We Tried an Amish Yummasetti Noodle Casserole
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This ground beef dinner is a classic Amish recipe. I’m not sure where the name came from, but “yum” is right!
When we hear the term, “Amish cooking,” we immediately think of timeless, home-style recipes that have been passed down through generations. Hearty casseroles, roast chickens and homemade breads come to mind.
While scanning through the Amish cookbook Cinnamon Rolls and Mixing Bowls, this Yummasetti caught my eye. I was vaguely familiar with it but never had a taste. Now was the time to change that.
The Recipe for Amish Yummasetti
The dish is also called “Yumasetti” or “Yumasetta,” but the ingredients are always similar.
Ingredients
- 1 lb hamburger
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1½ tbsp flour
- 2 cups egg noodles
- 3 cups water
- 2 cups peas
- 1 can mushroom soup
- Tomato juice
- Cheese
- Salt and sugar, to taste
Initial Thoughts
This recipe reminded me of my grandma’s recipe cards. Amounts and types of various ingredients were left off because the recipe creator thinks you ought to know them. Amish daughters grow up watching their mother cook, so the recipes don’t need to be super detailed. (Here are 10 cooking secrets from an Amish kitchen.) Luckily, this is a simple recipe, so I had no trouble figuring out what to do.
Step 1: Prepare the Noodles
Even though the recipe listed this step second, I did it first since it would take the longest. The recipe just called for noodles, so I skimmed the rest of the steps to see what would work best. I decided on egg noodles since the instructions said to boil water, add noodles, cover and let stand for 30 minutes.
Step 2: Cook the Ground Beef
Once the noodles were in the pot, I moved on to the meat. Unlike other ground beef casseroles I’ve made, the Yummasetti starts with a roux. I got my skillet hot and added the butter. Once that was melted, I added the flour and stirred until it incorporated and turned into a sort of paste. Then, I browned the ground beef.
Step 3: Dump and Go
The rest of the steps were basically just dump and go. Once I drained the pasta, I added it back to the pot and added the ground beef, peas and mushroom soup. The directions then said to pour in tomato juice until it reached the desired thickness. I skipped the tomato juice because I knew my husband and I wouldn’t drink what we had left. (If you have leftover tomato juice, pour it into a Bloody Mary!) Instead, I used a half can of undrained diced tomatoes. It added nice color and more veggies.
Next, add salt and sugar to taste. Then, heat it all back up until almost boiling. Finally, pile on the cheese and let rest until it’s melted. The recipe didn’t specify a type of cheese or quantity. I decided to go with 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese.
The Verdict
This recipe was super simple and reminds me of something my grandma would make. It’s pure comfort food! It was a well-balanced combination of noodles, beef and veggies. The beef was a tad greasy, I’m guessing because of the butter. The noodles were extra-tender and super-good.
All in all, in took about 40 minutes. I say you could easily cut that down by boiling the noodles for 6-8 minutes like the package says, instead of letting them stand for 30 minutes. I got 6 servings out of it, so it would make a great weeknight meal for a family of 4-6 (though my husband and I almost scarfed it down in one sitting). Serve with a side salad and you’re good to go. Yum—masetti! Next, check out some more traditional Amish recipes.
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