The Casserole Chronicles: Readers tell us their stories

Some might consider casserole a one-dish wonder. But to others, it's a gloppy, gluey concoction that stops the appetite cold.We asked readers to send the Deseret News stories of their most

hated casseroles from their childhood.To sweeten the deal, we offered

a cookbook to the first five entries.However, so many people responded

within minutes of each other that it was hard to limit the cookbook

giveaway to only five people. (Does that say something about how vivid

these memories are?)

So we ended up giving cookbooks to Echo Taylor, Lori Rammell, the

Kyle Snow family, Sarah Stoker, Lori Andrews, Tina Larsen, Lisa

Buckmiller, Liz Warner, Melissa McQuarrie, Betty Blair and Ann Shunn.

Our Casserole Chronicles underscored the fact that what is one

child's best-ever favorite casserole is another child's dinner

nightmare.

Tamale pie, Spanish rice, Hawaiian haystacks and shepherd's pie are

all popular dishes. Maybe it was a less-skilled preparation, or poor

ingredients, or maybe just the palate of the recipient that put these

on the \"icky\" list. 

Then there's Vienna-sausage casserole, shipwreck, weiner casserole

and macaroni & ketchup, which probably give new meaning to the

phrase \"just like Mom used to make.\"

And the dinner in a pumpkin story should be a cautionary tale to

moms everywhere.A casserole is never improved when it comes out of the

oven served in a brownish, sunken-in, goopy and stringy container.

Pumpkins are for candles, not casseroles. 

And Betty Blair's memories of Great Depression dinners may serve as