The Best Casserole Cookbook Ever (53 page)

1 egg, beaten

1 teaspoon salt

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cup all-purpose flour

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1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a shallow 2-quart casserole.
   
2. Quarter the carrots lengthwise. Beat the milk and egg in a shallow bowl. In another shallow bowl, combine the salt and flour. Dip the carrots first into the milk mixture, then into the flour mixture.
   
3. Arrange the carrots in the casserole dish in a single layer. Dot with the 1 tablespoon butter and bake until the carrots are tender, about 45 minutes.
   

This is a perfect buffet dish. Fill out the meal with simple-to-make
Wild Rice Buffet Casserole
, and add
Rosemary and Parmesan Casserole bread
to the menu.

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1 clove garlic, crushed

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cup olive oil

4 tablespoons butter

1 large eggplant (about 1
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to 1
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pounds), peeled and cubed

1 cup minced onion

3 large tomatoes, diced, or 1 can (14
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ounces) diced tomatoes with their juice

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teaspoon dried basil

1
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teaspoons salt

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teaspoon pepper

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cup shredded Swiss or Cheddar cheese

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1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Rub a 2-quart casserole with the garlic.
   
2. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil with 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium-high heat. Sauté the eggplant for 10 minutes until browned, then transfer to the casserole.
   
3. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in the skillet, add the onion, and sauté for 3 to 5 minutes, until the onion is softened. Stir in the tomatoes, the basil, salt, and pepper.
   
4. Pour the tomato mixture over the eggplant in the casserole. Sprinkle with the cheese. (At this point you can cover and refrigerate the casserole for a few hours. Add another 5 to 10 minutes to the baking time.)
   
5. Bake for 30 minutes, or until bubbly and browned.
   

This is an easy and appetizing way to serve eggplant. The combination of eggplant, tomatoes, and two types of cheese makes it a perfect companion for grilled fish or lamb chops.

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2 medium eggplants (about 3 pounds total)

Salt

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cup olive oil, or more as needed

2 green bell peppers, seeded and cut into rings

2 medium onions, chopped

4 large cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon dried rosemary

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 can (28 ounces) Italian-style tomatoes with their juice

Pepper

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

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cup grated Parmesan cheese

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1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
   
2. Cut the eggplants into
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   -inch-thick slices and spread out in a single layer on 2 thicknesses of paper towels. Sprinkle lightly with salt on both sides and let stand for 20 minutes. Rinse off the salt and pat the eggplant dry.
   
3. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the peppers, onions, and garlic and sauté until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the rosemary, oregano, basil, and tomatoes with their juice and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the mixture is reduced to 2
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   cups. Season with salt and pepper to taste, transfer to a bowl, and set aside.
   
4. Heat the remaining 6 tablespoons olive oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, cook the eggplant until golden, adding more oil as necessary, about 5 minutes per side. Drain the eggplant slices on paper towels as they are done.
   
5. Layer half of the eggplant in the baking dish and top with half of the tomato sauce. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper and cover with the remaining eggplant. Spoon the remaining tomato sauce on top and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Top with the Monterey Jack and Parmesan cheeses.
   
6. Bake, uncovered, until the eggplant is tender, about 40 minutes. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.
   

If you’re a fan of fried green tomatoes, you may decide that you like this simple casserole even more. Feta adds a bit of saltiness to counter the slightly acidic tomatoes.

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4 medium green tomatoes

Juice of
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lemon

1
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teaspoons dried oregano

1 cup crumbled feta cheese

2 tablespoons olive oil

Pepper

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1. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
   
2. Remove the cores from each tomato and cut into
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   -inch-thick slices. Arrange in a shallow 1-quart casserole dish, overlapping the slices slightly,
   
3. Squeeze the lemon over the tomato slices. Sprinkle with the oregano and feta cheese, and drizzle with the olive oil. (At this point you can cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day. Add 5 to 10 minutes to the baking time.)
   
4. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until the tomatoes are hot and the cheese is beginning to brown. Grind fresh pepper over the top and serve hot.
   

An old-fashioned French classic, this is rich and creamy! It is still a perfect accompaniment for roasts, steaks, or chops.

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3 large baking potatoes, peeled

1 clove garlic

1 tablespoon butter

1 teaspoon salt

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teaspoon pepper

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teaspoon ground nutmeg

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cup shredded Swiss or Jarlsberg cheese

1
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cups half-and-half or heavy cream

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1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Slice the potatoes thinly and rinse with cold water to prevent browning. Crush the garlic and work it into the butter. Spread over the bottom and sides of a shallow 1
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   -quart casserole or gratin dish.
   
2. Arrange the potato slices neatly in overlapping rows in the buttered casserole. Sprinkle with the salt, pepper, nutmeg, and half the cheese.
   
3. In a small saucepan, heat the half-and-half to boiling. Pour over the potato mixture in the casserole and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
   
4. Bake, uncovered, for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the potatoes are browned and very tender.
   

Serve these simply roasted vegetables with crusty bread. The dish has few seasonings, allowing the flavor of the vegetables to shine. If possible, when choosing the vegetables, select ones that have about the same diameter. It will make alternating them in the casserole dish easier and more visually appealing.

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4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 medium baking potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced

2 small Japanese eggplants, thinly sliced on the diagonal

1 small zucchini, thinly sliced on the diagonal

4 Roma (plum) tomatoes, thinly sliced

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teaspoon kosher salt

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teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves

1 head garlic, cloves separated, peeled, and bruised

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cup shredded Gruyère cheese

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1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Brush 1 tablespoon of the olive oil on the bottom and sides of a shallow 2- to 3-quart casserole.
   
2. Arrange the vegetables in rows in the dish. Sprinkle with the salt, pepper, and rosemary. Scatter the garlic cloves over all and drizzle with the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil.
   
3. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the cheese.
   

Perfect for the holiday table, this updated recipe is a big improvement over the mushy mass of canned green beans and mushroom soup that it replaces. I like to leave the green beans whole. If you make the casserole ahead, refrigerate it without the crumb topping, and add that just before you bake the casserole.

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1 pound green beans, trimmed

2
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tablespoons butter

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pound baby portobello mushrooms, sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

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cup chicken broth,
homemade
or prepared

1 tablespoon dry sherry

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cup heavy cream

Salt

Pepper

1 slice whole-grain bread

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1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Coat a shallow 2-quart casserole with cooking spray.
   
2. Cook the green beans in boiling salted water for 6 minutes, or just until crisp-tender and bright green. Drain and plunge into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Drain well and transfer to the casserole.
   
3. Melt 1
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   tablespoons of the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat and add the mushrooms and garlic. Cook for 6 minutes, or until the mushrooms are softened and somewhat juicy. Stir in the flour and cook for a minute. Add the chicken broth, sherry, and cream. Bring to a boil, stirring, lower the heat, and cook, continuing to stir, for 10 to 15 minutes, until the sauce thickens. Taste and add salt and pepper. Pour the sauce over the green beans. (At this point you can cover and refrigerate the casserole for up to 1 day. Then proceed with the recipe, adding 5 to 10 minutes to the baking time.)
   
4. For the topping, break the bread into pieces and, in a food processor fitted with the steel blade, process until crumbly. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and pulse until blended with the crumbs.
   
5. Sprinkle the crumbs over the sauce. Bake for 15 minutes, uncovered, until the crumbs are lightly browned and the casserole is bubbly.
   

A variation on the always-popular fried green tomatoes, this casserole is simpler and just as delicious.

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8 large green tomatoes, sliced

1
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teaspoons salt

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teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

1 teaspoon chopped mixed fresh herbs, such as basil, oregano, and thyme, or
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teaspoon dried herbes de Provence

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cup fine dry breadcrumbs or
panko

4 to 5 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces

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cup grated Parmesan cheese

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1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat a shallow 3-quart casserole with cooking spray.
   
2. Arrange the tomatoes in layers, sprinkling each one with salt, pepper, chives, mixed herbs, breadcrumbs, and a few pieces of butter.
   
3. Top with the Parmesan cheese and bake for 45 to 55 minutes, until bubbly and browned.
   

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NOTE:
Panko are Japanese breadcrumbs. They are coarser than regular breadcrumbs and create a crunchier crust. Panko can be purchased in Asian markets, or in the Asian sections of large supermarkets.

Eight cups of green onions looks like a lot, but don’t worry. They cook down to about a quarter of their original volume, giving you 4 standard servings of this savory casserole.

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3 tablespoons unsalted butter

8 bunches green onions, roots trimmed, and cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces (about 8 cups, including most of the green parts)

2 cloves garlic, minced

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cup heavy cream

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cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cups
fresh breadcrumbs