Ham Viennese

Let me begin this post with a caveat. I realize that not all people like all things. Me?  I pretty much do like everything, but particularly casseroles. I was raised on them. Despite my mother preparing a wide variety of meals for dad and me, the casseroles were always my favorites. It seems as though they were the favorites of many cooks feeding growing families during the seventies, because there are endless recipes for them dating back to around that time. 

Mr. O-P feels differently. Raised two decades before me, he is a meat and potatoes man. He'd be insulted by this, I'm sure, but it's the case all the same. The meat may be a rare filet of beef and the potatoes Hasselbach, but it is what it is. 

So, the retro recipe that I am presenting you with today is one that was a part of my youth. It has been years, perhaps decades, since I last tasted this, so I was happy to have stumbled upon it in my mother's collection. 

To me, this dish is warm and soothing, tasty and comfortable, with just the right combination of flavors to make it unique. It reminds me of my happy youth, Friday night dinners with my best friend, winter nights, Girl Scout Banquets, and Nancy Drew. Mr. O-P said it reminded him of rice pudding with ham, and he just couldn't get past this.  C'est la vie!

As for you, give the ingredients the once over. If they look good to you, give it a try and tell me what you think. If this sounds like something you'd run from, that's fine too. You won't hurt my feelings; I live with Mr. O-P.

Ham Viennese

 2 cups of cooked rice

2-1/2 cups ham, diced into ½” squares

1-1/2 Tablespoons butter

½ cup chopped onion

2 cups celery, diced

1 can Cream of Chicken soup

2 Tablespoons white wine

1 teaspoon prepared mustard

¼ teaspoon dried dill weed

½ cup sour cream

1/3 cup Melissa’s Fire Roasted Sweet Red Peppers, diced

Sauté ham in one tablespoon of the butter over medium high heat for 2-3 minutes.  Add the ½ tablespoon of butter along with onions and celery, and sauté until tender crisp, about 3-4 minutes.  Stir in soup, wine, mustard, and dill weed.  Heat thoroughly.  Stir in sour cream and red peppers.  Heat, but do not bring to a boil.  Stir in rice (or serve over the rice, your choice).  Serve.

This post is linked to:

Full Plate Thursday

Foodie Friday