Editors of Adams Media - The 50 Best Casserole Recipes. Tasty, Fresh, and Easy to Make!

The 50 Best
Casserole Recipes

Tasty, fresh, and easy to make!

Adams Media, a division of F+W Media, Inc.

Avon, Massachusetts

Contents

Introduction

Imagine having time to tuck into a good book, catch up on household chores, or take a breather from a hectic day at work all while dinner bubbles and browns away in the oven. Its easy to do just that when you incorporate wholesome slow-cooked casseroles into your eating plan.

Although they are humble in nature, and often used as a means of stretching expensive ingredients to feed many, casseroles have evolved to incorporate regional food preferences and can be an elegant and healthful addition to any meal.

Its easy to make healthy and satisfying casseroles by incorporating a mix of whole grains, lean meats, vegetarian meat replacements, fresh vegetables, and herbs with a judicious use of convenience products, including canned beans, boxed broths, or canned chopped tomatoes.

Most casseroles are bound by a sauce or gravy, which eliminates the need for fatty ingredients to keep them moist. All thats usually needed is a light mist of nonstick spray, and you are ready to assemble.

While casseroles are often main-dish fare, almost everything from appetizers to desserts can be made into a casserole often with fantastic results. In this collection, youll find everything from delicious breakfast and brunch dishes, like Huevos Rancheros Casserole and Maple French Toast, to satisfying suppers, including Weeknight Chicken Cacciatore and Turkey Noodle Casserole. Youll also see that casseroles go beyond comfort food. Try Oven-Seared Tuna Steaks with Olives and Lemon with Mango and Pineapple Cobbler for dessert.

Maple French Toast

A great make-ahead brunch dish. You can use fresh bread or slightly stale bread and it comes out delicious either way.

Serves 6

Ingredients

1 (16-ounce) loaf soft-crust whole-wheat bread

3 large eggs

1 cups milk

3 tablespoons maple syrup

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1. Spray a 9" 13" casserole dish with nonstick spray. Slice the bread into thick slices, then slice the bread into halves. Shingle the bread slices in overlapping layers in the casserole.

2. Whisk together the eggs, milk, maple syrup, and vanilla and pour the custard over the bread. Cover the casserole dish with plastic wrap and weigh the top down for at least 1 hour and up to 1 day so that the custard can soak into the bread.

3. Preheat the oven to 425F. Bake the French toast, uncovered, on the middle oven rack until the custard is set and the top of the casserole is golden, 2530 minutes.

Baked Oatmeal with Apricots

Spicy and special, this warming breakfast takes ordinary oatmeal and gives it a special touch. Forego instant and make this when you want a cozy breakfast treat.

Serves 6

Ingredients

3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

3 cups low-free milk

cup chopped dried apricots

cup shelled pumpkin seeds, toasted

teaspoon cinnamon

teaspoon ground cardamom

teaspoon salt

1. Spray an 8" 8" baking dish with nonstick spray and preheat the oven to 350F.

2. Combine the oats, milk, apricots, pumpkin seeds, cinnamon, cardamom, and salt in a large bowl; stir to combine. Pour into prepared casserole dish.

3. Bake on the middle rack of the oven until all the liquid is absorbed, about 2530 minutes. Serve hot.

Huevos Rancheros Casserole

This delicious Mexican classic satisfies when you have a hungry family to feed! Loaded with protein and full of flavors that wake up your taste buds, it should get rave reviews.

Serves 6

Ingredients

1 tablespoon safflower or sunflower oil

1 large onion

1 green bell pepper

1 (14.5-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

cup mild or medium jarred salsa

12 large egg whites

6 large egg yolks

1 cup fat-free milk

3 tablespoons chopped cilantro

teaspoon salt

cup shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 375F and lightly spray a 9" 13" casserole dish with nonstick spray.

2. Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a nonstick skillet and saut the onion and pepper until softened, about 5 minutes. Spread the vegetable mixture on the bottom of the casserole dish in an even layer. Spread the beans, then the salsa, over the vegetables.

3. Whisk the egg whites, egg yolks, milk, cilantro, and salt together in a large bowl. Pour into the prepared casserole dish, then sprinkle cheese on top.

4. Bake the casserole, uncovered, on the middle rack until it is set in the center, 4550 minutes.

Tex-Mex

Tex-Mex food is a combination of Spanish and Mexican cuisine as adopted by Texans. It first became popularized in the 1970s, though recipes for Tex-Mex dishes were published in cookbooks as early as the 1940s.

Eggplant Casserole

For a heartier dish, saut 1 pound of ground turkey with 1 medium chopped onion and layer over the eggplant before pouring the tomato sauce mixture on top.

Serves 6

Ingredients

1 medium eggplant

teaspoon garlic salt

cup canned jalapeo peppers

2 cups canned tomato sauce

cup low-fat sour cream

teaspoon ground cumin

1 cups grated Cheddar cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 350F.

2. Remove the stem from the eggplant and slice into "-thick rounds. Arrange the rounds in a 9" 9" lightly greased baking pan. Sprinkle with the garlic salt.

3. Combine the jalapeos, tomato sauce, sour cream, and cumin; mix well. Pour over the eggplant rounds. Layer the cheese over the top.

4. Bake for 4560 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the eggplant is tender.

Roasted Ratatouille

A traditional Provenal stew that normally entails sauting each vegetable before combining in the end, this roasted version reduces the work involved but delivers an equally delicious dish.

Serves 12

Ingredients

5 cups eggplant, peeled and cut into " cubes

3 cups yellow squash, cut into " pieces

pound green beans

cup celery, chopped

1 cup red onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes

1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped

teaspoon salt

teaspoon rosemary

teaspoon thyme

cup olive oil

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1. Preheat the oven to 375F and lightly spray a 3-quart Dutch oven or 9" 13" baking dish with nonstick spray. Add eggplant, yellow squash, green beans, celery, onion, garlic, tomatoes, parsley, salt, rosemary, thyme, and olive oil, and stir to combine.

2. Roast uncovered in oven. Stir after 30 minutes, then continue roasting for another 30 minutes or until vegetables are softened and lightly browned on top.

3. Remove from oven. Stir in balsamic vinegar and serve.

Highlighting Sweet Flavor

Chefs often add a splash of acid such as lemon juice or vinegar to a finished dish to highlight the sweet elements of the recipe and add a layer of complexity. The next time you find a recipe missing something, try a drizzle of vinegar or citrus juice to liven it up.