Funeral Hotdish

By EllenTaylor

This delicious Funeral Hot dish recipe can be served at any gathering, but at one point it became so popular during funerals, it got dubbed this name.

Ingredients

• 1 head celery, approximately 10 stalks
• 3 to 4 large onions
• 6 to 8 pounds lean hamburger
• 2 (2-pound) boxes elbow macaroni
• 1 (50-ounce) large can Campbell’s tomato soup, undiluted
• 2 (46-ounce) large cans Campbell’s tomato juice
• 1 (46-ounce) large bottle ketchup
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper (freshly ground is best, of course)

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350°F with the rack in the middle position.

Clean and chop the celery into bite-size pieces. Put them in a frying pan with a little butter and start cooking them over low heat, stirring occasionally.

Peel and chop the onions into bite-sized pieces. Add them to the frying pan with the celery and continue to cook them, stirring occasionally, until they’re translucent.

Brown the hamburger over medium heat. Be sure to “chop” it with a spoon or heat-resistant spatula so it browns in bite-size pieces. You can do this in a pan in the oven.

Cook the elbow macaroni according to the directions on the box.

Combine the undiluted tomato soup, the tomato juice, and the ketchup. Mix in the brown sugar and the pepper. You can do this right in the electric roaster and heats it before adding the other ingredients.

Add the cooked celery and onions to the sauce and stir them in. Stir in the browned hamburger. Add the cooked, drained macaroni and mix well.

Once everything is thoroughly mixed, cover the disposable roaster with heavy duty foil and put it into a 350°F. oven for 2 hours, stirring occasionally so that it heats evenly and doesn’t stick to the bottom. (If you used an electric roaster, put on the lid, turn it up to 350°F., and cook it for 2 hours, stirring occasionally so that it heats evenly and doesn’t stick to the bottom of the roaster.)

Notes: This is easiest with three people helping: one person to chop and sauté the celery and onions, one person to brown the hamburger, and one person to cook the pasta and mix the sauce.