I remember a couple of years ago, when my stepdaughter, Jessica, called from Cincinnati to get a recipe. My granddaughter, Naomi, wanted hotdish — the way Grandma makes it.

Back when we were both still working, Therese used to make the tasty hotdish for our grandson, Rakeem, on Tuesdays, when I worked from 4 p.m. to midnight. In retirement, we continue to have the hotdish, which is easy to make, at least once a week when Rakeem was living here and having supper with us two to four times a week.

The hamburger hotdish is basically the same as one my mom used to make when I was growing up. The only difference is that she used a can of vegetable vegetarian soup instead of tomato soup and we add a can of green beans. (We also use ground bison instead of beef.)

After he moved to Cincinnati to go to college, Rakeem asked Grandma for the hotdish recipe so he could make it for himself in his efficiency apartment. One of the last times I texted with him, he said he had made Grandma’s hotdish for supper.

Therese and I still enjoy the hotdish once every week or two, but we have twice as many leftovers as we did when Rakeem was in town. But needless to say, that hasn’t been a problem.

Grandma’s Hotdish
1 pound ground beef
1 14½-ounce can green beans
1 10¾-ounce can tomato soup
1 small onion, diced
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
¼ cup ketchup
1 cup elbow macaroni, cooked per package instructions
Salt and pepper to taste. Brown meat and onions. Season with salt and pepper. Mix in green beans and tomato soup. Add cooked macaroni. Place in casserole dish and bake at 325 degrees for 45 to 60 minutes. Serve.