Russell Meeker was a fellow church member about my dad's age. Russell, a tall and large man, was gregarious and always willing to offer a smile or laugh. Despite the challenges in his life, he was friendly and happy.
I think most people have a few signature dishes that they routinely make and contribute to potlucks. My mom frequently made 4-layer pudding. I frequently bring TaterTot Casserole and Chicken & Rice Casserole (aka One Dish Meal). The recipe below is for the dish that Russell brought to fellowship meals.
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- 1 sleeve of Ritz crackers, crushed into crumbs.
- Baking sheet (if freezing balls)
- Greased 9x13 pan (when ready to bake)
Ingredients - Balls
- 1C walnuts, finely chopped
- 2C grated cheese
- 5-6 eggs (or 6T egg replacer mixed with 1C water + 2T water)
- 1C Ritz cracker crumbs (1 sleeve of crackers)
- 1 large onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1T ground sage
- 1/2t salt
Ingredients - Sauce
- 1 can tomato soup
- 1 can cream of mushroom soup
- *** You can also use 2 cans of cream of celery soup instead. ***
- 1 can water
- 2T olive oil
Directions
- Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix well.
- Form into balls approximately 1 1/4 inches in diameter.
- Place the balls on a metal baking sheet and place in the freezer overnight or until ready to finish for serving.
- Arrange frozen balls in the 9x13 pan.
- In a clean mixing bowl, combine sauce ingredients and mix well.
- Coat each ball with a spoonful of sauce, ensuring that the ball is coated well.
- Discard remaining sauce.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 60 minutes.
Douglas G Pratt, 2013
