The Best Casserole Cookbook Ever (59 page)

1 cup buttermilk

1 tablespoon canola oil

Sour cream for serving (optional)

Tomato salsa for serving (optional)

•••••

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Coat a shallow 3-quart casserole with cooking spray.
   
2. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, and add the onion and garlic. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes, until aromatic. Add the bell pepper and celery and sauté for another 5 minutes, stirring often. Add the beans, tomatoes and chiles with their juice, and cumin and simmer for another 5 minutes. Stir in the cilantro and spread out the mixture in the casserole dish.
   
3. To make the cornbread topping: In a large bowl, stir together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the buttermilk and oil and stir just until the mixture is moistened. Pour over the beans and tomatoes.
   
4. Bake, uncovered, for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the topping comes out clean. To serve, cut into squares or wedges. Top with sour cream and salsa, if desired.
   

In order not to waste all those great hard-cooked Easter eggs, serve this with asparagus on the side for supper or lunch. For safety, though, make sure the eggs haven’t been at room temperature for more than 2 hours.

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2 tablespoons butter

1
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cups sliced celery

1 cup chopped green bell peppers

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

1
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tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 can (14
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ounces) diced tomatoes with their juice

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teaspoon Tabasco sauce

2 large eggs (uncooked)

2 cups cooked rice

6 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and chopped

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cup shredded Cheddar cheese

•••••

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat a 2-quart casserole with cooking spray.
   
2. In a large nonstick skillet, melt the butter over medium heat and add the celery, bell peppers, and onion. Sauté for about 5 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Add the flour and salt and stir until blended. Stir in the tomatoes with their juice and the Tabasco and heat to boiling. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, or until thickened. Remove from the heat and stir in the uncooked eggs.
   
3. Spread the cooked rice over the bottom of the casserole and top with the chopped eggs. Spread the vegetable mixture over the top.
   
4. Bake, uncovered, for 25 to 30 minutes, until thoroughly heated. Top with the cheese during the last 5 minutes of baking.
   

The nutty flavor of basmati rice combined with raisins, spinach, and feta makes this an outstanding vegetarian main dish. What’s more, it is great reheated.

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2 tablespoons olive oil

3 cups sliced onions

4 large cloves garlic, minced

2
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cups water

1 cup white or brown basmati rice

1 teaspoon salt

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teaspoon pepper

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cup dark or golden raisins

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cup slivered almonds

1 tablespoon dried dill

2 packages (10 ounces) chopped frozen spinach, thawed

1 can (14
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ounces) diced tomatoes with their juice

1
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tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 cups crumbled feta cheese

1 medium tomato, sliced, for garnish

•••••

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat a 9-by-13-inch casserole with cooking spray.
   
2. In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and sauté for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the onions are translucent. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
   
3. In a medium saucepan, heat the water to boiling and add the rice,
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   teaspoon of the salt,
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   teaspoon of the pepper, the raisins, almonds, and dried dill. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the rice has absorbed the water. Stir in half of the onion and garlic mixture and set aside.
   
4. In the skillet, over high heat, combine the spinach, diced tomatoes with their juice, lemon juice, and the remaining
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   teaspoon salt and
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   teaspoon pepper. Stir for 3 to 5 minutes, until heated thoroughly. Remove from the heat and add the cheese. Stir the remaining half of the onion and garlic mixture into the spinach mixture.
   
5. Spread out the rice, onion, and garlic mixture in the bottom of the casserole in an even layer. Top with the spinach mixture and arrange the fresh tomatoes over the top. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the casserole is bubbly and heated through.
   

This French Provençal–style casserole is very different from its typical cheese- or egg-bound American counterpart. It combines garden-fresh vegetables, which are seasoned liberally with herbs and garlic and slow-baked in a shallow earthenware or enameled cast-iron gratin dish to concentrate their natural flavors. This is rustic, simple, and low-cal, but very tasty. It makes a delightful main dish, served with a good loaf of bread for mopping up the savory pan juices. For a side dish, try cooked white beans in a vinaigrette dressing.

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3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

5 cloves garlic, finely chopped

6 medium zucchini (about 2
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pounds total), cut into
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-inch pieces

4 medium ripe, juicy tomatoes (about 1
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pounds total), diced

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cup finely chopped fresh oregano

Salt

Pepper

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1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
   
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until pale gold and tender, about 5 minutes. Cool briefly.
   
3. In a large bowl, toss the onion mixture, zucchini, tomatoes, and oregano in large bowl. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Arrange the vegetable mixture in a shallow 2-quart casserole. Drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil.
   
4. Bake for 45 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and golden brown on top. Tilt the dish several times during baking to collect the pan juices, and baste the vegetables with them.
   

This makes a wonderful low-carb, meatless entrée. Or you can serve it as a side dish with pasta or a bean casserole.

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4 large yellow, orange, red, or green bell peppers, or a combination

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 pound mushrooms, chopped

1 teaspoon kosher salt

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teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, or 2 teaspoons dried

1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano, or 1 teaspoon dried

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pound regular or part-skim ricotta cheese

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

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cup grated Pecorino Romano, Parmesan, or Asiago cheese

•••••

1. Position a rack at the top of the oven and preheat to 500 or 550°F, depending on the capacity of your oven. If you have a convection option, choose that. Cover a rimless baking sheet with aluminum foil, and coat a shallow 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
   
2. Stem the bell peppers, remove the seeds, and cut in half lengthwise. Brush with about 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and place on the foil-covered baking sheet, cut side down. Roast the peppers until their skins are blistered and blackened in spots, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and wrap in the foil lining the cookie sheet. Let stand for 10 to 15 minutes until cooled. Peel away the loose skins from the peppers and rinse to remove any stray seeds. Pat dry and set aside.
   
3. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F.
   
4. While the bell peppers are roasting, in a large nonstick skillet, cook the mushrooms in the remaining 3 tablespoons oil until soft and tender. Season with the salt, pepper, and herbs. In a medium bowl, mix the ricotta with the Dijon mustard and stir in the mushrooms.
   
5. Spoon an equal amount of the ricotta mixture into each pepper half.
   
6. Place the pepper halves (with the filling sides up) close together in the baking dish and sprinkle with the grated cheese. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until heated through.
   

The corn, beans, and rice make a perfect protein here. All you need to add to this menu is a green salad.

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1 can (15 ounces) corn kernels, drained

1 can (15 ounce) black beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup sour cream

1 cup tomato salsa (medium or hot)

2 cups
shredded Colby and Monterey Jack cheese combined

1 can (10 ounces) diced tomatoes and green chiles with their juice

2 cups cooked rice

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teaspoon pepper

1 green onion, chopped (white and green parts)

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cup sliced black olives

2 cups shredded Monterey Jack 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. In a large bowl, stir together the corn, beans, sour cream, salsa, combined Colby and Jack cheeses, diced tomatoes with their juice, rice, pepper, and green onion. Spoon into the casserole evenly and sprinkle with the olives and Monterey Jack cheese.
   
3. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until bubbly.
   

•••••

NOTE:
You can buy packaged shredded Colby and Jack cheese, which is usually labeled “Co-Jack.” An 8-ounce package equals 2 cups.

Classic moussaka, a popular dish in the Middle East, usually contains beef or lamb. In this vegetarian version, the vegetables are layered and covered with a white sauce enriched with eggs and cheese.

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2 eggplants (about
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pound each), peeled, halved lengthwise, and cut into
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-inch-thick slices

1
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/
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pounds zucchini, trimmed and cut into
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-inch-thick rounds

1 pound red-skinned potatoes, scrubbed and cut into
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-inch-thick rounds

1 tablespoon olive oil, plus extra for coating vegetables

Salt

Pepper

2 cups chopped sweet onions

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons dried oregano

2 cans (14
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ounces each) diced tomatoes with herbs, with their juice

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cup fine dry breadcrumbs, divided

2 large eggs, beaten

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teaspoon ground cinnamon

3 cups
Basic White Sauce

4 large tomatoes, cut into
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-inch-thick rounds

1 package (9 ounces) frozen artichoke hearts, cooked according to package directions

2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese

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1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Cover two large baking sheets with aluminum foil and coat with cooking spray.
   
2. Arrange the eggplant slices and half the zucchini on one baking sheet, overlapping slightly. Arrange the remaining zucchini and the potatoes on the second baking sheet, overlapping again. Brush generously with olive oil or, if you prefer, coat with cooking spray. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
   
3. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and beginning to brown. Remove from the oven and cool. Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F.
   
4. Place a large nonstick skillet over medium heat and add the 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the onions and garlic and sauté until the onions are tender, about 7 minutes. Stir in the oregano and add the tomatoes with their juice. Simmer until the mixture thickens slightly, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and remove from the heat. Mix in
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   cup of the breadcrumbs, the eggs, cinnamon, and white sauce.
   
5. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Sprinkle the bottom of the dish with the remaining
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   cup breadcrumbs. Arrange the potatoes in the dish. Top with half of the sliced fresh tomatoes and the artichoke hearts. Cover with the eggplant slices and then the zucchini, and the remaining tomatoes, overlapping all of the slices slightly. Pour the white sauce mixture over all evenly and sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese.
   
6. Bake until golden, about 55 minutes. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.