What exactly is a casserole?
Basically, the explanation of a casserole is an easy, oven-baked meal cooked in one dish. Now, just like anything else in life…there are exceptions to this rule. There can be dessert casseroles, there can be elaborate casseroles where you might need to use more than one dish and there might even be casseroles that you don’t need to bake in the oven.
Another great thing about casseroles is that some of them can be prepared a day in advance and then baked the next day. Now that’s convenience at it’s best!
Stick with me and I will share some of my favorite casseroles with you!
1. Cheesy Broccoli and Rice Casserole
One of the casseroles that I have been making for years was given to me by a co-worker/friend almost 20 years ago. This one is actually started in a frying pan and then transferred to the casserole dish to bake in the oven.
It’s so simple; made with ingredients you could probably already have in your pantry and fridge/freezer at any given time. The recipe calls for minute rice, frozen broccoli, canned cream of mushroom soup, evaporated milk, canned (or frozen corn kernels), butter (or margarine), garlic powder and shredded cheddar.
You start out with the butter, broccoli, garlic powder and corn in the frying pan and then transfer to a casserole dish. Then you add the rice, soup, evaporated milk and cheese and pop it in the oven. How easy is that??
Guess what…you can throw in some shredded or chopped cooked chicken or turkey and serve a tossed salad on the side to make this a complete meal. It’s a great way to get rid of that leftover turkey from Thanksgiving or Christmas.
2. Macaroni & Beef Casserole
This dish is a great way to use leftover meat sauce. I tend to cook big because I would rather have leftovers than skimp on the meal. So when I make spaghetti and meat sauce, there is always enough sauce left to make a casserole for another day. It’s also a great way to get rid of those veggies you bought, with good intentions of eating them….but dialing the pizza shop was just easier….
When I make my meat sauce, I use extra lean ground beef (ground chicken or turkey can be substituted), a can of tomato sauce, a bit of tomato paste, various veggies and some seasoning. For the veggies, I have been know to use any or all of the following: mushrooms, onions, green or red peppers, zucchini, corn kernels, finely grated carrot, and spinach. You could experiment with your own combinations! And then you have the seasoning. I use a bit of basil, thyme, oregano, garlic, salt and pepper. If you don’t keep a lot of spices on hand, Italian seasoning would work just fine. And pasta! Don’t forget the pasta. Elbow macaroni is the common type to use, but you can always get creative here too. Mix it up and use ziti, penne or rigatoni. The only stipulation is that it must hold the sauce well. The finishing touch…..drum roll please…..CHEESE! Typically, grated cheddar or mozzarella are used for the topping, but any cheese that melts easily can complete this casserole.
3. Chicken and Swiss Stuffing Bake
I found this recipe on Taste of Home” website. This casserole is quick to make and a great way to use up leftover chicken (or turkey). See below picture for the changes I made to recipe.
I added a small onion, finely chopped and half a cup of chopped button mushrooms, then sauteed them with the celery before adding to the bowl.
Served with a tossed (garden) salad, this makes a complete meal!
4. Sweet Veggie Bake (Casserole)
This is an amazing veggie side dish that incorporates multiple veggies into one casserole dish, eliminating the need to wash up several pots and pans after preparing your meal. Win/win situation!
My basic recipe uses yams (sweet potato), roma tomatoes, sweet white onion, zucchini, spices and…you guessed it…cheese! Like any good casserole, you can change up the ingredients to suit your own tastes. Squash works well, white potato instead of sweet, red or golden beets can be incorporated and you can top it off with your favorite melting cheese or blend of cheeses.
5. Easy Breakfast Casserole
This one is totally not my recipe, but it’s so easy and yummy, that I wanted to mention it. This recipe and picture come from Amanda Finks at “The Wholesome Dish” website.
This breakfast casserole can be prepared the night before and put in the oven to bake the next morning. Great for a holiday breakfast!
Note: I have substituted cooked bacon instead of the ham and it is just as good. If you do that, make sure to wipe off the bacon grease with some papertowel before adding to the casserole.