Marathon High School Goulash

Recipe by: Carrie Knack

Servings: 6

Prep time: 1:00

Categories: Main Course, Casserole

Item	Amount	Measure	Note
butter	1/4	cup	cubed
cheddar cheese, shredded	1/2	pound
ground beef	1	pound
bread	3	slices	cubed
garlic powder	1/4	teaspoon
salt			to taste
pepper			to taste
macaroni	2	cups	cooked
parsley	1	tablespoon
onion	1	large	chopped
tomatoes, canned	1	can	drained and chopped
oregano	1	teaspoon

Brown the beef with the onion. Drain. Mix together the beef, onion, tomatoes, cheese, macaroni, oregano, parsley, garlic, salt, and pepper. Place in a casserole dish and bake--covered--at 350° for 30- 45 minutes or until heated through.

Place the bread cubes on top of the beef mixture and dot with butter. Bake--now uncovered--at 350° for 10 minutes or until the bread cubes are crisp and golden brown. Serve immediately.

My Dad's mother makes a hamburger and cheese casserole that all of her sons have enjoyed. Each daugher-in-law has requested the recipe from her, and it's been gladly given--except that no two versions are exactly alike. Gramma comments "...it has not been intentional, just that I have varied quite a bit from the original and is mainly 'pinch of this and a dash of that.'"

Gramma gives credit for the original recipe to the cafeteria in Marathon High School, Marathon being a tiny town off US 11 in upstate New York. Gramma was from Killawog--an even tinier town about 10 miles away, that today still sends its kids to Marathon. I think she graduated in 1936.

She says that the original recipe (containing only meat, cheddar, onion, tomatoes, macaroni, salt, and pepper) was too bland, and it has changed over the years to what you see here. Or something close. You see, this recipe is based on what she gave my ex-wife, so I don't know how close it is to what she gave my Mom.