The Best Casserole Cookbook Ever (67 page)

Consider this as a main dish for a picnic. We toted this casserole along on a tasting trip through the Napa Valley, years ago. It is still one of our favorite meat loaves. Slice the loaf and keep it chilled. Serve with a hearty bread, pickles, vegetable relishes, fresh fruit, and a mellow cheese. Barbera, Zinfandel, Bordeaux, or Burgundy wines go well with this.

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1 medium onion, finely chopped

3 tablespoons butter

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pound mushrooms, finely chopped

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cup Cognac or another brandy

3 large eggs

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cup beef broth,
homemade
or prepared

1 cup fresh or fine dry breadcrumbs

2 cloves garlic

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teaspoon dried thyme

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teaspoons ground allspice

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teaspoon salt

1
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pounds lean ground beef

1 pound ground pork
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pound cooked ham, diced

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inch thick

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cup pine nuts, divided

Whole-grain bread for serving

Mustard for serving

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1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Oil or butter a 2-quart loaf-shaped casserole or terrine.
   
2. In a large skillet, sauté the onion in 2 tablespoons of the butter for about 2 minutes over medium heat until translucent. Add the mushrooms, cognac, and remaining 1 tablespoon butter and sauté until the mushrooms are coated with butter, about 1 minute. Set aside.
   
3. In the container of a blender or the work bowl of a food processor, combine the eggs, broth, breadcrumbs, garlic, thyme, allspice, and salt and process until smooth. Transfer to a large bowl and add the ground beef, ground pork, and ham. Add the onions and mushrooms and
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   cup of the nuts and blend well.
   
4. Transfer the mixture to the prepared casserole and top with the remaining
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   cup pine nuts. Bake, uncovered, for 1
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   hours, or until cooked through and the top of the loaf is browned.
   
5. Remove from the oven and cool completely. Then cover with waxed paper, and top with about a 1-pound weight (a wrapped pound of butter works well). Place in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours, until completely chilled and firm.
   
6. To serve, remove any congealed fat from the sides of the loaf. Slice
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   inch thick and serve on sliced whole-grain bread with a good mustard.
   

This is a perfect buffet dish. Serve it alongside roast beef, and add a steamed vegetable in a vinaigrette dressing and a freshly baked loaf of bread.

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4 pounds sweet onions, such as Vidalia or Maui, sliced

7 tablespoons butter

5 hard-cooked eggs, chopped

2 cups
Béchamel Sauce

1 teaspoon dried tarragon

1 cup fine dry breadcrumbs

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1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Coat a shallow 3-quart casserole with cooking spray.
   
2. In a large skillet, cook the onions in 4 tablespoons of the butter over medium-high heat for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for another 30 minutes, or until soft, stirring frequently. Transfer to the casserole and top with the hard-cooked eggs.
   
3. Make the Béchamel Sauce and add the tarragon. Pour over the onions in the casserole.
   
4. Melt the remaining 3 tablespoons butter in a small skillet and stir in the breadcrumbs. Sprinkle evenly over the casserole. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the breadcrumbs are browned and the casserole is bubbly around the edges.
   

Many casseroles are based on cubed cooked potatoes, and this one is a classic. The cheese topping is what makes it a gratin. Other gratins are topped with breadcrumbs.

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cup (1 stick) butter

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cup green onions, sliced (white and green parts)

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cup chopped green bell pepper

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cup chopped red bell pepper

1 teaspoon salt

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teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

1 teaspoon paprika

6 tablespoons all-purpose flour

4 cups milk, heated

6 cups cubed cooked potatoes

2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, divided

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1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
   
2. In a large heavy skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the green onions and green and red bell peppers and sauté for 1 minute. Add the salt, pepper, parsley, paprika, and flour and stir until blended. Gradually stir in the milk, heat to a simmer, and cook, stirring, until thickened. Add the cooked potatoes and 1 cup of the cheese and stir to blend.
   
3. Pour the sauce over the vegetables in the baking dish and sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup cheese. (At this point you can cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day. Add 10 to 15 minutes to the baking time.)
   
4. Bake, uncovered, for 30 to 35 minutes, or until bubbly.
   

When I was growing up on a farm in northern Minnesota, we did not know about zucchini, but today it’s in just about every vegetable garden around. If you have one producing plant, you probably have too much zucchini. Although the first tiny fruits of the plant are relished by all, soon I need to do things like hide it between potatoes in a cream cheese sauce, as in this casserole.

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3 tablespoons butter, melted

2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese,
softened

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cup milk

12 large eggs, lightly beaten

3 cups chopped peeled and cooked potatoes

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cup sliced green onions (white and green parts)

1 teaspoon salt

1 large or 2 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise and cut into
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-inch-thick slices (2 cups)

1 teaspoon dried basil, crushed

2 cups chopped tomatoes

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1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
   
2. Spread out the butter in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
   
3. Mix 1 package of the cream cheese with the milk in a medium bowl until well blended. Mix in the eggs, and add the potatoes, green onions, and salt. Pour the mixture into the baking dish, and bake for 25 minutes.
   
4. Cut the second package of cream cheese into cubes and sprinkle over the top of the potatoes. Combine the zucchini, basil, and tomatoes and pour over the potatoes. Bake for 10 minutes longer, or until the potatoes and zucchini are tender.
   

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NOTE:
To soften cream cheese, remove from the foil wrapper and place on a microwave-safe dish. Microwave for 10 seconds at high power.

Phyllo (also spelled “filo”) is a tissue-thin pastry that is used in various Greek and Middle Eastern preparations. In this savory one, the phyllo encases a creamy combination of potatoes, mushrooms, and fresh sage leaves. It makes a pretty buffet presentation.

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6 medium thin-skinned red or yellow potatoes

2 large onions, cut in half lengthwise and cut into
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-inch strips

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cup (1 stick) butter, cut into 8 tablespoons, divided

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pound mushrooms, sliced

2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage

20 sheets phyllo dough

2 cups sour cream

1 large egg, beaten

2 tablespoons light cream

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1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat a 9-by-13-inch shallow baking dish with cooking spray.
   
2. Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water to cover for 10 to 15 minutes, or until tender; drain well and cool.
   
3. Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, cook the onions in 1 tablespoon of the butter over medium-high heat until tender. Remove the onions to a bowl and set aside.
   
4. Melt another tablespoon butter in the skillet and add the mushrooms and sage. Sauté for 3 to 4 minutes over medium-high heat until the mushrooms are softened.
   
5. Pull the skins off the potatoes and cut the potatoes into
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   -inch-thick slices.
   
6. Melt the remaining 6 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan. Unroll the phyllo dough and cover with a damp kitchen towel to prevent it from drying out. Place 1 sheet in the baking dish and brush with butter. Top with 2 more sheets of phyllo and brush with butter. Top with half of the sour cream, potatoes, onions, and mushroom mixture. Cover with 3 sheets of phyllo, and brush each sheet with butter. Layer the remaining sour cream, potatoes, onions, and mushroom mixture on top of the phyllo. Top with remaining 14 phyllo sheets, brushing between each with melted butter.
   
7. Mix the beaten egg and light cream and brush over the top of the casserole. Bake, uncovered, for 20 to 25 minutes, or until heated through and bubbly. Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting into squares.
   

It was on a a family-owned saffron farm in La Mancha, the land of Don Quixote in Spain, where I observed the most amazing preparation of paella. The pan measured 4 feet across and was set over an open fire. As the cooks stirred and fried chicken, sausage, and shrimp along with a myriad of other ingredients, we enjoyed roasted red bell peppers on crusty white bread with a glass of Spanish Tempranillo. The idea was to recognize the importance of the saffron in the paella. After watching the family painstakingly pull the stigmas from a mountain of saffron crocuses and learning that it takes 50,000 flowers to produce a pound of this, the world’s most expensive spice, I felt a little guilty consuming this absolutely delicious dish.

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1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

5 teaspoons dried oregano

5 teaspoons dried basil

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon pepper

4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, quartered

12 chicken legs

24 large shrimp, peeled, with tails left on, and deveined

2 pounds Spanish chorizo or pepperoni sausage, skinned and cut into 1-inch pieces

2 large onions, chopped

1 large green bell pepper, seeded and chopped

2 cups Arborio rice

3 cups hot chicken broth,
homemade
or prepared

4 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped

Large pinch of saffron threads, crushed

2 cups fresh or frozen peas

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pound sea scallops, quartered

2 roasted red bell peppers, freshly roasted (see
Roasted Peppers
) or from a jar, cut into matchsticks, for garnish

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cup chopped fresh cilantro for garnish

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1. In a small bowl, combine the oil, oregano, basil, garlic, salt, and pepper.
   
2. Put the chicken breast pieces, chicken legs, and shrimp in a large bowl and pour the oil mixture over them. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 1 day.
   
3. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
   
4. Remove the chicken from the marinade and put into a heavy 6-quart casserole or paella pan. (Leave the shrimp in the marinade, refrigerated.) Add the sausages, onions, bell pepper, rice, chicken broth, tomatoes, and saffron to the pot with the chicken.
   
5. Cover and bake for 25 minutes, or until the chicken and rice are tender and all the liquid has been absorbed. Add the shrimp, peas, and scallops. Bake, uncovered, for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the shrimp turn pink. Garnish with strips of bell pepper and the chopped cilantro.
   

You can assemble this casserole the night before baking, if you wish. The flavors will develop and blend during the chilling time. However, if you’re in a rush, you can bake the dish right away.

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3 tablespoons butter at room temperature

12 slices day-old French bread, cubed