Name: Creamed Mushrooms and Ham on Toast
Yield: Makes 8 servings
Ingredients: 8 slices firm white sandwich bread, crusts discarded; 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened; 1 lb mushrooms (preferably small), trimmed and halved; 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour; 1 1/2 cups whole milk; 1/2 cup sour cream at room temperature; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon black pepper; 3/4 teaspoon Maggi or Bovril seasoning, or to taste; 8 thin slices cooked ham (3 oz)

Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 50 min

Pasta wasn't always the carbohydrate vehicle of choice — in the '40s, lots of saucy things were spooned onto toast. These mushrooms appeared in one of our stories about Katish — the Russian cook immortalized by Gourmet's Wanda E. Ivanoff — who liked their versatility as a side dish or main course, and who often made a big batch to keep on hand for impromptu snacks.

Recipe notes

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