Windermere High junior concocts casserole campaign

For some, food is the most effective way to a person’s heart. It’s an instant way to invite someone into a home, break down a barrier and, quite literally, feed a need.

With a food blogger and cooking teacher for a mother, Windermere High School junior Luke Malegni has grown up with the dinner table as the center of the home. The 17-year-old has enjoyed home-cooked meals his whole life, and rarely does his family find itself in a restaurant. Even when he was participating in the Orlando Area Rowing Society, Luke’s family would postpone dinner until practice was over — just so they could break bread together.

Moreover, since he was little, Luke’s mother, Stacie Archer, has instilled in him and his siblings a dedication to giving back to others. They often donated their time to various causes — especially during the holiday season. Last year, the family served food at a homeless shelter in the Parramore community.

And that’s why this year, Luke decided to launch a new program at his school. With the help of several campus groups, including the Student Government Association, he  recruited his fellow Wolverines to join him in a casserole-making drive.

It was an instant success — divided into 8-inch-by-8-inch baking pans.

More than 70 students signed up for the cause and created more than 100 casseroles for One Heart for Women and Children, a local community food pantry that provides food assistance and support to those in need. Participating students brought the casseroles to Windermere High Nov. 20. The dishes then were transported in a refrigerated van to the College Park-based pantry for distribution to families throughout the area.

In addition to the casseroles, Luke also approached grocery chain Winn-Dixie, which donated turkeys to accompany the homemade dishes.

“Thanksgiving has always been one of my favorite holidays,” Luke said. “It’s all about the turkey and my family recipes.”  

And it’s also the perfect time to give back.

“The right thing to do this year was to share my family’s recipes with school friends, so we could bring a homemade Thanksgiving to families who can’t afford to cook this holiday,” he said.

Courtesy photo

INSPIRATION
For about eight months, Luke has worked at the Lakeside Village Publix. And it was there he found the inspiration he needed for this year’s holiday service project.

“I’m bagging groceries, and I’ve seen the grocery prices going up,” he said. “A lot of people can’t afford groceries.”

Luke said statistics reported by the U.S. Department of Labor are staggering: Prices have soared 25% since 2019, the department reported.

However, in cases of essentials such as eggs and milk, Luke knows that percentage is much higher.

After hurricanes Helene and Milton ravaged the Gulf Coast of Florida, many sought refuge in the Orlando area. Recently, at his job, Luke came face-to-face with a woman from Tampa whose house flooded. She and her family currently are living in a hotel and trying to stretch every dollar.

“There are a lot of people in need,” he said.

To the rescue: A ragtag team of teen cooks.

With his mother’s help, Luke created a menu of four different classic Thanksgiving side dishes — sweet potato casserole, cornbread, stuffing and green bean casserole. All the recipes are easy enough for even the most inexperienced cook.    

With the menu in place, Luke set out to recruit as many of his peers as possible. He placed 30 flyers all around campus, and had teachers and administrators help to get the word out through the school’s online network. Then, with the help of treasurer Chase Prevett, the Student Government Association assisted him in spreading the word even further.

Luke said there are families at Windermere High receiving assistance from One Heart, which made the organization a natural choice for beneficiary.

As a Christian, Luke said it is important for him to live his life as an example of Christ’s love.

“Jesus gave His life for us; He sacrificed Himself for us because He loves us,” he said. “I love giving back in any way I can.

“These are homemade dishes from the heart,” Luke said of the casseroles. “It’s been really cool to see students and families doing this (with me).”

FUTURE PLANS
Luke said he wants to bring the casserole program back to Windermere High next year and hopes to have even more students participating.

After high school, Luke hopes to attend Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to pursue a degree in computer science. However, even though those plans would take him far from home, Luke expects to continue  finding ways to give back to his community.

“I’ve always loved helping others; it makes me feel good,” he said. “If I have something to give, it’s definitely worth giving.”

Based in College Park, One Heart for Women and Children is a community food pantry that provides essential food assistance and support to those in need, working closely with local partners to reach families across Central Florida. It is Second Harvest Food Bank’s largest distribution partner in Orange County and last year provided more than 2.2 million meals. For more information, visit helponeheart.org.

ON THE MENU
Here are the four recipes students made as part of this project.

STUFFING
INGREDIENTS
1/2 stick unsalted butter, plus more for topping
1 cup yellow diced onion
1 cup diced celery
1 apple, cored and finely chopped
1 tsp. dried sage
1 tsp. dried thyme
Kosher salt and ground pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups of chicken broth
1 egg
2 Tbsp. parsley
10 slices of store-bought white bread, cubed

METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray an 8x8-inch foil cake pan with non-stick spray.

2. Melt 1/2 stick of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions, celery, apple, sage and thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, then add the chicken broth and bring to a simmer.

3. Meanwhile, whisk together egg and parsley in a large bowl. Add the cubed bread, then put in the vegetable-broth mixture.

4. Transfer the stuffing mixture to the 8x8 pan, then dot with remaining butter. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes, then uncover and bake until golden brown, about 20 more minutes.

GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE
INGREDIENTS
1 (10.5 oz) can of condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
2 cans French-cut green beans, drained
1 1/3 cups of crispy fried onions, divided

METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8x8-inch foil cake pan with non-stick spray.

2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix soup, milk, salt, black pepper, green beans and 2/3 cup of fried onions.

3. Pour into baking pan. (Place pan on a cooking sheet for support.) Bake uncovered for 25 minutes, or until mixture is bubbling. Remove from oven.

4. Stir bean mixture again. Sprinkle with 1/3 fried onions. Bake 5-10 minutes longer or until onions are golden brown.

SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE
INGREDIENTS
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/4 cup milk
4 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 large egg
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 cup chopped pecans

METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8x8-inch foil cake pan with non-stick spray.

2. Meanwhile, place sweet potatoes in a large saucepan. Add water until potatoes are completely submerged.

3. Bring to a boil over high heat, then lower the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook potatoes until tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.

4. Drain and cool. Mash sweet potatoes. In a large bowl, add mashed potatoes. Whisk together with butter, milk, brown sugar, vanilla, salt and egg. Transfer to foil cake pan.

5. For the topping: combine flour, brown sugar, butter and salt. Stir until moist and mixture clumps together. Add pecans. Spread mixture evenly over the top of the sweet potatoes. Bake 25-30 minutes.

CORNBREAD
INGREDIENTS
2 large eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 stick of butter, melted
2 Tbsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
8.5 oz. box of Jiffy cornbread mix
1 15 oz. can of whole corn kernels, drained
1 15 oz. can creamed corn

METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8x8-inch foil cake pan with non-stick spray.

2. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, sour cream, melted butter, sugar and salt. Whisk until well combined.

3. Add the cornbread mix, whole corn kernels and creamed corn. Stir until combined.

4. Transfer batter into prepared foil pan. Bake for 55-60 minutes. The top and edges will be lightly brown, and the middle may be a little jiggly. That’s fine.