I volunteer as tribute: Making/reviewing questionable foods

[Anonymous]

I would love a thread where we make Internet or “possibly questionable” recipes (Instagram, Pinterest, Food Network, back of a product box recipe, whatever) and review them. There are so many things I want to try, and never get around to or never have the courage to. I genuinely trust DCUM opinions more than food blog comments, especially as tons of people comment—without actually making the recipe. (Or making it but wildly changing it!)

Tonight I made this bad boy Pioneer Woman casserole, “Sour Cream Noodle Bake”:
https://www.thepioneerwoman.com/food-cooking/recipes/a11738/sour-cream-noodle-bake/

For a hearty, easy dinner with a meat-and-potatoes husband and two kids? I’d give it an 7.5/10, will make again. I made it pretty much as written, but did add a small can of stewed tomatoes to the sauce, as my husband craves tomatoes when he’s not feeling well.

Next time, I will use ricotta instead of cottage cheese. This was the first time I actually went for it and used cottage cheese in a lasagna-eque recipe, and while it wasn’t bad, I think I just prefer ricotta overall.

I look forward to your contributions! And please, if something doesn’t sound good to you, or you’d “nev-ah condescend to make a CASSEROLE” or whatever, just…don’t. We might learn something here, and have fun. The Food forum is usually the most helpful and positive place on DCUM, let’s not ruin it.

[Anonymous]

My mom always made this recipe with cream cheese and it was DELICIOUS.

[Anonymous]

please make that sour cream, canned mandarin orange slices, flaked coconut, and bag o' mini marshmellow salad someone mentioned years ago on DCUM as a classic Easter side dish.

[Anonymous]

Also, fried tuna.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My mom always made this recipe with cream cheese and it was DELICIOUS.

Actually that sounds even better than the original.

I am putting these ingredients on my shopping list!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My mom always made this recipe with cream cheese and it was DELICIOUS.

OP here and I will definitely try adding some cream cheese next time!

I cannot wait to see if people will add that they made a TikTok or Instagram recipe…I am forever saving videos that I never actually make!

[Anonymous]

This is great (especially when I get tomatoes and feta from the farmers market) and apparently it started out as a Finnish TikTok recipe.

https://feelgoodfoodie.net/recipe/baked-feta-pasta/

[Anonymous]

In a similar vein (but with only pantry ingredients), this is a very good pasta sauce even without the anchovies:

https://www.platingsandpairings.com/roasted-tomato-sauce/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Also, fried tuna.

+1. This. I am particularly interested in how it tastes lightly fried.

[Anonymous]

While the original recipe isn't braised tri-color carrots with soy maple salmon and local micro greens or whatever, it's not so gross that eating it is a sacrifice. Come on. It's essentially casserole lasagna, OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is great (especially when I get tomatoes and feta from the farmers market) and apparently it started out as a Finnish TikTok recipe.

https://feelgoodfoodie.net/recipe/baked-feta-pasta/

OP here. This is exactly what I’m talking about! I’m down for trying this. Thank you!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:While the original recipe isn't braised tri-color carrots with soy maple salmon and local micro greens or whatever, it's not so gross that eating it is a sacrifice. Come on. It's essentially casserole lasagna, OP.

You don’t have to participate in this thread if you don’t want to. As I said, I have never actually used cottage cheese in a pasta/“Italian” recipe before, though I have heard of that. I’m glad I tried it, but now I know I definitely prefer ricotta, and I see no benefit to cottage cheese. (Unless it’s all I happen to have in the house.)

I will definitely be branching out to other things, and I’m not about a can of soup in a casserole, etc. Don’t try to make this something it is not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:While the original recipe isn't braised tri-color carrots with soy maple salmon and local micro greens or whatever, it's not so gross that eating it is a sacrifice. Come on. It's essentially casserole lasagna, OP.

You don’t have to participate in this thread if you don’t want to. As I said, I have never actually used cottage cheese in a pasta/“Italian” recipe before, though I have heard of that. I’m glad I tried it, but now I know I definitely prefer ricotta, and I see no benefit to cottage cheese. (Unless it’s all I happen to have in the house.)

I will definitely be branching out to other things, and I’m not about a can of soup in a casserole, etc. Don’t try to make this something it is not.

This is kind of my point, OP: calling a totally normal pedestrian accessible dish "questionable" is....making something what it is not. And it's rude.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:While the original recipe isn't braised tri-color carrots with soy maple salmon and local micro greens or whatever, it's not so gross that eating it is a sacrifice. Come on. It's essentially casserole lasagna, OP.

You don’t have to participate in this thread if you don’t want to. As I said, I have never actually used cottage cheese in a pasta/“Italian” recipe before, though I have heard of that. I’m glad I tried it, but now I know I definitely prefer ricotta, and I see no benefit to cottage cheese. (Unless it’s all I happen to have in the house.)

I will definitely be branching out to other things, and I’m not about a can of soup in a casserole, etc. Don’t try to make this something it is not.

This is kind of my point, OP: calling a totally normal pedestrian accessible dish "questionable" is....making something what it is not. And it's rude.

What I’m not going to do is sit here and pretend a Pioneer Woman casserole is not something many DCUMmers would mock/find questionable when there is LITERALLY a thread called “are casseroles trashy” right now, and a thread several pages deep called “I hate the Pioneer Woman’s voice” a few years ago:
https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/506287.page

Thanks for playing.

[Anonymous]

Please please please do Funeral Potatoes.

https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/funeral-potatoes/