Casseroles

Many of us grew up thinking that Casseroles are a great way to use up leftovers. While they really are, they are also wonderful comfort food, as far as I'm concerned. Seriously, I do love casseroles.

If you have a thing for casseroles, too, then today's post is sure to please. Check out the Neiman Marcus Chicken Casserole, the Sweet Potato Casserole, and the rest of today's recipes. Enjoy!

CHICKEN NOODLE CASSEROLE

This is from Betty Crocker, and begins, "Savor the comfort of chicken noodle soup in casserole form with this light, flavorful meal, best served with a side of crusty bread and a green salad."

Prep Time: 40 minutes; Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes; Servings:8

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

12 oz uncooked wide egg noodles (about 7 cups)

1/4 cup butter

1 cup finely chopped celery

1 cup finely chopped onions

1 cup finely chopped carrots

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

3 cups Progresso™ chicken broth (from 32-oz carton)

1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/4 cup Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour

1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

3 cups shredded cooked chicken

1/2 cup Progresso™ Panko Italian style crispy bread crumbs

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Chopped Italian (flat-leaf) parsley, if desired

Instructions

Heat oven to 350°F. Spray bottom and sides of 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. Cook and drain egg noodles as directed on package.

In 12-inch nonstick skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium-high heat. Cook celery, onions, carrots and garlic in butter 6 to 7 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Add 2-1/2 cups of the chicken broth, the thyme, salt and pepper to skillet; heat to boiling. In small measuring cup, beat remaining 1/2 cup chicken broth and the flour with whisk. Stir into hot chicken broth mixture in skillet. Simmer and stir 1 to 2 minutes or until mixture thickens slightly. Remove from heat; stir in whipping cream and shredded chicken.

Add cooked egg noodles to baking dish; stir in chicken mixture until mixed well. Cover; bake 30 to 35 minutes or until casserole is heated through.

Meanwhile, in 8-inch nonstick skillet, melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Cook bread crumbs in butter 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently, until golden brown. Remove from heat; stir in Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle over baked casserole. Garnish with chopped parsley before serving.

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.

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.

HOT CHICKEN SALAD CASSEROLE

This is from Better Homes and Gardens.

Prep Time: 20 minutes; Bake Time: 30 minutes; Stand Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 1 hr; Servings: 6

To view this online, go to https://www.bhg.com/recipe/hot-chicken-salad-casserole/.

Ingredients

3 cup cubed cooked chicken breast (about 1 pound)

2 stalks celery, sliced (1 cup)

1 large yellow or red sweet pepper, chopped (1 cup)

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

1 10.75 ounce can reduced-fat and reduced-sodium condensed cream of chicken soup

1 6 ounce carton plain low-fat yogurt

2 green onions, sliced (1/4 cup)

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 cup crushed cornflakes

1/4 cup sliced almonds

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F. In a large bowl stir together chicken, celery, sweet pepper, cheese, soup, yogurt, green onions, lemon juice, and black pepper. Transfer to a 2-quart rectangular baking 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.

SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE

This is from the Food Network kitchen, and begins, "This sweet potato casserole is sprinkled with a nutty crumb topping to create a pleasantly crunchy contrast to the creamy and soft mashed sweet potatoes down below. The filling gets an extra special pumpkin pie(ish) treatment with brown sugar and vanilla for a deep caramel flavor. (In fact, leftovers can be heated up and topped with a scoop of ice cream just like pie.) Want to make ahead for Thanksgiving or another special holiday? Not a problem. The casserole ingredients can be mixed and transferred to a baking dish. Cover and refrigerate until ready to bake but leave off the topping. Store it separately at room temperature in an air-right container and sprinkle it on right before baking."

Active Time: 15 minutes; Total Time: 45 minutes; Yield: 6 to 8 servings; Level: Easy

To view this online, go to https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/sweet-potato-casserole-3364945.

Ingredients

Filling:

1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for buttering the baking dish

3 to 4 large sweet potatoes (about 1-3/4 pounds), peeled and cubed

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup brown sugar, packed

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

2 large eggs

Topping:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

3/4 cup chopped pecans

Directions

Special equipment: a 2-quart baking dish

For the sweet potatoes: Add 1-3/4 pounds peeled and cubed sweet potatoes to a large pot of salted water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then lower the heat to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are very tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and cool. Mash the sweet potatoes.

For the filling: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 2-quart baking dish.

Whisk together the butter, mashed sweet potatoes, milk, brown sugar, vanilla, salt and eggs in a large bowl. Transfer to the prepared baking dish.

For the topping: Combine the flour, brown sugar, butter and salt in a medium bowl until moist and the mixture clumps together. Stir in the pecans. Sprinkle the mixture over the top of the sweet potatoes in an even layer. Bake until mostly set in the center and golden on top, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve hot.

STUFFED GRAPE LEAVES CASSEROLE

This comes from the January/February 2012 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 51. It begins, “If you like stuffed grape leaves, you’ll love this casserole, which has all the flavors of the bite-size appetizers without all the rolling. You don’t have to parboil jarred grape leaves, but a quick dip in boiling water tenderizes them and removes some of their saltiness.” Serves 8.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

30 jarred or fresh grape leaves

2 Tbs. olive oil, plus more for brushing top of casserole and casserole dish

1 large onion, finely diced (2 cups)

1 cup brown rice

2 cups low-sodium tomato juice or vegetable juice

1 cup chopped unsalted, hulled pistachios

1 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 cup chopped fresh mint

1 cup raisins or dried currants

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 lemon, sliced, for garnish

Pomegranate molasses, for drizzling, optional

Directions

Dip grape leaves in large pot of boiling water 2 minutes. Drain, and set aside.

Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, and sauté 7 to 10 minutes, or until beginning to brown. Add rice and 2-1/2 cups water, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook 30 to 40 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat, and stir in tomato juice, pistachios, parsley, mint, raisins, and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. (Mixture will be very wet.)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Brush 2-qt. baking dish with olive oil. Pat grape leaves dry. Line bottom and sides of baking dish with grape leaves, allowing leaves to hang over sides. Spread half of rice mixture over grape leaves. Top rice with more grape leaves, then top with remaining rice mixture. Cover casserole with remaining grape leaves, and seal by folding over grape leaves around edges. Brush top with olive oil. Bake 30 to 40 minutes, or until grape leaves on top darken and casserole looks firm and dry.

Dip knife in cold water. Cut straight down with tip of knife to make 8 servings, then remove servings with spatula. Garnish with lemon slices, and drizzle with pomegranate molasses (if using).

nutritional information Per 1 1/2-cup serving: Calories: 341; Protein: 8 g; Total Fat: 15 g; Saturated Fat: 2 g; Carbohydrates: 48 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 408 mg; Fiber: 6 g; Sugar: 17 g; Vegan; Gluten-Free