Homemade And Comforting Food

Enchilada Casserole, Oven-Roasted Green Beans and Chips.

We served delicious and comforting homemade enchilada casserole and lasagna today at The Wednesday Community Meal and our guests loved it. The cheesy casserole-style dishes were the perfect antidote to another cold and rainy Portland day.

When I think about it, homemade casseroles are not easy to find in restaurants and so unless you cook or live with a cook, they're kind of a rarity. A casserole is special because it's something you get at home.

Adding cheese to the top of an Enchilada Casserole.

In addition to the enchilada casserole and lasagna, our guests sat back and relaxed with soup, salad, dessert and cups of hot chocolate, coffee, milk and lemonade.

Volunteers Linda and Leah made all the salads we served today. They were topped with strawberry slices and croutons and looked so pretty.

We served 325 meals and since Halloween is just days away, a few of our volunteers got into the spirit and dressed up.

There was a clown:

Dean is so much fun! Every Wednesday he serves coffee and hot chocolate tableside in the dining room.

Here's Dean again, clowning around with our wonderful volunteer servers, Mary, Dorrie and Carol.

There was a witch:

Dave is a Wednesday Community Meal VIP. Every week he arrives early to shop for us at Cash 'n' Carry, buying any additional items we need to make the meal happen. He also is part of our ace team of dishwashers.

And, there was a blind mouse:

Craig is great, a regular volunteer in the kitchen and willing to help wherever needed. Today he made sure all the pans of enchilada casserole and lasagna were cooked to perfection.