Rustle Up This Tasty John Wayne Casserole for Supper!

 

He was an American icon,
ranking right up there with
Washington, Elvis, Lincoln, MLK, Jr, Superman,
JFK, Marilyn Monroe and Davy Crockett...  

 

 

Painting by Norman Rockwell
 

 He's the Duke, John Wayne! 

 

He was a big man, about 6’5” the quintessential cowboy, the all-American, the epitome of rugged masculinity, with his distinctive voice and his famous gait:  Wayne learned to walk in a very slow, deliberate way, of which he said, “the women love it.”  There are many theories about his way of walking; however, two of his leading ladies, Katharine Hepburn and Lauren Bacall, agreed on this theory ~ John Wayne just had small feet!  

 

Born May 26, 1907, Marion Robert Morrison grew up to become John Wayne.  His nickname, “the Duke” came from the family dog, an Airedale named Big Duke who chased fire engines. A fireman started calling Marion “Little Duke” which evolved to  “Duke” later. 

 

 

 

Do men communicate through movie quotes?  Bill, and Bill, Jr. are huge John Wayne fans!  They know endless details of his movies, can quote and mimick The Duke without even thinking about it, it's second nature to the both of them.

 

I like John Wayne movies, my favorites being The Searchers, True Grit, The Quiet Man, Big Jake and McClintock, but have never once uttered a quote of his.

 

 

 

An enduring icon ~ tall-in-the-saddle John Wayne ~  was a top box office draw for 3 decades.  He was larger than life, playing hard-nosed detectives, military commanders and a plethora of adventurous rugged men, with the majority of us envisioning him as a cowboy...

Named the “Greatest American Western,” The Searchers ranked #96 on the American Film Institute’s List of the 100 Greatest American Movies of all time (2006); it's listed in the National Film Registry of the U.S. Library of Congress as a “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant” film and was directed by John Ford.

 

The Searchers, about the favorite of Bill's and Bubba's, tells the emotionally charged story about an American Civil War veteran embarking on a 5-year-journey, to rescue his niece (played by Natalie Wood) from the Comanches who kidnapped her, murdered her family, and burned their ranch house to the ground.  

 

Lauded by many as one of John Wayne’s most powerful roles, The Searchers is filled with dazzling on-location  scenes, including the stunning red sandstone rock formations of Monument Valley, Arizona, and the blazing evening sunset.  It’s definitely worth your time to watch it, an awesome film!

 

The chemistry between John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara was legendary and merged into one of the best partnerships in film.  "Wayne described O’Hara her as his favorite screen lady, “a big, lusty, wonderful gal,” in short “my kind of gal.” And she regarded him as “the softest, kindest, warmest, most loyal human being I’ve ever known.”  

 

O'Hara not only starred with him in 5 movies:  Rio Grande (1950), The Quiet Man (1952), The Wings of Eagles (1957), McLinctock! (1963), and Big Jake (1971), they were also long-time best of friends.   

 

 

 

As an aside, Maureen O'Hara died at age 95, on October 24, 2015.  In a statement from her family, "She passed peacefully surrounded by her loving family as they celebrated her life listening to music from her favorite movie, The Quiet Man."

 

 

 

 

Wayne starred in movies galore, such as:  

 

McLintock!  It’s a Western, it’s a comedy!  It also co-stars Wayne’s son, Patrick.  Wayne plays George Washington McLintock, known as GW, the cattle, mining and timber baron, O'Hara plays his wife, Kathryn.

 

 

He and Kathryn, who moved East 2 years ago, are separated and GW is living the single life on the ranch.  Everyone around wants a piece of his huge ranch ~ his own sons, Native Americans, and government men.  Kathryn returns out of the blue only because she wants custody of their daughter.  Then the fun and action begins.

 

 

 

Another outstanding movie of Wayne’s is True Grit (1969) with Wayne playing U.S. Marshal Rooster Cogburn. The cast also features Robert Duvall, Dennis Hopper, Glen Campbell, and Jeff Corey. The gist of the story is about a young girl recruiting an aging U.S. Marshal to help avenge her father’s death.  The young girl being Mattie Ross, played excellently by Kim Darby.  

 

 

 

 

A must see film from 1975: Rooster Cogburn brings together two of the most popular stars in movie history, John Wayne and Katharine Hepburn.  This adventure-filled follow-up to TrueGrit is about the aging eye-patched, whiskey-guzzling U.S. Marshall and a minister's daughter Eula Goodnight, (Hepburn) joining forces to catch a band of outlaws who killed her father. 

 

 

 

The rough lawman and the flirty minister’s daughter develop a tenderhearted relationship as they join together in the name of justice in the wild west.

 

 

 

 

For a departure from the usual Wayne movie, watch The Quiet Man, a romantic comedy-drama, which won numerous awards. 

 

 

Wayne performs as Sean Thornton, a retired Irish boxer from Pittsburgh, who travels to Inisfree, Ireland, to his birthplace, to purchase back the old family farm.  In the meantime, he searches for the proper wife, who turns out to be the fiery Mary Kate Danaher, played by O’Hara. It’s Wayne and O’Hara at their very best.  Watch this oldie if you haven’t seen it, it’s heartwarming and funny, with beautiful scenery!  It wasn’t his typical “macho” role, he showed his gentle side in this one.

Shepherd of the Hills was Wayne's first film in Technicolor, allowing viewers to see exactly how handsome he was. 

 

 

Made in the early days of Wayne’s acting career in 1941, the film is set in the rural backwater moonshine community of the Ozark Mountains.  Wayne stars as a young moonshiner plotting revenge against the estranged father he blames for his mother’s death.  Eventually, all ends well.

 

 

The Shootist (1976) was his last film, the story of a legendary gunslinger dying of cancer..

 

 

 

In real life, John Wayne died of stomach cancer on June 11, 1979 at the age of 72, with his 7 children by his bedside.

 

 

Wayne's last public appearance, the 51st Academy Awards, 1979, where he received a long standing ovation.  He passed away a few short months afterwards.

 

 

 

The epitaph on his tombstone reads:

 

 

"Tomorrow is the most important thing in life.  Comes into us at midnight very clean.  It’s perfect when it arrives and puts itself in our hands.  It hopes we’ve learned something from yesterday.”  

His many quotes live on, of which a few are:

“I’m the stuff men are made of.” 

“Talk low, talk slow and don’t say too much.” 

“I would like to be remembered, well … the Mexicans have a phrase, “Feo fuerte y formal”. Which means he was ugly, strong and had dignity"

"Sure, I wave the American flag.  Do you know a better flag to wave?  Sure, I love my country with all her faults.  I'm not ashamed of that, never have been, never will be."

And last, but definitely not least:

"Government has no wealth, and when a politician promises to give you something for nothing, he must first confiscate that wealth from you --- either by direct taxes, or by the cruelly indirect tax of inflation."

 

     The John Wayne Birthplace & Museum in Winterset, Iowa

 

 

Finally, regarding the recipe...

John Wayne supposedly contributed this casserole recipe to a 1979 cookbook titled, Cooking with Love from Cara and Her Friends, compiled by author Cara Connery, who was putting together a celebrity cookbook.  Cooks across the country have come up with their own versions of this casserole, adding different cheeses, jalapeños, seasonings; quite likely, a of corn also.  

 

The casserole is great for your family, company, or a potluck dish. It's ground beef, with a biscuit base, packed with tomatoes with chilies, cheese and spicy seasonings, and is easy and delicious!

 

So, go on and rustle up the Duke’s casserole for a mouthwatering meal, and if there are leftovers, you are the lucky one!  It’s just as good then, or maybe even better!

 

John Wayne Casserole

Servings: 8-10

Prep time: 40 MinCooking time: 45 MinTotal time: 1 H & 25 M

This recipe is great for your family, company, or a potluck dish. It's ground beef, with a biscuit base and packed with tomatoes with chilies, cheese and spicy seasonings.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds ground beef, cooked and drained
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon each:  garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 large white onion, chopped
• 2 (10 ounces) cans Rotel diced tomatoes with green chilies, drained
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped

For the BISCUIT LAYER:

• 3 cups Bisquick mix
• 1 cup water

For the Topping:

• 1 (7.5 ounces) Philadelphia cream cheese with chives and onions
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups shredded cheese, combo of cheddar and mozzarella, or your favorite

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350°.   Spray a 13x9" glass baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.  Set aside.
2. Sauté ground beef in large skillet, crumbling it as it cooks, drain grease when cooked.
3. To meat, add chili powder and remaining seasonings, blend well.
4. Add onions, Rotel tomatoes, and bell pepper to skillet; reduce heat, stir well, cook for 2-3 minutes until tender, remove from heat and set aside.
5. Mix Bisquick with water in a mixing bowl, stir until sticky dough forms.
6. Spread dough over bottom of baking dish evenly.
7. Layer ground beef mixture on dough, spread out evenly.
8. Into a mixing bowl, add sour cream, cream cheese, onion powder and salt, cream together with an electric mixer until smooth.
9. Spoon the sour cream mixture on top of the ground beef mixture in the baking dish, and spread out evenly.
10. Sprinkle cheddar and mozzarella cheese on top.
11. Bake in oven for about 35-45 minutes until heated through.
12. Remove from oven, allow to sit for a few minutes, slice and serve.

Notes:

Instead of the chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika, substitute 1 (1.25-ounce) packet taco seasoning.

 

Created using The Recipes Generator

 

Enjoy!