Casseroles

Casseroles

Broccoli Casserole

Ingredients

  • Large head of broccoli
  • 1 cup rice
  • 1 can cream of mushroom soup
  • 2 celery stalks, diced
  • 1/2 onion, diced
  • 1 1/2 cups cheese, grated
  • 1 teaspoon thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

  1. Cook rice in pot with two cups of water and cover, or use rice cooker. Allow to cool before adding to casserole.
  2. Saute and soften onions and celery in pot with a little oil. Add mushroom soup with 1/2 can of water, thyme, black pepper and simmer covered for 10 minutes.
  3. Add broccoli and most of cheese and simmer another 5 minutes.
  4. Slowly add cooked rice and blend until rice is evenly coated with mixture. Form a hole in the center and add a little water and simmer another 5 minutes.
  5. Stir casserole and add cheese on top. It is ready when cheese has melted.

Tip: Add freshly diced thyme for more flavor. Fresh herbs depart more flavor than dried herbs.

Tip: I rarely use celery. I dice and clean two celery stalks at a time and freeze in a plastic bag.

Broccoli Casserole

Chicken & Rice Casserole

Ingredients

  • 1 can of Cream of Chicken Soup or Cream of Mushroom Soup
  • 4 cups of water
  • 1 cup uncooked long-grain white rice
  • 2 cups fresh or frozen vegetables
  • 1 diced onion
  • 1 chicken body with breasts and skin
  • 1/2 cup of shredded Cheddar cheese
  • 1 teaspoon of salt and black pepper

Directions

  1. Brown the chicken on all sides in a pot with a tablespoon of oil.
  2. Add water, cover, and boil chicken for an hour. This makes an excellent broth. Then let the broth cool. Clean and dice the chicken into small pieces.
  3. In a fresh pot, brown the onions. Add three cups of broth to the pot. If you have less broth, then add water until it equals three cups. Add the vegetables, rice, chicken, soup, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil under low heat.
  4. Add the mixture to a 12" x 8" hallow baking dish. Cover and bake at 375°F for 45 minutes or until done.
  5. For the last 15 minutes, uncover and sprinkle cheese on top.

Tip: One may simmer the casserole in a covered pot until the rice absorbs most the liquid. Then top with cheese.

Tip: You may add celery to complement the flavor of the dish.

Chicken & Rice Casserole

Corned Beef Casserole

Ingredients

  • 7 oz. noodles, medium width
  • 1 can condensed milk
  • 1 can corned beef
  • 1 onion diced
  • 4 oz. cheddar cheese
  • 1 1/2 cups buttered breadcrumbs
  • 1 can cream of chicken soup
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 teaspoon thyme

Directions

  1. Cook noodles in water until slightly firm, drain.
  2. Add onion and corned beef to saucepand and brown. Add all ingredients except crumbs.
  3. Put half of crumbs in bottom of baking dish. Spread noodle mix over crumbs and top with rest of crumbs.
  4. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Tip: Corned beef is loaded with salt. Be careful about adding salt.

Tip: You can simmer casserole in a pot for 20 minutes. Omit the bread crumbs and sprinkle fried shallots on top.

Corned Beef Casserole

Classic Green Bean Casserole

Ingredients

  • 1 can (10.75 oz.) condensed cream of mushroom soup
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 1/8 tsp. pepper
  • 1 pound (1/2 kilogram) green beans
  • 1/2 onion, diced
  • 1 can (2.8 oz.) French fried onions or fried shallots

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Clean and slice green beans. Combine soup, milk and pepper in 8x8-inch baking dish; mix well. Stir in beans and half of fried onions.
  2. Bake 10 minutes; stir.
  3. Sprinkle with remaining onions. Bake 5 minutes or until hot and onions are golden.
Classic Green Bean Casserole

Hamburger Casserole

Ingredients

  • 2 cups uncooked egg noodles
  • 1 pound minced beef
  • 1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
  • 1 large tomato, diced
  • 1 large yellow onion, diced
  • 1 green bell pepper, diced
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 3/4 cup shredded cheese (Cheddar, Colby, Monterey Jack, etc.)
  • 1 can French-fried onions

Directions

  1. Brown the beef in a skillet and break into small pieces with the spatula.
  2. Once the beef is almost cooked, add the green peppers and onions. Continue browning until onions are soft.
  3. Add the tomato, mushroom soup, a half teaspoon of salt and black pepper. Use the soup can to add two cans of water. Bring the mixture to a boil
  4. Add the noodles to the mixture, reduce heat, cover the pot with a lid and simmer. Continue simmering until the noodles become soft. You may add more water.
  5. Once the noodles are soft, spoon into a dish and sprinkle the French dried onions and cheese on top.

Optional: You could also bake the casserole in the oven.

  1. Boil the noodles in the water until the noodle are al dente, or slightly firm. Drain the water.
  2. Brown the beef in a skillet and break into small pieces with the spatula.
  3. Once the beef is almost cooked, add the green peppers and onions. Continue browning until onions are soft.
  4. Add the tomato, mushroom soup, a half teaspoon of salt and black pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil
  5. Add the noodles to the mixture and spoon into a greased casserole dish. Heat oven to 350 degrees F and baked the casserole covered for 40 minutes.
  6. Sprinkle the French dried onions and cheese on top and bake an additional five minutes.
Hamburger Casserole

Hamburger-Tortilla Casserole

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground beef or chicken
  • 5 tomatoes, diced
  • 5 jalapenos or large green chili peppers, sliced
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 5 cloves garlic, finely diced
  • 1 can ranch style beans
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon of black pepper
  • Shredded cheese, cheddar or mozzarella
  • Sliced black olives
  • Sliced green onion
  • 1 package tortilla chips

Directions

  1. Crush tortilla chips and form the first layer in a baking dish.
  2. Brown ground beef. Add tomatoes, onion, peppers, garlic, and all seasonings and simmer for 20 minutes.
  3. Add beans and simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated.
  4. Use the meat and bean mixture to form second layer. Sprinkle with cheese. Then sprinkle black olives and bake for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees.
  5. Once casserole has cooled, sprinkle green onions over top and serve
Hamburger-Tortilla Casserole

Hash Brown Casserole

Ingredients

  • 1 can of Cream of Chicken Soup
  • 10 to 15 small potatoes
  • 2 small onions
  • 1/2 kilogram or 1 pound of chicken sausage
  • 1/2 cup of shredded Cheddar cheese
  • 1/4 cup of real butter
  • Salt and black pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Place the potatoes in pot of water for several hours to hydrate. Clean the skins well and cut into large chunks. I find the dish looks more appealing with cut potatoes than shredded potatoes.
  2. Cut the chicken sausage diagonally and sauté in a large pot over medium heat. Add diced onions. For this step, you are browning the sausage and onions to caramelize them and not cook them.
  3. Add potatoes to the large pot. Stir once or twice. Do not cook the potatoes, just brown them a little. Add the remaining ingredients except the can of soup with a half cup of water.
  4. Sprinkle salt and black pepper. Usually a 1/2 teaspoon of salt and one teaspoon of pepper. The soup is already loaded with salt.
  5. Cover with a lid and simmer under very low heat between 20 and 30 minutes. The mixture should boil softly. You may add another 1/2 cup of water to get the desired consistency. Stir the casserole only once or twice carefully. Add the soup in the last 10 minutes of cooking. The dish is ready when potatoes are soft.

Tip: You may add sour cream and other cheeses to the dish.

Tip: You can use other types of soup.

Hash Brown Casserole

Mexican Cornbread Casserole

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups cornmeal
  • 1 1/4 cups flour
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 1/4 cups milk
  • 1/3 cup butter
  • 1 can creamed corn
  • 2-3 chopped jalapeno peppers
  • 1 cup cheddar cheese
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1/2 onion, finely diced

Directions

  1. Brown ground beef with onions. Discard fat.
  2. Mix the dry ingredients - corn meal, flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Sift the baking powder through a wire mesh.
  3. Add remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly.
  4. Pour batter into a greased, 9-in. by 13-in. pan or dish. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 50-60 minutes or until golden brown on top.
  5. Remove from oven, and let sit for 15 minutes before serving.

Tip: Replace the ground beef with ground turkey or ground chicken.

Mexican Cornbread Casserole

Rice Casserole

Ingredients

  • 1 pound sausage, sliced
  • 1 can cream of chicken soup
  • 1 cup onion, diced
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 celery stalks, sliced
  • 1 cup uncooked rice
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon thyme

Directions

  1. Cook rice with two cups of water in a covered pot or rice cooker. Rice is ready once rice absorbs all water.
  2. Brown sausage, onions and celery.
  3. Add soup, water, and seasonings. Simmer covered on low heat for 10 minutes. Then break up rice and add to pot. Evenly coat rice with mixture.
  4. You have two options. Put into a casserole dish and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes, or you can simmer the rice for another 10 minutes covered.

Tip: Finely diced thyme adds loads of flavor to the dish.

Rice Casserole

Sheppard's Pie

Ingredients

    Meat Layer:

  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • 1 chopped onion
  • 2 carrots, chopped
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 beef bouillon cube
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon corn starch

Mash Potatoes Layer:

  • 6 large potatoes
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • Milk
  • 1 teaspoon pepper

Corn Layer:

  • 1 can cream style corn

Directions

  1. Brown ground beef and drain fat. Add onions, carrots, bouillon cube, black pepper, and Worcestershire sauce and simmer for 15 minutes. Taste the broth and add salt as needed. I liberally sprinkle several tablespoons of Worchesterhire sauce.
  2. Mix corn starch with  cold water and add to meat mixture. Simmer another five minutes. The corn starch thickens the meat mixture. Add more water as necessary to get desired consistency.
  3. Peal, boil, drain and mash potatoes while still warm. Add butter and salt and beat potatoes. Add milk and continue beating. Continue adding milk until you achieve the desired consistency.
  4. Pour meat mixture into casserole dish. Spread mashed potatoes evenly over meat mixture. Spread creamed corn as top layer. Bake uncovered in oven at 180 C (350 F) for 30 minutes.

Tip: Sprinkle Parmesan or cheddar cheese on top.

Tip: You can substitute minced lamb or minced chicken for beef. Use chicken bouillon cube for minced chicken. Beef bouillon works well with minced lamb.

Tip: Many recipes use tomato paste as thickening agent instead of corn starch. The corn starch works well with minced chicken.

Sheppard's Pie

Turkey Casserole

Ingredients

  • 4 ounces medium noodles
  • 1 package (10 ounces) frozen broccoli spears
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon prepared mustard
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 cups milk
  • 1 cup grated mild Cheddar cheese
  • 2 cups cooked diced turkey
  • 1/3 cup slivered toasted almonds

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°. Cook noodles following package directions; drain. Cook broccoli just until tender. In a saucepan over low heat, melt butter; blend in flour, salt, prepared mustard, and pepper. Stir until smooth and bubbly. Gradually add milk, stirring until thickened; remove from heat and stir in cheese until melted. Dice broccoli stalks; leave flowerets intact. In an 8-inch square baking dish, arrange noodles, broccoli stems, and turkey; pour cheese sauce over all. Arrange the flowerets over the top, pressing down a bit. Sprinkle with almonds. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.
  2. To toast nuts, spread out in a single layer on a baking sheet. Toast in a 350° oven, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes. Or, toast in an ungreased skillet over medium heat, stirring, until golden brown and aromatic.
Turkey Casserole

Working Girl's Supper

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground meat, chicken or beef
  • 3 cans water
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 4 gloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 cup uncooked rice
  • 1/2 head of cabbage
  • 1 can tomato sauce
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

  1. Brown meat and onion in heavy skillet, then add remaining ingredients.
  2. Arrange a wedge of cabbage on top.
  3. Cover and steam 25 minutes on low heat on top of stove until rice becomes soft.
  4. Serve with salad and hot bread.

Tip: Can add Creole seasoning or Cheyenne pepper to spice up the dish.

Working Girl's Supper