Casserole Recipe Collection

When you can throw the entrée, side dish and sauce all in one dish, and leave it all to cook on its own – you know you have a busy cook's dream.  For a warm and hearty dinner, make it casserole night!

The beauty of casseroles is the flexibility of ingredients and the ease of preparation.  Use your leftovers or whatever has been waiting its turn in your freezer, mix, place in the oven, and you are done.  It's that easy. 

A typical casserole consists of meat and vegetables, starches such as potatoes or pasta, and a thick and fatty sauce or soup as a binder.  Shredded or cubed cheese is often added, and acts as an additional binder to hold the ingredients together.  Casseroles are a common element in potluck dinners and other family get-togethers.  Served in the same baking pan they were prepared in, casseroles make a filling and delicious addition to any dinner event.

Chicken Casserole
Tender chicken meat and fatty sauce are a wonderful combination for a tasty casserole combo.  Chicken casseroles usually use chicken stock in addition to cheese and sometimes cream.  Mushrooms and mushroom-based sauces work extremely well in these casseroles.

Beef Casserole
Whether minced or cubed, beef is generally browned before being added to the other casserole ingredients.  It is recommended to brown over low heat.  Use finely chopped onion and a bit of red wine to seal in extra flavor.  Beef casseroles can cook for up to 3 hours, so be sure to add extra spice and flavoring to last through the cooking process.  Often a bland-tasting casserole can be remedied by extra spices added to the original recipe.

Vegetarian Casserole
Whoever said a casserole must contain meat?  Some of the best and healthiest casserole recipes are completely meatless.  Beans, spinach and even macaroni and cheese make scrumptious casserole recipes.  Mexican recipes and Mexican spices in general are popular vegetarian casserole ingredients.

Breakfast Casserole
Casseroles are a common component of most Bed and Breakfast menus.  Sausage, eggs and cheese are the basic ingredients for this morning favorite.  Start the day off with the filling taste of country getaways with this easy breakfast meal.  If you have little time to cook, consider making two casseroles and freezing one for later.  You have two hearty breakfasts and half the work!

We would love to hear your favorite casserole creations!  Share your creative casserole recipes with the community.