Double-Decker Dinner

This casserole recipe comes to us from the First Lutheran Church Cookbook, courtesy of a Mrs. Nancy Niedert. Bein vegetarian, I am not about to try this recipe myself - but if you're a brave carnivore and make the attempt, please send me a picture of the finished product and after I return from puking in the sink, I'll post it on the blog.

Ingredients:
1 egg, beaten
1/2 c. tomato juice
1 1/2 c. soft bread crumbs, 2 slices bread
3/4 tsp. salt
dash pepper
1 lb. ground beef, pork, lamb, veal, or 2 c. cooked ground ham
1-10 oz. package frozen chopped broccoli
1 1/4 c. boiling water
1 c. quick-cooking rice
1/2 tsp. minced, dried onions (regular onion can be used in place of dry if you want)
1 tsp. salt
1 c. milk
1 c. shredded American cheese
2 eggs, beaten

Oven temp: 350 degrees

Pan size: 8x8 square, 2" deep

Cook time: 50 minutes total

How To:
In a mixin bowl, combine the first beaten egg, tomato juice, bread crumbs, 3/4 tsp. salt and pepper. Add meat and mix well. Pat meat evenly in bottom of ungreased pan or bakin dish (go ahead and give it a good smack, you devil you). Bake for 20 minutes. Drain off excess juices (gag) when done.

Meanwhile, in a 1-1/2 quart saucepan, cook broccoli in the water accordin to directions on package. DO NOT DRAIN! (woah - flashback...) (If usin a microwave, omit this step, just mix ingredients together and bake.) Stir in rice, onion, and salt. Bring to boil. Remove from heat. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in milk, half of the cheese, and the 2 beaten eggs. Spread mixture over baked meat. Return to bakin dish to oven and bake for 30 minutes or till rice mixture is firm. Sprinkle remainin cheese on top. Let stand 10 minutes before servin. (If usin microwave, you might want to return to oven for a couple minutes to melt cheese.) (you, my dear Nancy, are a parentheses hog)

If usin ham, decrease salt. (why? because ham is salty? is that really goin to make a difference in the health benefits of this food?) May be done in microwave, but reduce water to 1/2 the amount. Recipe may be doubled without any problems (oh phew, I was worried), put in loaf cake pan.