Imagine that you just found out you had one week left to live. There are so many things you want to do and see and now so very little time to do it. Assuming that you are able to make a week’s worth of menu items to eat one last time and someone would make it for you, what would be on it?
I’ve made one of my final menu items for the blog: Thanksgiving Turkey and all the fixins. Two others come immediately to mind: Chicken and Rice with Sherry Sauce and the recipe below, Beef and Noodles.
My mom’s mom made this quite a bit when my mother was growing up and she, in turn, made it for her family. While my grandmother would often make a roast, or use leftover roast beef, we have just as often purchased already roasted beef. When my wife first went to make it for a birthday of mine many years ago, she placed it on the table and I looked around for the mashed potatoes. I have never had this recipe in my life without them. Unbelieving, she asked if we really had noodles and mashed potatoes. My grandmother was from the heartland of Ohio and the more carbs, the better.
Sooooo good. One of my all-time favorites.
Yes, I used instant mashed potatoes. As they are covered with the beef and noodles, high quality potatoes were not required.
In the small town where my mother grew up is an equally small grocery store. They sell big cans of roast beef chunks. It sounds really odd, but should be no less odd than canned chicken or tuna. You cannot find it many places, so I grab a can whenever I am near the town.
Everything goes into one pan.
Beef and Noodles
Ingredients:
- 1 lb 11 ounce can of Grabill County Beef Chunks* (or equivalent rost beef chunks)
- 5 ounce egg noodles
- Dash of salt
- Dash of pepper
- Mashed potatoes
*Grabill County Meats, Grabill, Indiana, 46741
Directions:
Empty beef into skillet and fill beef can with water. Add to skillet and turn on medium. Add noodles. Cook until noodles are done and beef is hot. Serve over mashed potatoes.
Rantings of an Amateur Chef 
I think my last day ( of course I wouldn’t have to eat healthy ) would start at
skyline chili for a 5-way with oyster crackers ( breakfast ) – with an A&W root beer in a frosted mug
Lunch — lamb curry HOT with the a salad with the cucumber/yogert dressing like they have at the mad greek
pre-dinner — smokes salmon on multigrain crackers or bread
foie gras on a slice of baggette with rock salt and a drizzle of fig jam
Dinner — spagetti carbonara ( my wife’s ) with a side of green beans/and or asparagus roasted in olive oil with sea salt, with an Opus 1 to drink
Dessert: a single scoop of vanila ice cream with a drizzle of choclate sauce
apertif — rumchata
yum— I’m hungry
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This looks SO good! On a low-carb diet over here, so you can just imagine what this is doing to me! 🙂
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I have had this, yes, from Ohio! I never had it at home, though! Isn’t it funny, my Mom’s parents were from Sweden and Germany. I hardly ever had German food at home. We did eat like the Nordic culture, lots of veggies and fish. Way ahead of the time curve. I would go crazy at potlucks while I brought healthy whole wheat pasta salad, I would dip helpings of this roast beef, noodles and mashed potatoes onto my plate, along with sloppy joes, buffalo chicken/cheese dip and lots of other indulgences! Great post!
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I wonder if it would work with tofu?
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And then have homemade strawberry shortcake…
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Um, take note! This has inspired me to repost on comfort food and my Grandma’s Macaroni and Cheese recipe. I love the’ Beef and Noodles’!
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Carnival food. As much of it as I could eat. Giant corn dogs, elephant ears, cotton candy, burgers. I would just eat and eat and eat. Assuming I had any kind of appetite that is, knowing I only had a week to live.
By the way I LOVE instant mashed potatoes, though Hungry Jack is my own personal preference. Pretty much every Sunday evening I treat myself to a steak dinner, which is always accompanied by instant mashed potatoes and baked beans.
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Mr 5 recently went into hospital where is is spending time on an intravenous feeding regime, (TPN) so a few weeks ago he effectively had his last supper for the next couple of months, he had roast lamb with Jersey royals and veg, I would chose smoked mackerel fishcakes I think, doesn’t sound very exciting, but they taste so amazing..
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I grew up eating Chicken and Noodles and yes, it was always served with mash potatoes. Its a great dish when you aren’t feeling well.
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