Casseroles

For years, if someone mentioned Casseroles, the first thing many of us would think of was a way to use up left-overs. While casseroles might be a good way to do that, they're so much more. They can be a great way to get a bunch of ingredients together in one yummy dish.

A brief anecdote: When my maternal grandparents were newly-weds, my grandfather invited his boss home for dinner. My grandmother had gotten rave reviews about her chicken casserole, to the point that whenever their church or any other group had a potluck dinner, people would request that she bring along her chicken casserole. It needed, among other ingredients, an entire chicken; no left-overs here!

So, for grandpa's boss, it was grandma's chicken casserole. Unfortunately, the boss made the mistake of thinking that the casserole was a left-overs dish, and stated, "If you knew your husband was bringing home the boss, you might have fixed something better than left-overs!"

To say that the comment was not kindly taken was an understatement. Grandma was off and running her mouth, informing him that she'd had to go out and buy a fresh chicken that morning for the casserole. (This was at a time when chicken was expensive enough that it was usually saved for Sunday dinner, or special occasions - like the boss coming for a meal.)

Fortunately, the boss apologized, tasted the casserole, and was impressed.

Grandma and Grandpa

Unfortunately, while there is a recipe in this post called Grandma’s Chicken Casserole, it isn’t my Grandma's chicken casserole; I really wish I had a copy of it! However, check out the Stuffed Pepper Casserole, the Neiman Marcus Chicken Casserole, and the rest of today's offerings. Enjoy!

>CREAMY CRUNCHY CHICKEN CASSEROLE

This is from Everyday Diabetic Recipes, and begins, "Our Creamy Crunchy Chicken Casserole hits all the high notes. Plus, it comes together so quickly, you'll have this easy casserole recipe on the table before your gang can ask, 'What's for dinner?'"

Cook Time: 30 minutes; Serves: 6; Serving Size: 3/4 cup

To view this online, go to https://www.everydaydiabeticrecipes.com/Casseroles/Creamy-Crunchy-Chicken-Casserole.

Ingredients

3 cups cooked chicken breast (about 1lb.), chopped

3/4 cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar or mozzarella cheese

1 (10-3/4-ounce) can, reduced-fat and reduced-sodium condensed cream of chicken soup

1/4 cup low-fat milk

1 cup chopped red or yellow bell pepper

1/4 cup chopped celery

1/4 cup sliced green onions

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 cup low-sodium crushed cornflakes

1/4 cup sliced almonds

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a 2-qt. casserole dish with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, stir together chicken, cheese, soup, milk, bell pepper, celery, green onions, and pepper. Pour into prepared casserole dish.

In a small bowl, stir together cornflakes and almonds. Sprinkle evenly over chicken mixture.

Bake, uncovered, about 30 minutes, or until heated through. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

Want to make this ahead of time? No problem! Just assemble the casserole, cover tightly, freeze, thaw completely, then bake off!

NEIMAN MARCUS CHICKEN CASSEROLE

This is from AllRecipes, and begins, "This Neiman Marcus chicken casserole recipe is a casserole version of the famous department store's cafe dish. Saucy chicken, bacon, Cheddar, and almonds are baked with a buttery cracker topping in this quick-prep dinner."

Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 40 minutes; Total Time: 50 minutes; Servings: 6 to 8; Yield: 1 (9x13-inch) casserole

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

4 cups shredded cooked chicken

1 (10.5 ounce) can cream of chicken soup

1 cup sour cream

2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

1/2 cup sliced green onions

1/2 cup slivered almonds

6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

1-1/2 teaspoons hot sauce, such as Tabasco® or to taste

1 sleeve buttery crackers, such as Ritz® crackers, crushed

1/2 cup butter, melted

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.

Place chicken, chicken soup, sour cream, cheese, green onions, almonds, bacon, and hot sauce into a large mixing bowl and stir to combine. Pour mixture into the prepared dish.

Stir crushed crackers and butter together until combined; spread mixture evenly over casserole.

Bake in the preheated oven until browned and bubbly, 40 to 45 minutes.

EASY ENCHILADA CASSEROLE

This is from Everyday Diabetic Recipes, and begins, "Cook up a family-pleasing Tex-Mex dinner in just 30 minutes with our recipe for Easy Enchilada Casserole. This casserole is full of hearty ground beef and lots of Southwestern ingredients, like corn, bean, and peppers. It's one dinner they're going to ask you to make over and over again!"

Cook Time: 30 minutes; Serves: 6; Serving Size: 1 cup

To view this online, go to https://www.everydaydiabeticrecipes.com/Beef/Easy-Enchilada-Casserole-101.

Ingredients

1 pound extra lean ground beef

1/2 cup chopped onion

3/4 cup chopped green bell pepper

1 (15-1/2-ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup frozen corn, thawed

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added tomato sauce

8 (6-inch) no-salt-added, corn tortillas, cut into wedges

1 cup reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat an 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, saute beef, onion, and bell pepper 5 to 7 minutes, or until beef is no longer pink, stirring occasionally. Stir in beans, corn, chili powder, and cumin.

Spread half of tomato sauce on bottom of baking dish. Top with half the tortilla wedges, half the beef mixture, and half the cheese. Repeat layers with remaining sauce, tortilla wedges, and beef mixture.

Cover with foil and bake 25 minutes, or until heated through. Uncover and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake 5 to 10 more minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Notes

If you'd like, you can top each serving with a bit of fresh salsa and some fat-free sour cream.

STUFFED PEPPER CASSEROLE

This is from TheDailyGourmet at AllRecipes, and begins, "Stuffed peppers are deconstructed in this casserole and given a subtle taco flair."

Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 1 hour 5 minutes; Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes; Servings: 8

To view this online, go to https://www.allrecipes.com/stuffed-pepper-casserole-recipe-7372944.

Ingredients

nonstick cooking spray

1 pound ground beef

1/2 onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chiles (such as RO-TEL®)

1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce

3 tablespoons taco seasoning

1-1/2 cups uncooked long grain rice

1 cup beef broth

4 ounces Colby cheese, shredded

4 ounces pepper Jack cheese, shredded

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Spray a 13x9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, and cook and stir ground beef, onion, green bell pepper, red bell pepper, and garlic until meat is browned and crumbly, 7 to 10 minutes. Drain excess fat; season with salt and pepper. Stir in RO-TEL tomatoes, tomato sauce, and taco seasoning.

Spread rice in the bottom of the baking dish; pour in beef broth. Fold pepper mixture into rice with a spatula, and spread evenly into the dish. Sprinkle with Colby cheese and pepper Jack cheese.

Bake in the preheated oven, covered with foil, until rice is tender, about 50 minutes. Remove foil and cook until cheese is golden, about 5 minutes more.

GRANDMA'S CHICKEN CASSEROLE

This is from Betty Crocker, and begins, "When it comes to weeknight dinner, casseroles are king. This super-simple, five-ingredient chicken casserole recipe comes together quickly and bakes up beautifully. It’s sure to be your quick-meal go to for at-home dinners and a reliable favorite for bake-and-take potluck dinners."

Prep Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 45 minutes; Makes 8 servings

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

3 cups chopped cooked chicken

2 cans (10.5 oz each) condensed cream of chicken soup

2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (8 oz)

3 cups Progresso™ plain panko crispy bread crumbs

6 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions

Heat oven to 350°F.

Place chicken evenly in bottom of ungreased 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish. Spoon and spread soup evenly over chicken; sprinkle with cheese.

In medium bowl, stir bread crumbs and melted butter; sprinkle over cheese. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until cheese is melted and bread crumbs are golden brown and thoroughly heated.

Tips from the Betty Crocker Kitchens

tip 1

Your grandma probably didn’t use panko bread crumbs, which are crispy crumbs used in Japanese cooking. But she’d definitely embrace them if she were given a box. Panko makes topping a casserole quick and ensures there’s good texture and contrast to the creamy center of the hot dish.

tip 2

Leftover roast turkey is a great substitute for chicken in this recipe—especially the day after Thanksgiving.

tip 3

Sub in crispy French-fried onions to top the casserole or try Colby-Monterey Jack cheese blend instead of cheddar cheese.

GROUND BEEF CASSEROLE WITH POTATOES AND CHEESE

This yumminess comes from Diana Rattray on The Spruce Eats. Diana wrote, “Corn, tomatoes, and potatoes and cheese make this ground beef casserole a whole meal. The casserole is similar to a cottage pie or this crockpot Chinese pie.

“If your ground beef is not extra lean you might want to brown it first. See the tips for instructions.”

Prep Time: 20 minutes; Cook Time: 75 minutes; Total Time: 95 minutes; Yield: Serves 6.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 pound extra-lean ground beef (90% or better)*

1 cup chopped onion

1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons salt

1-1/2 cups corn kernels or 1 can (15 ounces), drained

16 ounces diced frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed, or about 3 to 4 cups mashed potato or cooked diced potato

1/4 cup flour

1 green bell pepper, chopped

4 tablespoons butter, melted

2 cups shredded sharp or mild Cheddar cheese

Directions

Combine beef, onion, tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, and salt. In a separate bowl, combine corn, potatoes, flour, melted butter, and chopped green bell pepper.

Pat the beef mixture into a 13x9x2-inch baking pan; top with the corn and potato mixture.

Bake uncovered at 375° for 45 minutes; sprinkle with the cheese and bake ground beef casserole 15 to 20 minutes longer, or until browned and potatoes are tender.

*If the ground beef is not extra lean, you might want to brown it first. Brown the beef with the onions win a large skillet over medium heat until no longer pink. Drain well and then mix it with the tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, and salt. Proceed with the recipe.