Oval Office Recipe: Casserole Marie Blanche

Huh? A recipe?
Once a month, a presidential recipe from the past will be added to the mix. You probably will never prepare them, but they'll be added for their historical value - and may even spark a memory or two.

For the first recipe, I chose one from the First Lady Jackie Kennedy's (Term: January 20, 1961, to November 22, 1963) collection for a couple of reasons. One reason is that it's a simple recipe with a fancy name, and with only four ingredients - if you don't count the salt and pepper, or the butter to coat the pan. The second reason is that I needed to post a photo of Jackie in her once-beautiful rose garden, which the lush green courtyard has since become a concrete pad. 

Often called “Jackie Kennedy’s casserole,” Casserole Marie-Blanche became a popular recipe in the best homemakers' magazines. Its popularity rose when Jackie added it to the menu for a private dinner she hosted for her sister, Lee Radziwill, and her husband, Polish-Lithuanian Prince Stanislaw Albrecht Radziwill. Casserole Marie-Blanche accompanied a roast beef fillet, crabmeat ravigote (a creamy crab salad), asparagus Hollandaise, and a bottle of 1955 Dom Pérignon Champagne.  The bubbly sounded like a perfect pairing to soothe the palate after so many sauces. 

Casserole Marie Blanche 

Ingredients:

1 lb egg noodles                                                                                                                             

1 1/2 cups full-fat cottage cheese

1 1/2 cups sour cream

1/3 cup fresh chives, chopped

1 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1 Tbsp butter (plus extra for coating the dish)

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) . Grease a 2-quart or 9x9-inch casserole dish with a little butter. Boil the egg noodles in a large pot of salted water according to package directions until tender, then drain well. 

In a large bowl, combine the hot drained noodles with the full-fat cottage cheese, sour cream, chopped chives, salt, and pepper. Mix thoroughly. 
Transfer the noodle mixture into your prepared casserole dish. Chop or dot the remaining tablespoon of butter over the top of the noodles
Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned, bubbly, and slightly crispy.