An "Interesting" Dinner

Students of Brigham Young University Idaho in Rexburg, Idaho find many creative ways to feed themselves. Whether it's tried and true College recipes like Macaroni and Cheese from a box or creations they come up with on their own, like "Potato-Corn Chowder" students are always searching for recipes to fit a tight budget. Occasionally, desperation will lead students to come up with something to eat out of what little they have in their pantry. Last Friday's meal at Hill's House College Ave. Apartments, BYU-I approved housing for women, was a perfect example of this desperation turned into a good meal.

Walking into the house you're greeted by an "interesting" smell; a mixture of tomatoes, a salty smell that could be olives, and cooking ground beef. I am informed that they don't know what we'll be having for dinner, but "it will be good, whatever it is". When I walk into the kitchen I see two pots on the stove, one with a ground beef/tomato sauce mixture and the other filled with water awaiting a bag of curly egg noodles. On the counter next to the stove sits a can of black brined olives and green beans. It is quite the mixture and a little daunting, to tell the truth. I ask if there is anything I can do to help and the girls inform me they have everything taken care of. I can't wait for dinner.

Sitting at the table set for 5 (the other 6 roommates wont be joining us) we anxiously await the presentation of our main dish. Jennifer Axtell (who also goes by Jet), our cook for the evening, emerges from the kitchen with a pot in her hands, the serving dishes don't get much fancier in Rexburg, and we finally get a first look at our meal. In the pot is a goulash type mixture of the ground beef sauce and egg noodles I saw earlier also mixed with canned green beans, canned black olives, and a surprise, a dollop of Sour Cream to finish it off. Jet serves each one of us a steaming bowl full and says, "dig in!" so we do.

Looks can be deceiving. The first bite I took was delicious. I asked Jet what she had used in the sauce and she said, "some Ragu spaghetti sauce I had to use before it went bad. I added the ground beef for protein and the Sour Cream was an experiment." I expresses my gratitude for a good meal and asked if the recipe could be used for this publication. She agreed and so here it is for your enjoyment, "Last Minute 'Ragu' Surprise":

Last Minute "Ragu" Surprise
1 half bottle "Ragu" bottled spaghetti sauce (about 16 oz)
1 lb. ground beef, browned
1 can green beans
1 can black olives, chopped
2 tbls. Sour Cream
1 12 oz bag egg noodles

Place a large pot of water on the stove to boil. When boiling, add the egg noodles and cook until tender, then drain. In a large saute pan brown the ground beef, after browned add the sauce and cook until warmed through. Pour the sauce over the noodles and add the green beans, olives and dollop of sour cream. serve warm.

This is a recipe for Corn Chowder submitted by Kim Knight, a BYU-I Junior studying Communications.

8 Medium Potatoes
1/2 Medium Onion, Diced
1/2 lb. Bacon
2 Cans Niblet Corn
2 Cans Cream of Mushroom Soup
Salt, Pepper, and Garlic Powder to taste

Saute onion and bacon together in a medium saute pan- cook until bacon is crisp.
In separate pot, boil potatoes in just enough water to cover.
When potatoes are cooked, add Cream of Mushroom soup, corn and Bacon & Onion mixture.
Heat until warmed through.
Add Salt, Pepper and Garlic to taste.