The best casseroles work for you on so many levels. They're easy to make, easy to serve, and can help stretch your food dollars. Here are some top-rated casseroles you'll want to put on heavy rotation. They're pefect weeknight main dish casserole recipes.
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King Ranch Chicken Casserole
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Rave Review: "This is my kind of recipe," says cooke. "Simple! Most ingredients are mixed in one bowl, use one pan to sauté, then slather everything into one baking dish."
The 12 Best Dish Towels, According to Customer Reviews
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Baked Ziti with Sausage
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Rave Review: "When I got married and moved out the house, I actually used THIS recipe instead of my mom's," says Tracy. "Now I LOVE my mom's baked ziti...but...this beats hers. (Sorry mom.)"
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Spinach Enchiladas
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Rave Review: "This is a great alternative to and healthier than meat based enchildas," says MessyMisty. "My husband usually like s meat in his meals, but doesn't miss the meat is in this dish."
Rave Review: "My husband looked over at me and said 'Wow, this tastes just like stuffed cabbage!' says bevontheroad. "I responded 'Yes, without all the work!' Adding some tomato soup adds a nice sweetness, too."
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Zoodle Lasagne
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Rave Review: "Skip the carbs and make this simply delicious recipe," says bd.weld. "This creamy goodness will go into our regular rotation."
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Home-Style Macaroni and Cheese
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Rave Review: "Awesome recipe," says Jeremy M. "Very creamy & the jalapeño adds the perfect amount of spice to cut the creaminess."
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Tuna Noodle Casserole from Scratch
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Rave Review: "Awesome recipe!" raves sam. "Tastes so much better than the canned cream of whatever tuna casserole recipes I've had to eat before (Sorry Mom). Definitely worth the extra effort to make from scratch."
Rave Review: "Absolutely DELICIOUS," says MoonShadow. "Absolutely perfect. My mother even says I have to make it again just like this from now on. Daughter tested, mother approved!"
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Kid's Favorite Pizza Casserole
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Rave Review: "Both of my kids loved this," says suzmquz. "Son went back for 2nds and my daughter went back for 3rds. A definite hit in my house and easy to make."
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Beef Nacho Casserole
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Rave Review: "My kids loved this!" says SaltyJenn. "My daughter said she may even have me make this for her Birthday dinner instead of going out to a restaurant to eat. Wow...that's a real compliment. :) "
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Broccoli Chicken Divan
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Rave Review: "This is my go-to recipe when my evening is running late and I still have to make dinner. I cook the chicken with some rosemary and thyme or lemon pepper or any herb/spice that hits my fancy." —melmeow79
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Southern Grits Casserole
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Rave Review: "Loved this dish!" says mamaofmany. "To give the grits a little more flavor I ended up using a mix of milk and water. I also added a pound of turkey bacon. My kids loved the dish and went back for thirds!"
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Easy Upside-Down Pizza Casserole
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This easy pizza casserole's a sure-fire family pleaser, with mushrooms, ground beef, and olives. "Add additional toppings like pepperoni or onions — whatever you would usually like on a pizza will probably work well," says Jenni, who submitted the recipe. "You can use ground turkey in place of beef, if you prefer."
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Sloppy Joe Casserole
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Rave Review: "Huge hit! Added chili powder for a little extra spice," says Kyle. "I actually had all the ingredients at home, was happy to find this."
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Pork and Wild Rice Casserole
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Rave Review: "This recipe is a delicious use of wild rice," says kathleen. "Just be sure to season your ground pork if you don't buy it pre-seasoned (usually labeled as pork sausage). Fresh Italian sausage can also be used, just cut open the casing. Works great prepared a day ahead and re-heated for 20 minutes at serving time."
Generally, casseroles with grains, rice or pasta that will cook during the baking process are usually covered, for at least part of the time. Casseroles made of cooked ingredients are usually baked uncovered. If you like a crisper, browner top, be sure the casserole is uncovered for at least part of the bake time.
Make-ahead meals (especially baked casseroles) are terrific because you can completely assemble them in advance and bake them just before serving. They're the ultimate comfort food as they come bubbling hot and delicious straight from the oven to the table to the delight of family and friends.
That's right, the iconic John Wayne Casserole is named after none other than the actor himself. Typically, you'll find that most recipes call for refrigerated biscuits or Bisquick, onions, red bell peppers, jalapeño peppers, sour cream, mayonnaise, ground beef, tomatoes, taco seasoning, and Cheddar cheese.
So what's inside? Let's talk anatomy: A standard dinner casserole usually includes a protein, a starch, a vegetable, a sauce (or other binding ingredient), and cheese.
According to food blog High Heeled Homemaker, your basic casserole requires five ingredients: a protein, starch, vegetable, sauce, and cheese. If you have those five ingredients in your casserole dish, congratulations; you just made a casserole, whether it's a beloved recipe or a concoction of your own creation.
Another of the newer settings on electric ovens, this is characterised by a pot or casserole pot symbol. This symbol is designed to run on low consumption for low heat and very long cooking times. This is perfect for stews, casseroles and even some large meat BBQ like ribs and steaks.
What Should I Bake In a Metal Baking Pan? We hate to say it – we've got nothing against glass, we promise! – but metal does an overall better job than glass of baking almost everything except for acidic desserts. It bakes evenly because it heats up so quickly.
The hot water helps keep the temperature surrounding the food more consistent. This is particularly useful for recipes containing eggs, which can be quite temperamental in unmoderated temperatures. Delicate bakes using a custard or something similar (like cheesecake) will benefit greatly from the use of a water bath.
Fresh herbs or citrus zest can also punch up flavors with a bit of welcome brightness for a long-cooked dish, as can adding some heat in the form of a dash of hot sauce, a generous pinch of minced or sliced fresh chili pepper, or a shake of red pepper flakes.
No. However, doing so gives better appearance to the meat as well as adding some flavor to a stew. Originally Answered: Do we really need to brown meat before braising or stewing? The choice is left to the cook.
To prevent a soupy casserole, be sure to fully thaw any frozen vegetables in a colander over a bowl, and pat dry, squeeze excess moisture out of greens like spinach or chard, and quickly precook watery fresh vegetables like onions, mushrooms or squashes just until they release their moisture.
The time a casserole takes to cook will vary from 2-2½ hours for chuck, blade and thick flank, up to 4 hours for shin, leg and neck. Pork cuts for braising and casseroling normally take 1½ hours, and lamb much the same.
Apparently, casseroles originated as communal pots that people shared for meals. The oldest recipe for a casserole, around 1250, consisted of pasta sheets cooked in water, layered with grated cheese and spices.
And a piece by Langdon Reid in a Staunton, Virginia, newspaper says: “History tells us that a French Canadian immigrant Elmire Jolicour is credited with inventing the casserole, this wonderful dish of culinary breakthrough, in Berlin, New Hampshire, in 1866.”
The earliest known written recipes date to 1730 BC and were recorded on cuneiform tablets found in Mesopotamia. Other early written recipes date from approximately 1600 BC and come from an Akkadian tablet from southern Babylonia. There are also works in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs depicting the preparation of food.
Baked dishes have existed for thousands of years. Early casserole recipes consisted of rice that was pounded, pressed, and filled with a savoury mixture of meats such as chicken or sweetbread. Sometime around the 1870s the casserole seems to have taken on its current definition.
Introduction: My name is Carlyn Walter, I am a lively, glamorous, healthy, clean, powerful, calm, combative person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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