecule of food left in any of them. But there was a continuing comfort in revisiting and relicking the bowl, imagining again the creamy taste that was a food equivalent of a hug.

I left feeling less guilty in my "abandonment" knowing tummies full of grandma happiness would soon lull them to nap.