McClellan: On the hunt for Easter recipes

All right 性视界传媒� the time has come. We need to talk cooking (haven性视界传媒檛 we been doing this for a while?)

Spring brings so many opportunities for entertaining, all of which involve planning, preparation, shopping, cooking, decorating and serving. Think of everything that this week brings 性视界传媒� primarily Easter for many groups.

If you are the 性视界传媒減lan far ahead in every aspect性视界传媒� kind, you are the smart ones. Anything that can be made ahead and refrigerated, frozen or kept on a pantry shelf, that is the surest way to go, in my opinion.

I have talked in the past about our Easter egg hunts in the yard when all the children were small and we lived in the county. These fun times started with family and a few friends. By the time they came to an end (the children grew past them, or we moved or something), there were close to 100 coming on the Easter Sunday afternoon. I don性视界传媒檛 remember ever being 性视界传媒渞ained out.性视界传媒�

Everyone who came brought not just Easter eggs (as I recall they were the 性视界传媒渞eal thing性视界传媒� that we had spent the Saturday the day before decorating) but delicious foods for a giant pot-luck lunch.

In looking through old files of my columns, I was looking for some recipes that were served at those long ago days events. A problem arose when some of the ingredients for the recipes are no longer available or come in different can or box sizes.

One of the first recipes that I found from those days is this interesting rice casserole. It is a good side dish for almost any meat. Don性视界传媒檛 be frightened off by the green chilies 性视界传媒� they are not hot.

California Rice Casserole

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup butter

4 cups freshly cooked rice

2 cups sour cream

1 cup small curd, cream-style cottage cheese

1/2 teaspoon (or more to taste) salt

3 cans mild green chilies, slightly drained

2 cups grated sharp cheddar (I think white cheese looks better with the rice)

Saute onion in butter until onion is slightly tender. Stir in rice, sour cream, cottage cheese and salt. Layer half the rice mixture in a greased 2-quart casserole dish. Cover with half the chilies and half the cheese. Repeat the layers, ending with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees, uncovered, for about 25 minutes until bubbly. Makes 8 servings.

Note: The original recipe called for one large bay leaf, crumbled with rice mixture. I never added that because my children were suspicious of leaves in their rice.

The first time I remember having eaten this next recipe was at one of these gatherings. Mary Hall, my dear almost life-time friend and catering partner, brought this cake. Her sister, Ruth, had given Mary the recipe, so it forever became known as: