The Best Casserole Cookbook Ever (55 page)

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1 tablespoon butter, divided

2 medium sweet onions, chopped

1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped

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pound mushrooms, sliced

3 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup fine dry breadcrumbs

1 teaspoon dried basil

1
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cups shredded or grated Asiago cheese

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1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat a shallow 1
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   -quart casserole with about 1 teaspoon of the butter.
   
2. In a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, melt the remaining butter and add the onions, pepper, and mushrooms. Sauté, turning and stirring the vegetables, for 5 to 8 minutes, until all of the vegetables are cooked.
   
3. Remove from the heat and add the eggs, breadcrumbs, and basil. Transfer to the casserole and top with the cheese.
   
4. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the casserole is set.
   

Most mushroom and green bean casseroles are made with canned soup. In this recipe the soup is replaced with a freshly made cream sauce, which we think is a big improvement.

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3 tablespoons butter

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cup diced onions

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cup sliced mushrooms

2 cups green beans, cut into 2-inch lengths

1
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cups light sour cream

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon seasoned salt

1 cup grated Cheddar cheese

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1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat a 1
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   - to 2-quart casserole with cooking spray.
   
2. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and mushrooms and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes, until soft but not browned.
   
3. Cook the green beans in boiling salted water to cover for 10 minutes, or until crisptender. Drain and transfer to the casserole dish. Add the onions and mushrooms.
   
4. Stir the sour cream, flour, and seasoned salt together in a small bowl and pour over the beans. (At this point you can cover and refrigerate the casserole for up to 1 day. Add 10 minutes to the baking time or bake until heated through.)
   
5. Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Top the casserole with the Cheddar and bake for 10 minutes longer, or until the casserole is hot and the cheese is melted.
   

Mushrooms add moisture and a lot of flavor to these scalloped potatoes. When wild mushrooms are in season (it’s a short one in Minnesota!), I add chanterelles, morels, and whatever else we can forage to replace the usual white button mushrooms from the market. When we have fresh sage growing in our herb garden, I add some to the casserole. The rest of the year, I use the dried leaves that I’ve harvested in the fall.

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6 medium potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced

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pound mushrooms, sliced

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage, or 1 teaspoon dried sage, crumbled

1 teaspoon salt

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teaspoon pepper

2 cups milk

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cup shredded Swiss cheese

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1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat a shallow 2
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   -quart casserole with cooking spray.
   
2. Spread a layer of half the potatoes in the casserole and top with a layer of half the mushrooms. Sprinkle with half the flour, half the sage, half the salt and half the pepper. Top with remaining potatoes and remaining mushrooms. Sprinkle with remaining flour, sage, salt and pepper.
   
3. Pour the milk over all, cover, and bake for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake for 15 minutes longer. Sprinkle with the Swiss cheese and bake for 15 minutes more, until the potatoes are tender and the top is lightly browned.
   

Potato peels contain important minerals and fiber. So, if you wish, you can scrub the potatoes well, and slice and cook them with the peels on. Either russets or thin-skinned red or white potatoes work well.

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4 large potatoes, thinly sliced

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Salt

Pepper

2 tablespoons butter

1
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cups hot milk

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1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Coat a 1
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   -quart casserole with cooking spray.
   
2. Layer half of the potatoes in the casserole and cover with all of the onion. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of the flour, all of the Parmesan cheese, and some salt and pepper. Dot with 1 tablespoon of the butter. Cover with the remaining potatoes and dot with the remaining tablespoon butter.
   
3. Pour enough hot milk over to almost cover the potatoes. Cover and bake for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake for 15 minutes longer, or until the potatoes are tender and the top is golden.
   

The sweet taste of parsnips and the smooth texture of potatoes blend here to make a perfect side dish for roasted or baked chicken, beef, or pork.

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2 parsnips, shredded (about 3 cups)

2 large potatoes, peeled and shredded (about 3 cups)

2 green onions, minced (white and green parts)

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 cups half-and-half

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cup grated Parmesan cheese

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1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Butter a shallow 1
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   -quart casserole.
   
2. In a large bowl, mix the parsnips, potatoes, green onions, and salt. Transfer to the casserole and pat down with a spoon until smooth. Pour the half-and-half over all.
   
3. Bake for 1 hour, covered. Uncover and spread the Parmesan cheese over the top. Bake for an additional 15 minutes until bubbly and browned around the edges.
   

Polenta creates a bottom crust for this casserole. The filling is a Mediterranean-inspired combination of roasted eggplant, bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, and plenty of garlic.

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2 cups eggplant, cut into 2-inch cubes

1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and diced

4 medium zucchini, cut into 1
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-inch lengths

1 sweet onion, quartered

8 mushrooms

6 cloves garlic, peeled

2 tablespoons olive oil

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teaspoon salt

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teaspoon pepper

FOR THE POLENTA:

4 cups milk

1 cup hot water

1 teaspoon salt

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teaspoon pepper

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cups cornmeal

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided

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cup fresh basil leaves, chopped

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cup heavy cream

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1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
   
2. In a large bowl, mix the eggplant, bell pepper, zucchini, onion, mushrooms, garlic, oil,
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   teaspoon salt, and
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   teaspoon pepper. Spread out in a single layer in a roasting pan.
   
3. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until the vegetables are tender, stirring halfway through the roasting time.
   
4. To prepare the polenta: In a large saucepan, combine the milk, water, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, whisk in the cornmeal, lower the heat, and simmer, stirring, until thick and smooth, about 3 minutes. If too thick, add a little more hot water. Stir in
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   cup of the Parmesan and the basil.
   
5. Spread out the polenta in a buttered 9-by-13-inch baking dish and arrange the roasted vegetables over the top evenly. (At this point you can cover and refrigerate the casserole for 4 or 5 hours before continuing with step 6. Add 5 to 10 minutes to the baking time.)
   
6. Drizzle the cream on top of the vegetables and sprinkle with the remaining
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   cup Parmesan cheese. Return to the oven and bake until the cheese is melted and the vegetables are hot, about 20 minutes. Let cool slightly before cutting.
   

This casserole is best in summer, when the tomatoes ripen on the vine. But the herbs and the drizzle of balsamic vinegar perk up winter tomatoes, too, and we enjoy the casserole then, as well. If you like, assemble it ahead of time, and bake it at the last minute.

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6 medium tomatoes

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cups
fresh breadcrumbs

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cup minced green onions (white and green parts)

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cup minced fresh basil, or 2 tablespoons dried

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme, or
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teaspoon dried

1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

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cup shredded Gruyère cheese

2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil

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1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Coat a shallow 3-quart casserole with cooking spray.
   
2. Cut the tomatoes into 4 slices each and overlap the slices in the casserole to cover the bottom of the dish.
   
3. In a small bowl, mix the breadcrumbs, green onions, basil, parsley, garlic, thyme, and salt and sprinkle the mixture evenly over the tomatoes. Drizzle with the balsamic vinegar and sprinkle with the cheese. Drizzle with olive oil. (At this point the casserole can be covered and held at room temperature for up to 2 hours, or refrigerated overnight. If chilled, add 10 minutes to the baking time.)
   
4. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the crumbs are crisp. Serve warm.
   

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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.

Many years ago, I started making this classic summertime dish in the oven rather than on the stove top because it was so much easier. The flavors meld and improve when prepared a day before serving.

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6 tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 small white onions, sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 medium eggplant (leave skin on), cut into 1-inch cubes

2 medium zucchini, cut into 1-inch slices

4 small fresh tomatoes, peeled and quartered, or 1 can (14
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ounces) diced tomatoes with their juice

1 teaspoon dried basil

Salt

Quartered mushrooms for garnish

Chopped fresh parsley for garnish

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1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
   
2. In a nonstick skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic and sauté until the onions are tender but not browned, about 5 minutes.
   
3. In a 3-quart casserole, mix the onion mixture, eggplant, zucchini, and tomatoes. Sprinkle with the basil and drizzle with the remaining 3 tablespoons oil.
   
4. Bake, covered, for 2 hours, or until the eggplant is very soft, stirring twice during baking. Season with salt to taste. If the vegetables have too much liquid, pour off some into a skillet. Boil until reduced to a syrupy sauce, and pour over the vegetables in the casserole. (At this point you can cover and refrigerate for 1 day. Preheat the oven to 300°F and reheat the casserole before proceeding with step 5.)
   
5. Garnish with quartered tomatoes, mushrooms, and parsley. Serve hot or at room temperature.
   

It seems there is always one variety of sweet onion or another in the market. In addition to Vidalia onions, which are fairly common, there are Maui, Walla Walla, Oso Sweet, and Rio Sweet onions. They share in common their large size and mild flavor. Baked this way, any of these varieties would make a wonderful side dish.