Witches' Brew

[snacky_cat]

One of the great dividing lines in my family is the merits of a dish my Dad calls "Witches' Brew". Half the family loves it, half hates it (I, personally, love the stuff.) One thing that everyone can agree on, however, is that Dad isn't making is right.

He claims it's an old recipe from a Campbells cookbook circa the 1940s that his Mom used to make regularly. He never got the recipe from her, and since she passed away in the 60s, he's been trying to recreate her version without success.

***Warning: low-brow food content ahead. Raise ghetto shield!***

His current attempt involves sautéing a whack of ground beef with a bit of diced onion. You then plop the beef in the bottom of a casserole dish. In a bowl, you combine dried chow mein noodles with a can of tomato sauce and stir to coat the noodles. This concoction is then spread atop of the beef, and the whole thing goes in the oven to bake for awhile. When it comes out, you've basically got a noodle pie atop a beef layer - the top crust of the noodles comes out crispy, the interior noodles get soft and tomato-y, and the beef is, well, beefy.

He says this version is close to what his Mom made, but not quite right. Is anybody out there familiar with this dish and might have an idea as how to make it more traditionally? I would imagine that it requires some sort of Campbell's ingredient, since it does, apparently, come from one of their old cookbooks.

Anybody?

[Rachel Perlow]

Perhaps he's supposed to be using Tomato Soup rather than sauce?

Yeah Google: Witch's Brew recipe

Another one: Witches Brew

Edited January 11, 2006 by Rachel Perlow (log)

[judiu]

Ah, Rachel, that second link is broken, I think. I was sent to some odd-ball page in German. Sorry to be the bearer...

[Rachel Perlow]

Hmm, it worked for me, only now it changed to a different recipe. There's a list of a dozen or so Witch's Brew type recipe here: http://recipes.pocketspoon.com/all/list_505.php (page down a bit). Most are for some type of drink, but there are a few ground beef recipes, two of which are similar to what snacky_cat described.

[divalasvegas]

*** Lowering my Ghetto Shield *** Rachel I don't think the recipe you guided us to sounds so terribly bad (yes, damning with faint praise). The marinade recipe on the other hand which among other ingredients includes enough sodium (salt, garlic salt, onion salt, soy sauce, and meat tenderizer) to keep me retaining water for entire year, sounds pretty gagtastic.

I am surprised though that the old 50's/60's standby of Lipton Onion Soup Mix isn't involved somewhere.

[Anna N]

This one certainly sounds close although it calls for more soups than you are using:

Beef and Chow Mein Noodle Recipe

[divalasvegas]

This one certainly sounds close although it calls for more soups than you are using:

Beef and Chow Mein Noodle Recipe

←

Oh. My. GAWD.

Anna N I admire your resourcefulness for digging this one up, although I find it more than a little disturbing that you knew of it's existence in the first place. I've always wondered when perusing the Cooks.com website what their criteria is for accepting a recipe and what "recipes" if any do they reject. Also, does someone actually have to test these recipes? Blech!

Now, I double dare anyone out there to actually make this and report back.

[snacky_cat]

Now, I double dare anyone out there to actually make this and report back. 

Oh you KNOW Dad_of_snacky_cat is gonna try this one out I promise to report back when it happens, complete with photos.

I'm sending this recipe along to him right now, and I'm also enclosing a link to James Lileks' Gallery of Regrettable Food - my favourite laugh-so-hard-stuff-comes-out-of-nose site.

Anyway, keep 'em coming if you've got 'em, people. Maybe we can try the great witches brew bake-off if we collect enough recipes.

[divalasvegas]

Now, I double dare anyone out there to actually make this and report back. 

Oh you KNOW Dad_of_snacky_cat is gonna try this one out I promise to report back when it happens, complete with photos.

←

Hmmmm, snacky_cat not sure why, but this sounds like more of a threat than a promise!

[purplewiz]

This one certainly sounds close although it calls for more soups than you are using:

Beef and Chow Mein Noodle Recipe

←

My mother used to make that, although it was called "American Chop Suey" and did contain some chopped celery (and maybe water chestnuts?) when she made it. Otherwise, that's it.

And it's pretty good. Especially leftovers.

Marcia.

lowbrow to the last

[fifi]

I have never heard of this one. I checked the Campbell's site and no dice. I am getting really curious.

[ruthcooks]

I used to make a variation of this one, too, for my ex who would eat almost any kind of casserole. Hamburger, onions, 2 cups celery(!), water, rice, chicken rice and mushroom soups, Worchestershire and soy sauce. The chow mein noodles were added at the end, not mixed in--I remember they were yucky after sitting on the casserole overnight.

Come to think of it, the entire thing was pretty yucky. I'm surprised I still have the recipe card. The notation says: 8 servings, 225 calories each, but I wouldn't bet on it.

Edited to add: it was called Beef Rice Dinner by the person who gave it to me.

Edited January 12, 2006 by ruthcooks (log)