The Best Casserole Cookbook Ever (33 page)

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cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cups water

1
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teaspoons salt

1
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teaspoons chili powder

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pound pepperoni or chorizo sausage, peeled and sliced

3 tomatoes, diced

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teaspoon dried oregano

Sour cream for serving

Diced avocado for serving

Chopped fresh cilantro for serving

Diced tomatoes for serving

•••••

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
   
2. Toss the pork cubes with the flour until the cubes are coated. Heat the oil in a heavy Dutch oven. Add the pork and brown quickly over medium-high heat, stirring and turning the cubes constantly. Add the garlic and onion and stir until heated through. Add the water, salt, chili powder, pepperoni, tomatoes, and oregano.
   
3. Cover and bake for 45 minutes, or until the meat is cooked through. Serve with sour cream, avocado, cilantro, and tomatoes.
   

In this piquant dish, the tortillas absorb the flavors, which meld together when refrigerated overnight. Serve watermelon sorbet for dessert.

•••••

8 flour tortillas (7 inches)

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pound cooked ham

1 small onion, chopped

1 small green bell pepper, seeded and chopped

1 small tomato, chopped

2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

2 cups heavy cream

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 can (4 ounces) diced green chiles

4 large eggs

Picante sauce for serving

•••••

1. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
   
2. On one side of a tortilla, spread about
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   cup ham, 1 tablespoon onion, 1 tablespoon bell pepper, 1 tablespoon tomato, and 1 tablespoon cheese. Roll up, enclosing the filling. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and set the remaining cheese aside. Place the tortilla rolls in the baking dish, seam side down.
   
3. In a medium bowl, combine the cream, flour, green chiles, and eggs. Pour the mixture over the enchiladas. Coat a sheet of aluminum foil with cooking spray and cover the baking dish with the foil. Refrigerate overnight.
   
4. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Remove the casserole from the refrigerator, uncover, and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the egg mixture is set. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and return to the oven for 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted. Serve hot with picante sauce.
   

This recipe comes from my friend Esa Anttila in Finland. Instead of making a casserole, however, he forms the same potato and pork mixture into patties to make potato sausage. This casserole looks like a meat loaf. It makes an excellent first course, served cold over a bed of crisp lettuce with whole-grain mustard and lingonberry preserves on the side.

•••••

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cup quick-cooking rolled oats

1 cup water

5 medium Yukon Gold potatoes

2 onions

1 pound lean ground pork

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground allspice

Lingonberry preserves for serving

Strong Finnish or brown wholegrain mustard for serving

•••••

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 5-by-9-inch ceramic loaf pan.
   
2. In a small saucepan, cook the rolled oats in the water until the water is absorbed, about 5 minutes.
   
3. Peel and shred the potatoes into a bowl, or shred in a food processor with a shredding disk in place. Peel the onions, slice thinly from top to bottom, and add to the potatoes. Stir in the cooked rolled oats, ground pork, salt, and allspice.
   
4. Press the mixture into the prepared loaf pan. Bake, uncovered, for 1 to 1
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   hours, or until the loaf is cooked through and registers 165°F on an instantread thermometer. Cool, slice, and serve with lingonberry preserves and mustard.
   

Cabbage, ham, and caraway seeds blend together to make a casserole reminiscent of old-fashioned farmhouse food. Serve with a rustic loaf of bread.

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3 tablespoons butter, plus extra for the dish

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medium cabbage (about 1
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pounds)

1 package (8 ounces) whole-wheat extra-wide egg noodles

3 cups cooked ham cubes, ground in the food processor

3 cups milk, scalded

3 large eggs

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teaspoon caraway seeds

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1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 9-by-13-inch casserole. Shred the cabbage into 2-inch pieces and set aside.
   
2. Cook the noodles according to package directions until tender but firm to the bite; drain.
   
3. In a large heavy skillet or wok, melt the 3 tablespoons butter. Add the cabbage and sauté over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, or until wilted.
   
4. Put half of the cooked noodles in the bottom of the casserole. Top with half of the sautéed cabbage in an even layer, and then with all of the ham. Cover with the remaining cabbage, and then with the remaining noodles.
   
5. In a medium bowl, beat the scalded milk and eggs and add the caraway seeds. Pour over the cabbage mixture in the casserole. Coat a sheet of aluminum foil with cooking spray and cover the casserole. Bake for 1 hour, or until set.
   

Whether for breakfast, brunch, or supper, this satisfying, puffy casserole requires just a few minutes of preparation. Serve with a salad of sliced tomatoes set on a bed of crisp lettuce and sprinkled with feta cheese.
Cinnamon Bubble Bread
goes well with this dish.

•••••

6 large eggs

1 cup milk

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cup sour cream

2 cups frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and drained

2 cups crisp seasoned croutons

1 teaspoon poultry seasoning

2 cups chopped boiled ham

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cup shredded Swiss cheese

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cup shredded Cheddar cheese

•••••

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Coat a shallow 2-quart casserole with cooking spray.
   
2. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, and sour cream until blended. Add the broccoli, croutons, seasoning, ham, and Swiss cheese and mix well. Spread out the mixture evenly in the casserole. Coat a sheet of aluminum foil with cooking spray and cover the casserole.
   
3. Bake for 1 hour. Uncover, sprinkle with the Cheddar cheese, and bake for 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the mixture is cooked through.
   

To make leftover bits of ham and chicken into a new creation, combine them with a quickly made sauce, cover the mixture with a pastry crust, and
voilà
–a delightful dish for lunch or supper!

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1 cup diced cooked ham

1 cup diced cooked chicken or turkey

1 cup cooked fresh or frozen peas

2 green onions, minced (white and green parts)

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cup finely diced celery

2 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups milk

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to 1 teaspoon salt

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teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon dried marjoram, thyme, or basil

1 recipe
Flaky Pastry

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1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
   
2. Combine the ham, chicken, and peas in a 9-inch quiche pan or a shallow 1
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   -quart oval casserole.
   
3. In a skillet over medium heat, sauté the green onions and celery in the butter for 2 minutes. Add the flour, stirring until blended, and slowly add the milk. Cook, stirring, until thickened. Season with the salt, pepper, and herb. Pour the sauce over the ham and turkey mixture.
   
4. Prepare the pastry, refrigerate for 30 minutes, and roll it out so it is slightly larger than the top of the dish. Lay it across the casserole and crimp the edges to seal. With the tip of a knife, cut a few slits into the top of the pastry to allow steam to escape during baking.
   
5. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the pastry is golden.
   

We always seem to have sliced ham left over from Easter dinner, so sometime during the following week, I make these scalloped potatoes with a layer of ham in the center.

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6 medium potatoes, preferably russets, peeled and sliced

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cup finely chopped green onions (white and green parts)

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

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teaspoon salt

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teaspoon pepper

About 1 pound thinly sliced or diced cooked ham, or as much or as little as you wish

1 can (12 ounces) undiluted evaporated milk

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cup cream or milk

1 tablespoon butter, cut up

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1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Coat a shallow 2-quart casserole with cooking spray.
   
2. Layer half of the potatoes in the baking dish, and sprinkle with the green onions, 1 tablespoon of the flour,
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   teaspoon of the salt, and
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   teaspoon of the pepper. Top with the ham in one layer, and cover with the remaining potatoes. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon flour,
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   teaspoon salt, and
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   teaspoon pepper.
   
3. Mix the evaporated milk and cream together and pour evenly over the casserole. Dot with the butter.
   
4. Coat a sheet of aluminum foil with nonstick cooking spray. Cover the casserole and bake for 1 hour, uncover, and continue baking 30 minutes to 1 hour longer, or until the potatoes are cooked and the top is lightly browned.
   

Sautéed sweet onions form the top and bottom crusts, enclosing a ham-and-spinach layer in the middle. This savory dish is better yet on the second day, when the flavors have had a chance to blend together and develop.

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3 slices thick-cut smoked bacon, coarsely diced, plus 1 slice for greasing the baking dish

3 large sweet white onions (2 to 3 pounds total), cut into
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-inch thick rounds

1 teaspoon salt

1
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pounds smoked ham, cut into
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-inch dice

1 bag (9 ounces) fresh baby spinach, or 1 package (10 ounces) chopped frozen spinach

2 large cloves garlic, pressed with a garlic press

2 teaspoons fennel seeds, crushed Pepper

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cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon grated lemon zest

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pound fontina cheese, cut into
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-inch cubes

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cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon seasoned fine dry breadcrumbs

•••••

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Rub a large oval gratin dish or baking dish with a piece of bacon.
   
2. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the diced bacon until the fat has rendered and the bacon is crisp. Lower the heat to medium-low, add the onions, and cook until softened and golden, but not browned, stirring occasionally, about 20 to 25 minutes. Sprinkle with the salt. Remove the onions and bacon from the pan and set aside.
   
3. Add the ham, spinach, garlic, fennel seeds, and pepper to taste to the skillet and sauté for 3 minutes. Stir the cream and lemon zest into the ham mixture.
   
4. Spread out half of the onions in the bottom of the dish. Cover with the ham mixture and top with the remaining onions. Press the fontina cheese into the onions, leaving a margin of onions without cheese near the edges of the dish. Mix the Parmesan and breadcrumbs in a small bowl and sprinkle over the casserole. (You can assemble the dish up to this point, cover, and refrigerate overnight. Add 10 minutes to the baking time.)
   
5. Bake the casserole, uncovered, for 45 to 55 minutes, until the top is golden brown. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.