Editors of Southern Living Magazine - One-Dish Wonders: 150 Fresh Takes on the Classic Casserole

ONE-DISH WONDERS 2015 Time Inc. Books Published by Oxmoor House, an imprint of Time Inc. Books 1271 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020 Southern Living is a registered trademark of Time Inc. Lifestyle Group. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher, excepting brief quotations in connection with reviews written specifically for inclusion in magazines or newspapers, or limited excerpts strictly for personal use.

Writer: Danny S. Bonvissuto Senior Editor: Katherine Cobbs Editor: Sarah A. Gleim Editorial Assistant: April Smitherman Assistant Project Editor: Melissa Brown Art Director: Christopher Rhoads Designer: Anna Christian Compositors: AnnaMaria Jacob, Anna Moe Executive Photography Director: Iain Bagwell Senior Photographer: Hlne Dujardin Photographer: Victor Protasio Senior Photo Stylists: Kay E. Clarke, Mindi Shapiro Levine Photo Stylists: Cindy Barr, Amanda Widis Food Stylists: Nathan Carrabba, Victoria E. Cox,
Margaret Monroe Dickey, Stefanie Maloney,
Catherine Crowell Steele Test Kitchen Manager: Alyson Moreland Haynes Assistant Production Director: Sue Chodakiewicz Senior Production Manager: Greg A. Amason Copy Editors: Norma Butterworth-McKittrick,
Adrienne Davis Proofreader: Polly Linthicum Indexer: Nanette Cardon Fellows: Laura Arnold, Nicole Fisher, Loren Lorenzo,
Olivia Pierce ISBN-13: 978-0-8487-4723-7 Library of Congress Control Number: 2015946730 Printed in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 First Printing 2015 CONTENTS INTRODUCTION C asserole: The word alone is bound to conjure up memories of meals past.

Casseroles, after all, are the one category of food that nourishes us in times of both joy and sadnessthe birth of a new baby, a church potluck, Thanksgiving dinner, the death of a loved one. Theyre the comfort food equivalent to Southern hospitality. The best casseroles are bubbly, gooey, creamy, and cheesy, and are appreciated as much for their convenience as their versatility. You can create a casserole from just about anythingwhether you build it using leftovers in the fridge or follow your grandmothers famous lasagna recipejust toss together a few veggies, a starch, and perhaps a meat, and you have a complete meal. But for those many reasons we love the casserole, the same qualities have also given them a bad rap. Countless recipes call for canned cream of something soups and over-processed foods, and casseroles are often seen as heavy and unhealthy.

The good news is there is a whole new breed of casseroles, and theyre hearty and healthy, simple and sophisticated. In One-Dish Wonders , casserole isnt code for getting out the can openereach recipe is a thoughtful combination of ingredients gathered from the garden and the grocery store. Casseroles can be a bubbly breakfast bake of eggs, vitamin-packed collard greens, and creamy grits dotted with white Cheddar; a rich shrimp risotto full of fresh garlic and thyme; a warm lasagna layered with zucchini, mushrooms, and red and yellow bell peppers; or mini cobblers filled with berries, baked, and served in small skillets. Just as a great meal brings special people together, a great casserole brings special ingredients together. One-Dish Wonders combines the best classic and current culinary trends in a casserole cookbook that shows you how to make them, bake them, serve them, and even swap them. CASSEROLES 101 Before you shop or chop, take this quick-and-easy casserole class where you will learn insider tips, updated recipes, and baking basics.

Tool School Nothing is more important in the kitchen than the right tools for the right job. All six pieces of equipment below may not be essential to preparing every casserole, but they certainly make whipping up a chicken potpie and all the fixings a lot easier. BAKING DISHES come in all shapes and sizes, but start with a standard, ovenproof 13- x 9-inch glass or metal pan. Change things up if you want by using individual ramekins, or round, oval, and even brightly colored baking dishes. A great pair of KITCHEN SHEARS can do everything from snip fresh herbs and trim fat from meat to chop canned tomatoes and cut pastry dough. Dishwasher-safe shears are essential for good kitchen sanitation and preventing cross contamination.

MEASURING CUPS AND SPOONS are must-haves for casserole cooking. Need to save shelf and drawer space? Get one clear liquid measuring cup with quantities marked on the side, and a set of nesting measuring spoons. BOX GRATERS are major multitaskers. They grate cheese and chocolate, and they make zesting citrus a snap. But most also have a large slicing blade and can do the same work as a mandolinchurn out thin slices of veggies, potatoes, and cheese. Chop your chopping time in half with a FOOD PROCESSOR , which makes short work of big batches of vegetables.

Theyre also ideal for grating big blocks of cheese in seconds, and making homemade piecrust and pasta dough, fresh breadcrumbs, and more. Fresh salad on the side? Yes. Wet salad on the side? No. Use a SALAD SPINNER to dry those rinsed greens in a flash. But dont stop there. Five ways to Rock that Casserole Its not an empty baking dishits a blank canvas ready to become a delicious work of art. Five ways to Rock that Casserole Its not an empty baking dishits a blank canvas ready to become a delicious work of art.

Make it a masterpiece! Gather all the ingredients in one place before assembling your casserolethat includes all food and cookware. Digging in the fridge for this and reaching into the pantry for that adds unnecessary steps that slow down the process. Potatoes, carrots, and other root vegetables often need a little more lovin in the oven than other produce. Parcook (or partially cook) them ahead before including so theyre on the same page with everything else. Fresh or frozen vegetables are often full of extra water that ends up at the bottom of the dish. Thaw and strain frozen vegetables, precook mushrooms and bell peppers, and give those greens a good squeeze.

Prefer your pasta al dente? Cut a few minutes off the cooking time so it doesnt overcook when baking. Finish on a fun note: Up the flavor factor by adding crumbled bits of bacon, crushed potato chips, or buttered breadcrumbs on top. Freezing: The Cold, Hard Truth Making two casseroles and freezing one? Avoid leaving both dishes in the cold with these genius tips: Line the baking dish you plan to freeze with heavy-duty aluminum foil, allowing foil to extend over each side. Lightly grease foil. Prepare the casserole as directed, using prepared foil-lined dish. Do not bake.

Freeze unbaked casserole until firm. Remove the foil-covered frozen casserole from the baking dish; fold foil over top of casserole. Wrap in additional foil, or place foil-wrapped casserole in a zip-top plastic freezer bag, seal, and return to freezer. When ready to use, remove all foil from frozen casserole, and place in a lightly greased baking dish; cover. Thaw in refrigerator for 24 hours; let stand 30 minutes at room temperature, and bake as directed. Crack the Casserole Code Casseroles have a language of their own.

Get looped in on the lingo. WHAT: Cover and chill WHERE: The fridge HOW: Casseroles love to be made ahead of time, which means covering the dish, and chilling it in the fridge. No lid? No problem. Use heavy-duty aluminum foil or plastic wrap to seal the deal. WHAT: Overnight WHERE: The fridge HOW: To humans, overnight means sundown to sun up. For casseroles, it means 24 hours.