Read The Best Casserole Cookbook Ever Online
Authors: Susie Cushner
The Best Casserole Cookbook Ever (54 page)
Salt
Pepper
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- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat a shallow 1
1
/
2
-quart casserole with cooking spray. - Heat the butter in a deep, heavy pot and add the green onions and garlic. Cook, stirring, over medium-high heat for 10 to 14 minutes, or until softened. Stir in the cream and
1
/
4
cup of the Parmesan cheese. Transfer to the casserole dish. - In a skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking and sauté the breadcrumbs, stirring, until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Transfer the breadcrumbs to a bowl and cool. Add the remaining
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4
cup Parmesan and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the casserole with the bread crumb mixture. (At this point you can cover the casserole and refrigerate for up to 1 day. Bring the casserole to room temperature before proceeding.) - Bake the casserole, uncovered, until hot, 15 to 20 minutes.
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NOTE:
To make fresh breadcrumbs, tear 1 or 2 slices of fresh bread into pieces and put in a food processor with the steel blade in place. Process with on/off pulses until the bread is broken down into crumbs.
I got this recipe from my sister Lil, who was in turn introduced to it by the Lindgren family in Minneapolis. The Lindgrens have a fun tradition for their holiday party, which is a potluck. Each year, they build their menu around a different letter of the alphabet. The same dishes may reappear, but they are cleverly retitled. One year, they had to bring something that started with “H,” and so this casserole was called “Holiday Potato Casserole.” Another year, the letter was “M,” and the casserole was renamed “Make-Ahead Mashed Potato Casserole.”
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10 tablespoons butter, divided, plus extra for the dish
10 medium thin-skinned potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 teaspoon salt
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4
teaspoon pepper
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/
2
cup milk, scalded
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese
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/
2
cup
fresh breadcrumbs
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- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Butter a 3-quart casserole.
- Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water to cover until fork-tender, about 15 minutes and drain.
- With a hand-held mixer, whip the potatoes with 1 stick of the butter. Add the salt, pepper, hot milk, and cream cheese and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy.
- Transfer the potatoes to the prepared casserole and sprinkle the breadcrumbs on top. Cut the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter into small pieces and dot the casserole with the butter. (At this point you can cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day, or wrap well and freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw if frozen, and bring to room temperature before baking.)
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the casserole is heated through and the top is browned.
Variation:
Add 1 tablespoon chopped sautéed onion and 1 tablespoon fresh chives to the potato mixture. Omit the breadcrumbs and sprinkle the top with paprika or shredded Cheddar cheese before baking.
•••••
NOTE:
To make fresh breadcrumbs, tear 1 or 2 slices of fresh bread into pieces and put in a food processor with the steel blade in place. Process with on/off pulses until the bread is broken down into crumbs.
Baked beans is one of those classic dishes that ignites controversy. Of course, Boston baked beans immediately come to mind. Beans slowly baked with molasses has been a favorite Boston dish since colonial days. Therefore, molasses is often considered the only way to sweeten the beans. Other ingredients that might go into a bean pot can produce a lively discussion—for example, peppers, onions, garlic, or tomatoes. Our friend Charlie Matsch, who has spent many summers in New England, is known for his baked beans, and he brings them to holiday potluck parties. He insists that you should not follow a recipe and can vary the ingredients according to what is on hand. I like that approach. That’s why this recipe is sweetened with maple syrup—I always have real, locally produced maple syrup on hand.
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1 pound navy or pea beans, cooked until tender (see
Cooked Dried Beans
)
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3
cup vegetable oil
1 cup chopped onions
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
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2
cup pure maple syrup
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2
cup canned tomato puree or crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons blackstrap molasses
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1
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2
teaspoons salt
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4
teaspoon pepper
1 bay leaf
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4
cup chopped fresh parsley
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- Drain the beans and reserve the liquid. Cook the beans as directed.
- While the beans cook, heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions, bell pepper, and celery and sauté for 5 minutes, until tender, adding the garlic at the end. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 325°F.
- In a large bowl, whisk together 1 cup of the reserved cooking water, the maple syrup, tomato puree, molasses, vinegar, mustard, salt, pepper, bay leaf, and parsley. Add the beans and sautéed vegetables and mix well. Pour everything into a 2-quart casserole and cover tightly. Bake for 2
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to 3
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2
hours. Check periodically to make sure the beans have enough liquid to not dry out, adding more of the reserved cooking water, if necessary. The beans are done when they are tender and juicy and the liquid has been absorbed.
This beautiful, deep golden casserole is a favorite in the winter, when root vegetables are choices.
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2 pounds carrots, peeled and chopped
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4
cup chopped onion
2 tablespoons chopped green bell pepper
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cup milk
2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup cracker crumbs, divided
6 tablespoons butter, melted
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2
teaspoon salt
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4
teaspoon pepper
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- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat a shallow 1
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/
2
-quart casserole with cooking spray. - Put the carrots in a medium saucepan and cover with water. Place over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the carrots are tender. Drain, transfer to a food processor, and process until pureed.
- In a large bowl, mix the pureed carrots, onion, bell pepper, milk, sugar,
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2
cup of the cracker crumbs, 3 tablespoons of the butter, salt, and pepper. Transfer the mixture to the casserole dish. Top with the remaining
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2
cup cracker crumbs and drizzle with the remaining 3 tablespoons melted butter. - Bake for 25 minutes, or until heated through and brown on top.
Here’s a family favorite that dates way back to my Finnish roots. It’s absolutely essential on the Christmas table! I have modernized the recipe by adding garlic and herbs.
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3
/
4
cup (1
1
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2
sticks) butter at room temperature, plus extra for the dish
7 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1
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/
2
-inch pieces
1
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2
pounds rutabagas, peeled and cut into
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2
-inch pieces
1
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4
pounds parsnips, peeled and cut into 1
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/
2
-inch pieces
8 cloves garlic
1 bay leaf
Salt
Pepper
1 teaspoon dried thyme
3 large onions, thinly sliced
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- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Butter a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish.
- Combine the chicken broth, potatoes, rutabagas, parsnips, garlic, and bay leaf in a 4-quart soup pot, and bring the broth to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover partially, and simmer until the vegetables are very tender, about 30 minutes. Drain well. Remove the bay leaf.
- Transfer the vegetables to a large bowl and add
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/
2
cup of the butter. Using an electric mixer, beat the vegetables until mashed but still chunky. Season with salt, pepper, and thyme and transfer the vegetables to the buttered baking dish. - Melt the remaining
1
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4
cup butter in a large, heavy nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sliced onions and sauté until beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the onions are tender and golden brown, about 15 minutes. Season the onions with salt and pepper and spread evenly over the mashed vegetables. (At this point the casserole can be covered and refrigerated for up to 1 day. Add 10 minutes to the baking time.) - Bake, uncovered, until heated through and the top begins to crisp, about 25 minutes.
“Oh casserole! Oh hot dish! Oh covered-dish meal!” wrote my friend Ann Burckhardt in her delightful book Hot Dish Heaven. Ann and I both agree that casseroles, hot dishes, and covered-dish meals are comfort food. This recipe is one that I’ve had kicking around my kitchen for a long time. Over the years, I’ve added garlic and chopped spinach or sometimes asparagus, when in season. Almost any kind of potato is fine, but I lean toward a russet, the potato grown in the Red River Valley of Minnesota and North Dakota. I like to save the water from cooking potatoes to make Finnish rye bread.
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6 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
2 teaspoons butter
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed in a garlic press
1
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2
teaspoons salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, cooked according to package directions and well drained, or 1 bag (9 or 10 ounces) fresh spinach, blanched in boiling water and drained
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
Dash of paprika
•••••
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat a 2-quart casserole with cooking spray.
- Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water to cover until tender, about 15 minutes and drain. Transfer to a large bowl.
- Meanwhile, as the potatoes cook, melt the butter in a small pan over medium heat and sauté the garlic until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir into the potatoes, and add the salt and buttermilk. Using a potato masher, mash the potatoes until almost smooth. Add the spinach and
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4
cup of the cheese to the mashed potatoes and transfer to the prepared dish. - Sprinkle the potatoes and spinach with the remaining
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4
cup cheese and then with a dash of paprika. (At this point you can cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day. Add 10 minutes to the baking time.) - Bake, uncovered, for 15 to 20 minutes, until heated through.
Asiago cheese is a semi-firm Italian cheese with a rich, nutty flavor, which complements the mushrooms, onions, and peppers in this dish. If you cannot find Asiago in your market, you can substitute grated Parmesan cheese.