Friday, October 28, 2011

Modern Cherokee Yellow Squash Casserole




This comes from a native "contributory" cookbook (you know, like the ones churches put out), published by the Five Civilized Tribes Museum in Oklahoma entitled Pow Wow Chow.  The recipe was contributed by Nicky Butler from the Cherokee people.  It is a modern affair, yet it still combines the yellow squash with native ingredients green bell pepper and tomatoes.  It's makes a very tasty and festival side dish during the Christmas season!  In the book it is titled "Yellow Squash Casserole No. 2" on page 189 and has a nice little sub-note about homemade mixed vegetables.


Cherokee Yellow Squash, Green Pepper and Tomato Casserole

The amounts depend on how many people you are serving, layer ingredients.

Layer The Following:

Sliced yellow squash
Green Bell rings
Sliced tomatoes
Sliced onions

Layer these until all of your vegetables are used up.  Top with:

1/2 can cream of Cheddar soup
Breadcrumbs

Bake at 300 degrees until cooked through


Variations:

You can easily change up the other vegetables in this or use green squash or a combination of green and yellow.

Bagged bread cubes for stuffing can be used, in which cased you need to mix all the vegetables, the bread stuffing and the 1 whole can of the cheese soup together in mixing bowl, then place in backing dish.  You may top with cheese, but that is optional.

You may like to add layers of shredded cheese to the original recipe.

6 comments:

  1. Can you change the soup or does it have to be cheddar??? Sounds very good.

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  2. Oh sure, you can change this up on any way you like. Any type of cream soup would work just fine. You could then toss in some shredded cheese, if you like, or leave it plain. I've actually served this as a vegetarian main course, when needed.

    Sorry I haven't replied before now--had the flu.

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  3. Oh that's great thanks so much. Hope you are feeling better :] I was just wondering about this recipe I have some Cherokee Indian in me trying to learn some recipes. Are you of Native American descent?

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    1. Wado (thanks), feeling much better, but dang, the whole family got sick! I have Native ancestry on both sides of my family, with my father's family having Cherokee roots from north Georgia dating to before Indian Removal in the 1830's. Mom's mother was from Knoxville, mixed blooded Cherokee. There is probably Chickasaw on her side of the family too. Additionally we have ties to the Seminole community in FLA through one of my mother's half siblings who was 1/2 Seminole. I learned a lot of my earliest cooking from traditional stuff that my Granny (Dad's mom) made--so much of the goodies in "southern" cuisine are actually native. This recipe comes from a book called Pow Wow Chow, put out by the 5 Civilized Tribes Museum in Oklahoma. I has tons of recipes, both native and not from members of the Cherokee Tribes of OK. Additionally members of the Seminole, Creek, Choctaw and Chickasaw community contributed. Good stuff! I will try to post Cherokee language instructor Betty Sharp Smith's very traditional recipe for Kenuche. I home school my munchkin, so I don't have nearly the time that I would like to blog!

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    2. Welcome :} and very interesting. Do you know how I could find out more about my Cherokee ancestors?? I only know a name came up before ...Kazee or kasee and I assume it's associated with the Cherokee people??? Not sure...and I also know my grandpa was a bit Cherokee and my Grandmas dad was Cherokee I believe. Also there supposedly is a Indian princes sin our family don't know much info though...:P Take care. My names Mary by the way

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    3. Osiyo Mary,

      Moixpantzinco (Excuse Me) for taking so long to get back to you. Along with my job being really hectic since March, and having to set up a new home school for my son this fall, we have had deaths in the family, one just this past Sunday. A beloved aunt who had been bravely fighting lung cancer, had it spread to her brain over the summer and the whole family pitched in to help stay at home in her final days. I sort went on Indian Time. Last month we had a military suicide in the family to deal with. Additionally I was supporting a cousin of mine who last her 17 year old son a couple of years ago in an hunting accident, with a charity that she and her husband founded in his honor (this is the cousin who my Aunt Betty who passed was her mother). Just kind of got overwhelmed. Now, since it's October, I have 3 blogs on the Countdown To Halloween blog spot and I am keeping up with.

      As far as researching you Cherokee ancestry, I can recommend Cherokee Proud by Tony Mack McClure, you can find it at Amazon. But if you search on "Cherokee Ancestry" at Amazon, or even Google it, you will find all sorts of ways of going about this, many on-line a free. Also the online source Ancestry.com has a LOT of stuff on Native American ancestry. Hope this helps. Sorry for the hiatus, and I will post that recipe that I mentioned. Have a great day!!

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