When our family lived in Needham, a storied suburb outside Boston, my mother got hold of a recipe for a casserole called Swedish Glop. Sounds bizarre, huh? Well, we all loved it. My siblings and I took it across country and across the globe. Some of my nieces and nephews make it. I do a variation with hummus and cumin, or sometimes curry.
I don't know why it's considered Swedish though. It's like that belly dance move, the Turkish Drop. What's so Turkish about twirling at high speed then landing flat on your back with your legs jack knifed underneath? I found this picture of a 'Turkish Drop' from the website of a dancer named Najla - link to her website here.
Even though casseroles are not cool, and though you might think twice before making anything called a Glop, I recommend this dish. It's tasty comfort food. Kids like it. Maybe don't call it glop until they taste it though. Below is the basic recipe - enough to fill a standard 8x13 inch casserole. It makes fantastic leftovers.
Swedish Glop - from Needham, MA
Grease large casserole (8x13). Boil 8 ounces egg noodles for 10 minutes and drain. Brown 2lbs ground beef and add 2 - 8 oz cans of tomato sauce. Remove from heat. In a bowl combine 1 Tablespoon chopped green pepper, 1/3 cup chopped onions, 1 cup cottage cheese, 8 oz. cream cheese, and 1/4 cup sour cream. Place half the noodles in the casserole. Then add all the cheese mixture, then the rest of the noodles. Put the meat mixture on top. Bake 20-30 minutes at 350. You can store it 1 or 2 days in the refrigerator or frozen before baking. It serves 10. (I usually make half this recipe). My mother's typed recipe card says she added salt and pepper to each layer - recommending 'Crazy Mixed Up Salt'.
This is a photo of the recipe card my mom typed on a manual typewriter for me when I was a young bride. I'm so glad to have it, food stains and all. Obviously this is a well-loved dish. Happy Glopping!
