This recipe is from my copy of Betty Crocker’s Picture Cookbook, which was originally my grandmother’s, then my mother’s, and now mine. It’s one of my most valued things, and it takes pride of place in my kitchen. (The highest shelf, top right, close to a photograph of Julia Child) It’s the ninth printing of the 1950 edition and clearly shows some wear and tear, but that’s only because it’s been well-loved and used – those tatters are well-earned. After years of solely turning to the drop cookie page, I thought it was time to begin cooking my way through it.

This book contains so many old jewels — many of which my grandmother would have appreciated — that I felt compelled to spend some time discovering them. So I’m inviting you to join me for the great Betty Crocker Cookbook Cookthrough. And today we are working on the Supper Dishes chapter! This is perhaps the simplest recipe I’ve tried from the book thus far; it’s just a cheese sandwich with custard poured on top before baking. Simple!

The dish includes 12 slices of bread, 6 slices of cheese, eggs, milk, salt, pepper, and dry mustard. Simply make sandwiches (bread, cheese, bread) and arrange them in a casserole dish before pouring the egg/milk mixture on top. Betty instructs you to chill it until the milk mixture softens the bread, but does not specify how long this would take. I chose around a half an hour.

Then it bakes for one hour. This looks like a long time, but it actually takes that long for the edges to crisp up and the custard to set. Custard and cheese sandwiches sound strange together, but this is really a savory French toast bake. The texture remains warm and comfortable, but the edges are crispy. Then cheese. My only complaint? There should have been more cheese.