Today’s dish is from a friend of a friend. It is in the cookbook “In Good Taste – Tasty Recipes” printed by the WMU of St. Helena Baptist Church on St. Helena Island. If you don’t recognize the name, it is a small town in Beaufort County across from Parris Island and on the way to Hunting Island.
The pastor is Richard Spearman, and the church is part of Savannah River Baptist Association. Gerald Roper, retired associational missionary in Easley, is serving as a supply pastor while Rev. Spearman is on a sabbatical.
The church began in 1965, according to the info in the cookbook, in prayer meetings sponsored by the Baptist Church of Beaufort. After the decision to form a church was made, 38 people adopted a church covenant and articles of faith. For several years, the young church met in a house.
Groundbreaking for the first sanctuary was in 1966, and in 1980 there was another groundbreaking ceremony for a new sanctuary and fellowship hall. The growing church is currently constructing a multi-purpose building for worship, fellowship and ministry. It is almost complete, and a dedication date is set for early November.
The cookbook was published this year, and mystery woman Virginia Beck submitted the Zesty Vegetable Casserole recipe. She isn’t a member of the church, but she sure makes a good vegetable dish. The Garrison Detective Agency has tried unsuccessfully to find Mrs. Beck, who is probably a friend of someone on the cookbook committee. We hear she has moved to California. Whatever Mrs. Beck’s connection, we thank her for the contribution.
This is an easily prepared dish because you will probably have on hand all the ingredients. You can probably substitute cheddar cheese for the processed cheese and saltine crackers for the butter crackers. When I made it, I followed the recipe exactly, and it got a good report at our church supper.
Another plus for the dish is that you can assemble it the day before or on Sunday morning, put it in your prettiest baking dish, refrigerate, then bake it after church for all to enjoy for … Sunday Dinner.
Zesty Vegetable Casserole
½ cup chopped onion
½ cup chopped bell pepper
½ cup chopped celery
One 14½-ounce can sweet corn, drained
One 14½-ounce can green beans, drained
One 10¾-ounce cream of celery soup, undiluted
1 cup sour cream
1 stick (½ cup) butter
1 stack (36) round buttery crackers
8 ounces (½ stick small package) processed cheese, cubed small
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an approximate 7×12 baking dish.
Mix the drained corn, green beans, sour cream and soup together in a large bowl. Stir in the additional chopped vegetables. Stir in the cheese cubes. Pour mixture into the prepared baking dish. Melt the butter and add the crushed crackers. Mix well and spread over the vegetable mixture to form a crust.
Bake approximately 30 minutes, or until golden brown and bubbly.