By Karen Parr-Moody
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Homemade, frozen casseroles – including an almost-legendary chicken tetrazzini – are among the hot items that make holidays easier at the Holiday Market at Madison Street United Methodist Church. It takes place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 8 at 319 Madison Street.
And, as everyone who has ever bought a casserole there says, get there early because they sell out fast.
Among the frozen dishes made by church volunteers are chicken and wild rice, lasagna, chicken divan, breakfast casserole, chicken enchiladas, sweet potato casserole, cranberry-apple casserole and broccoli casserole. They are sold at reasonable prices, from $7.50 to $12.50.
One of the organizers, Suzanne McCafferty, says that “the frozen casseroles are wonderful to have on hand during the holidays when you’re too busy to whip something up yourself.”
Suzanne McCafferty cooks cranberry-apple casseroles for the holiday market each year./Contributed
She says that the chicken tetrazzini made by Judy Landis is a swift seller.
“Judy does not let that recipe out of her kitchen,” she says. “It is a secret Judy recipe and people will elbow their way into the line to get those.”
And the one year Landis had shoulder surgery and couldn’t make her prized chicken tetrazzini?
“It was a tragedy,” McCafferty says.
In addition to the casserole sales, more than 40 outside vendors set up shop at the holiday market, selling items such as jewelry, holiday wreaths, wood-working items, sewn items and artwork. There are also baked goods, including cakes, pies, cookies and snack mixes.
The event is the biggest fundraiser for the United Methodist Women (UMW) organization within the church. Since 2007, McCafferty says, the group has raised from more than $62,000 to support projects at the church and within the community and the nation. Groups they have helped include the Roxy Regional Theatre, Veterans Across America and the Doughboy repair project. It has also helped some projects internationally.
For more information about the market or about the church call (931) 647-0221 or visit www.madisonstreetumc.org.
Anne Clark, the frozen foods chair, with assistants Kay Howard and Lucy Gentry./Contributed
Karen Parr-Moody began a career as a New York journalist, working as a fashion reporter for Women’s Wear Daily, a beauty editor for Young Miss and a beauty and fashion writer for both In Style and People magazines. Regionally, she has been a writer at The Leaf-Chronicle newspaper and currently writes about arts and culture for Nashville Arts magazine each month.