Any good casserole recipes?

[shepav]

Hi Everyone!

I'm a newly stay at home wife (soon to be mom), and I'm trying to think of ways to cook more frugally. I've heard that casseroles are always a good inexpensive dish. Anyone have any tried and true ideas? Thanks!

[fairy74]

Re: Any good casserole recipes?

Taco Casserole

Use a large glass pan, preheat oven to 350 degrees

Brown a small amount of ground beef for the bottom layer, drain a can of non-fat refried beans and spread on top of the beef, added a little shredded cheese, add cut up veggies on top of the cheese (onion, tomatoes, pepper, etc...) then add a layer of instant mashed potatoes (made on stovetop) and some more shredded cheese on top cook until cheese is melted throughout. Usually about 20 minutes or so. This is good and filling so you don't need huge portions and it keeps well in the fridge.

Enchilada Bake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees,

use small tortillas to cover the bottom of metal pan, add drained refried beens and shredded chicken, beef, turkey (basically whatever meet you have around, add some shredded cheese and then another layer of small tortillas. Use half a can of enchilada sauce and cut up veggies, then one more layer of smal tortillas, the rest of the enchilada sauce over the top and a little more sprinkled cheese, cook for around 30 minutes

[shepav]

Re: Any good casserole recipes?

Taco Casserole

Use a large glass pan, preheat oven to 350 degrees

Brown a small amount of ground beef for the bottom layer, drain a can of non-fat refried beans and spread on top of the beef, added a little shredded cheese, add cut up veggies on top of the cheese (onion, tomatoes, pepper, etc...) then add a layer of instant mashed potatoes (made on stovetop) and some more shredded cheese on top cook until cheese is melted throughout. Usually about 20 minutes or so. This is good and filling so you don't need huge portions and it keeps well in the fridge.

Enchilada Bake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees,

use small tortillas to cover the bottom of metal pan, add drained refried beens and shredded chicken, beef, turkey (basically whatever meet you have around, add some shredded cheese and then another layer of small tortillas. Use half a can of enchilada sauce and cut up veggies, then one more layer of smal tortillas, the rest of the enchilada sauce over the top and a little more sprinkled cheese, cook for around 30 minutes

Ooooh they both sound yummy!! What sort of veggies would I use for the enchilada bake? Call me naive, I'm just not a natural chef!

[fairy74]

Re: Any good casserole recipes?

shepav,
Usually I use tomatoes, chili peppers (if you like hot stuff---if not just delete), onions, green pepper, red pepper. It's especially good if you use a few different kinds of tomatoes. I have a friend who adds peas but this is mainly because her kids love peas.

[tinapbeana]

Re: Any good casserole recipes?

you could also try a can or two of Rotelle brand tomatoes: they come in varieties of spice with peppers and onions included.

[frugalmomof1]

Re: Any good casserole recipes?

Pizza Casserole

2-3 cups egg noodles (You can add more noodles to stretch it)
1/2 - 1lb ground beef or turkey
1 can tomato soup
basil, oregano and salt to taste
mozarella cheese

mix everything together, top with extra mozarella cheese and bake at 350º until cheese is bubbly.

[rickatheslicka]

Re: Any good casserole recipes?

Anybody have a tried and true recipe for Tuna Casserole?

I usually just wing it.

Cooked Elbow macaroni
Whatever cheese I have on hand (I have even used sour cream or cream cheese)
Splash of milk
Can of tuna
Bag of frozen peas (added after heating in the microwave) or chopped brocolli

Often I mix this all up in the pot I used to cook the macaroni (after draining the macaroni and putting it back in the pot). If I'm pressed for time, I just serve it without baking it, but most of the time I transfer it to a casserole dish and bake at 325 until bubbly.

Sprinkle bread crumbs or more cheese on top for a nice presentation.

I'm curious as to what a real recipe would look like...

[PrincessPerky]

Re: Any good casserole recipes?

my blog has a couple, I prefer easy meals, and frugal is a must..but Ill warn you I am not to great at recipes!

http://princessperky.savingadvice.com/2007/01/04/two-successes-in-one-week_19893/

http://princessperky.savingadvice.com/2007/01/02/the-beef-that-failed_19728/

there is more if you hunt around...not all useful.

[trillium]

Re: Any good casserole recipes?

Taco Bake - OAMC

Beef Taco Bake
Yield: 4 Servings

1 lb Ground beef
1 tblspn Montreal Seasoning
1 packet taco seasoning
1 can Tomato soup
1 c Salsa (I used Medium heat)
1/2 c Milk
6 Tortillas (6-8") cut into 1" pieces
1 c Colby Jack, shredded
1/2 c Mild Cheddar, shredded

In skillet over medium-high heat, cook beef until browned, stirring to
separate meat. Pour off fat. Add soup, salsa, milk, tortillas, taco
seasoning, Montreal seasoning, and colby jack cheese. Spoon into
2-quart shallow baking dish. Cover. Bake at 400 for 30 minutes or
until hot. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

To Freeze: As posted this recipe freezes REALLY well if the tortillas
are completed coated in liquid. I froze prior to baking reserving the 1/2 cup of
mild cheddar cheese.

Recommended way of serving!
To Serve: Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Bake at 400 for 45
minutes. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese. This is also a good dish to
make using frozen pre-cooked ground beef.

The "SO forgot to take it out of the freezer" way of serving:
This got pulled out of deep freeze at about 1 pm this afternoon (I
started cooking at 5ish). It was cold on the edges and frozen solid in
the center. Leaving the aluminum foil on that I had used to cover for
freezing, I baked it for 400 for 30 minutes. Removed foil, sprinkled
with cheddar cheese and then baked at 400 for 45. Slighlty crunchy
around the edges but absolutely yummy.

If sensitive to salt I'd recommend using a low sodium/salt taco
seasoning (or make your own). While I dont mind the salt, it
definately was there!

From: Campbell's.

[Coleroo]

Re: Any good casserole recipes?

I like to cassarole everything... left over veggies.. speghetti... macaroni.. Theres infinate possibilities if you just follow the basic layout

1. Crust on the bottom (biscuit dough, cracker crumbles, pie crust, bread crumbs)
2. Meat or Veggie layer
3. Other veggie layer
4. Top with shredded cheese or more dough
5. Bake at a standard medium temp for 30 - 60 mins (depending on how done your meat was)

My favorite meatless frugal dish to cook is baked speghetti cassarole!

Put a pot of angel hair speghetti on to boil... then take a rectangle pan and spray any nonstick spray on it (butter flaver..yum!), then spread italian bread crumbs (i like to toast the uneaten ends of bread and crumble those!) on the bottom. Spread some speghetti sauce lightly on the crust... then drain the cooked speghetti, pour out on the crust and spread in the pan. Cut up 2 large tomatoes into wedges (if you like them!) and lay around the pan on top of the strings. Pour the rest of the speghetti sauce (meatless) on top, the layer shredded cheese on top - bake for about 30 mins at 375

[crazyBMB]

Re: Any good casserole recipes?

Thanks for the "basic layout" plan. I do this but never really thought about it.

[marvholly]

My late mother used to make a tuna cassarole with
can of tuna
dry chineese noodles
mushrooms
waterchesnuts
and?????

I have a taste going, 15 cans of tuna + mushrooms and waterchesnuts already on my shelves.

[leggzz66]

I like to cook, egg noodles with cream of mush soup, mixed vegs(can) a can of mushrooms,add some velvetta and top with fried onions. You can also add tuna to that, or chicken even.
never forget too that crockpots are cheap too and you can leave that all day, no worries. I throw in a whole fryer about 10 am and add stewing veggies about 2 and noodles about 3 and dinners done by 4:30, cheap cheerful and frugal. Dont sound cheap with the ingrediants, but you cant get a roast for under 3 dollars like you can a bird. Whats left of the bird, just crumble back in the pot for some homemade chicken noodle soup for left overs. You could do this with a roast too, just saying the bird cause its cheaper. a roast same size as the bird is twice as much, but wow the left overs! no complaints either.

[sandyandry]

I never used casserole for recipes, but this forum I found many good recipes. Thanks to all for sharing the recipes.

[zakity]

I use a different recipe for casseroles. I do the "dump and mix" type of casseroles. Here is the basic formula that I use:

meat (usually leftovers from another meal)

starch (rice, noodles, potatoes, etc)

"sauce" - some people use canned soups, I use a white sauce or leftover gravy

veggie - I actually don't put the veggie in it because my guys prefer the veggie on the side


We have done:

sausage gravy, noodles (didn't add meat to it since it was sausage gravy)

leftover baked or grilled chicken breasts-diced, herbed parmesan sauce (white sauce with Italian seasonings and Kraft-type of parmesan in it), noodles

leftover chicken, bacon gravy, noodles

leftover chili, onion, garlic, can of black olives-sliced, cooked rice, can of diced tomatoes, cheese

leftover roast-diced, herbed parmesan sauce, noodles

rice cooked in tomato sauce and water, chili powder, onion, garlic, leftover taco meat or sloppy joes, can of black olives-sliced


Side notes:
The herbed parmesan sauce is served over noodles as a meal (with a veggie on the side). I make extra and freeze it to use in casseroles since I can't use canned soups (special diet in the house).

Leftover bacon can be crumbled and mixed into a casserole. I have done it in a chicken one and it came out really nummy. We don't usually have leftover bacon so I only got to try it out in that one casserole.

I use a lot of noodles for casseroles because one of my guys loves noodles. He has some eating/texure issues so using noodles causes less of a fight at meal times. I swear that kid would eat pratically anytyhing if I mixed it with noodles.