Recipes for when it's your birthday and you can eat out of a can if you want to

You can take the girl outta WNY, but listen, she's always going to want a casserole.

Hello, chefs.

By the time you read this, I’ll be huddled with Mr. Faith over a bagel on some corner of Manhattan, chugging an iced coffee and nursing that post-birthday hangover. My birthday is on Friday, and we’re spending the weekend in the city with friends and family. Just chef’s kiss perfect kinda stuff, you know?

Growing up, my mom let us pick our birthday meal every year. I need y’all to know that if you thought I was raised to demand NYT Cooking meals or frankly even know the difference between a chicken breast and a chicken thigh, you are mistaken. We were a spaghetti sauce out of the jar kind of family, a hot dogs and ShurFine mac n cheese kind of family, a box of Franzia rose in the pantry for special occasions kind of family.

So when I think about my idea birthday meal—while I do love a good tasting menu, yes, absolutely—I think of something in a casserole dish. Give me something made with a few creative cans of Campbell’s soup and a cake in the shape of a bunny (spring babies unite) and I’m a happy camper.

So this week, we’re not doing health. We’re not doing “impress the company.” We are doing casseroles and a dump cake and by god, we’re going to love it. These are the two recipes I’d ask my mom to make if I was home for my birthday as a grown-ass woman.

-Faith

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Church supper casserole

I had to search my email history back to 2014 to find the last time I sent someone this recipe. Currently putting the ingredients on my shopping list for this week. I ate this probably every week of my childhood.

1. In a frying pan, saute with some olive oil, salt, and pepper:

   1. 1 lb ground beef

   2. 1 chopped onion

   3. 1 chopped green pepper

2. Meanwhile, boil 1 box of spaghetti until al dente in a big pot.

3. Drain your pasta and add it back to the pot, along with your ground beef mixture and:

   1. 1 can tomato soup

   2. 1 can cream of mushroom soup

   3. 2 cans of water

   4. a bunch of parmesan cheese

   5. salt and pepper to taste

4. Turn it out into a greased casserole dish, cover with tin foil, and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

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Chocolate cherry cake

1. Preheat oven to 350 and grease a 13x9 baking dish.

2. In a bowl, combine 1 box of devil’s food cake mix, 1 can of cherry pie filling, and 2 eggs.

3. Pour into your prepared dish and bake for 30 minutes or until set.

4. For frosting: use store-bought, or you can make a quick icing-like frosting:

   1. Boil 1 cup sugar, 1 can evaporated milk, and 5 tablespoons butter for 1 minute

   2. Take off heat and stir in 1 cup chocolate chips and a dash of almond extract

   3. Pour over cake while hot!