Yooper Food

Squirrel

Casserole

• 3 squirrels
• ½ lb. salt pork, chopped
• flour
• 1½ cups parboiled potatoes, sliced
• 1 cup onions, chopped
• 1 cup green corn
• 1 cup lima beans
• 1 quart tomatoes, cut and peeled
• 4 quarts boiling water
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 1 tbsp. sugar
• 1 tbsp. salt
• black and red pepper, to taste

Clean, wash, and joint the squirrels, laying them in salted water for a half hour. Place ingredients in casserole in the following order: First, a layer of pork, then of onions, next of potatoes, followed by successive layers of corn cut from the cob, beans, and then the squirrels. Season each layer with salt, red and black pepper. Pour in the water, cover, then seal with a paste made of flour and water. Cook slowly for three hours, then add tomatoes and sugar. Cook for an hour longer. Stir in the butter and flour mixed together. Boil for five minutes and serve in the casserole.

• 2-3 cups squirrel meat, boiled and de-boned
• 1 cup Italian bread crumbs, crushed
• 1 cup broccoli, fresh or frozen
• 1 onion, sliced or diced
• 1 tomato, sliced
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• ¼ cup mayonnaise
• 1 cup cheddar cheese, grated

In a casserole dish, place your boiled/de-boned squirrel meat on the bottom. Place broccoli on top of the squirrel meat, then add the onion. In a separate bowl, mix the cream of mushroom soup and the mayonnaise together, and mix thoroughly. Spread it evenly over the top. Add the grated cheddar over top of that. Take your crushed bread crumbs, and spread it evenly over the top of your cheese. Take your tomato slices and place over the top. Place in a 350 F oven and bake uncovered for about 45 minutes. Pull it out, and let it stand for 5-10 minutes and serve.

• 3-4 squirrels, cooked and deboned
• 2 10-oz pkgs. frozen broccoli pieces
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup chopped celery
• ½ cup carrots, chopped
• 1 cup cooked rice
• 1 stick margarine
• 1 8-oz jar cheese whiz (or velveeta)
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup

Parboil squirrels until tender and pick meat off the bones. Cook broccoli and drain. Sauté onions, celery and carrots in margarine until tender. Blend cheese and soup into the onion mix. Mix with squirrel, rice and broccoli. Turn into a large casserole and bake for 1 hour at 350 F. Serve with Italian bread and apple sauce or a large tossed salad.

Creamed Squirrel Over Biscuits

• 3-4 squirrels, cooked and de-boned
• 2 tbsp. flour
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1/2 stick margarine
• 1 beef bouillon
• 1 can chicken broth
• 1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• salt and pepper, to taste

Parboil squirrel and pick meat off the bones. Sauté onion, garlic, beef bouillon in margarine and Worcestershire sauce. Add salt and pepper, then add in flour to thicken. Add the squirrel meat. Serve over biscuit, bread or mashed potatoes with salad, applesauce or coleslaw.

Meat Pie

• 2 squirrels (2 -2½ lbs.)
• rolled dumplings
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 2 celery stalks
• 8 small carrots
• 1 chopped onion
• 1½ tsp. salt
• dash of black pepper
• 1 tbsp. oregano

This is an excellent way to cook older squirrels that might be too tough for frying. Wipe thoroughly with a damp cloth and remove all hair. Remove any shot and scent glands. Wash well, inside and out, with warm water. Cut into serving pieces. Put the squirrels into a kettle. Add vegetables, oregano, chicken stock, salt, pepper and butter. Heat to boiling, then educe heat. Cover tightly and simmer until very tender (2-3 hours, depending on the age of the animal). The meat should be almost ready to fall from the bones. Add water as needed. Remove and blend the vegetables, then return to the pot, increasing the heat until the liquid boils. Lay the rolled dumplings over the top of the squirrel meat. Cover tightly and cook for 12-15 minutes. Do not lift cover during cooking. Place squirrel on a hot serving dish and arrange the dumplings around the edge. Cooking the dumplings in the liquid should thicken the gravy to just the right consistency. Pour gravy over squirrel and dumplings. Add quartered apples or other fresh fruit for decoration.

Roast

• 4-6 dressed squirrels, cut in pieces
• 1 onion
• 2-3 stalks celery
• 6-7 small carrots
• 3 tbsp. lemon
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• ¼ cup water
• ¼ cup brown sugar, firmly packed
• ¼ tsp. garlic powder
• ¼ tsp. ground ginger
• ¼ tsp sage
• 1 tsp. sugar

Add all ingredients to a large pot or Dutch oven. Cover with water and cook on low heat for 3 hours. Remove squirrels. Blend vegetables to thicken gravy. Add squirrels and gravey back to pot. Simmer for 2-3 minutes. Serve.

Soup

• 3-4 squirrels
• flour
• 5 Irish potatoes
• 4 tomatoes
• 2 cans Lima beans
• 1 tbsp. butter
• 1 gal. water
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. black pepper
• 1 tsp. celery salt
• ¼ cup parsley, chopped

Wash and quarter three or four good-sized squirrels. Put the squirrels, a teaspoon of salt, and a gallon of cold water in a large cooking pot. Cover the pot and set it on the back burner to simmer gently, but not boil. Add vegetables, as you would for any other meat soup, including additional vegetables, if you wish. Leave it to simmer for several hours, bringing it to a boil, adding more water if necessary. When the meat has boiled so that it shreds, strain the soup through a colander to remove the squirrels pesky little bones, then return to the pot, and let it simmer for another hour. Thicken the soup with a piece of butter rubbed in flour. Add celery salt, pepper, and parsley. Before serving, toast one slice of bread per person, place it on the bottom of the individual serving bowl, and pour the soup boiling hot over the toast.

Visit our Sister Site: Pasties, Plain & Simple