The Best Casserole Cookbook Ever (8 page)

Many years ago, I attended a weeklong series of cooking classes with Simone Beck (coauthor, with Julia Child, of the famed
Mastering the Art of French Cooking,
volumes I and II). I think this is the only recipe that has remained in my repertoire, and even these many years later it is still a favorite summertime “meat loaf.” I’ve adjusted and changed the recipe over the years. I like to bake this in a narrow enameled cast-iron terrine with a lid. After it has cooked and cooled, you can cut as many slices as you like and refrigerate the remainder. Because of all the herbs and spices, it keeps well and is wonderful for an impromptu lunch, served with a salad.

•••••

1 pound reduced-sodium sliced bacon, divided

1 pound lean ground pork

1 cup minced onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, cooked and drained

1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon leaves, or 2 teaspoons dried

1 teaspoon fresh rosemary leaves, or
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teaspoon dried

1 teaspoon fresh oregano leaves, or
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teaspoon dried

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, or
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teaspoon dried

1 teaspoon fresh or dried marjoram leaves

2 teaspoons salt

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teaspoon pepper

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teaspoon ground nutmeg

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cup dry sherry

2 tablespoons unflavored gelatin

1 cup heavy cream

4 large eggs, lightly beaten

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pound boiled ham, cut into
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-inch dice

•••••

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 1
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   -quart loaf pan or terrine with the bacon slices, overlapping them slightly. You’ll have about 4 slices left over. Cut them into
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   -inch pieces and cook in a skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove the bacon from the skillet and reserve; pour out all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat.
   
2. Put the pork into a large bowl. Add the onion and garlic to the bacon fat and sauté over medium heat for 3 minutes,
   stirring. Add to the pork along with the spinach, all of the herbs, the salt, pepper, nutmeg, sherry, and gelatin. (The gelatin does not need to be softened first.) Mix well and add the cream and eggs.
   
3. Turn half of the mixture into the loaf pan and pat down evenly. Top with the cooked bacon and boiled ham and press down slightly into the meat mixture. Spread the remaining meat mixture on top and lap the ends of the bacon over the top of the meat.
   
4. Cover with a strip of parchment or waxed paper. If your pan has no lid, cover tightly with foil. Otherwise, place the lid on top of the parchment paper.
   
5. Place the loaf pan or terrine inside a large roasting pan and add 1 inch of boiling water to the larger pan. Bake the terrine for 1 hour and 45 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted near the center registers 165 to 170°F. Remove from the oven and cool on a rack. Place a weight on top of the terrine, ideally something rectangular that will press the loaf evenly. I often place a narrow cutting board on top and then weight it down with a couple of cans of vegetables. Chill for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
   
6. To serve, turn the terrine out onto a serving plate or cutting board and slice. Refrigerate any leftover terrine for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 1 month.
   

Hot spreads such as this one are so appealing and yet easy to put together. The sweet onions are juicy and mild, so even though they are plentiful, they don’t overpower the spread.

•••••

2 tablespoons butter

2 large sweet onions (about 2
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pounds total), coarsely chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

2 cups shredded Swiss cheese

1 cup mayonnaise

1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed

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teaspoon Tabasco sauce

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cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Crackers for serving

•••••

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat a shallow 1
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   -quart casserole with cooking spray.
   
2. In a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter and sauté the onions and garlic until tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the heat. Add the Swiss cheese, mayonnaise, rosemary, and Tabasco sauce.
   
3. Transfer to the casserole dish. Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes until lightly browned. Sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese and serve with crackers.
   

Slather toasted slices of French bread with this creamy, hot spread. It makes a lot, so when I prepare it, I freeze half and am happy to have an appetizer in reserve for another party. Thaw the frozen portion for an hour or two at room temperature before baking.

•••••

1 can (14 ounces) artichoke hearts, drained

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cup julienned oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 cup low-fat sour cream

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

2 cups shredded Jarlsberg, Gruyère, or Swiss cheese

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teaspoon cayenne pepper

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cup pine nuts

French bread slices, toasted, or freshly cut vegetables for serving

•••••

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Butter a 4-cup shallow casserole.
   
2. Combine the artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes, Parmesan cheese, sour cream, garlic, lemon juice, and mustard in a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Process until all ingredients are coarsely chopped. Mix in the cheese and cayenne.
   
3. Turn the mixture into the casserole and spread out evenly. Sprinkle with the pine nuts and bake, uncovered, for 15 minutes, or until lightly browned. Serve hot with the bread or vegetables.
   

Spoon breads are traditionally served as a side dish. They are scooped out of the casserole dish with a spoon, but are often eaten with a fork. Spoon bread goes especially well with roasted chicken, or it can be served with a cheese sauce as a luncheon main course. If you serve it with fruit salad on the side, you will have an old-fashioned “ladies’ luncheon menu.”

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2 tablespoons butter, plus extra for the dish

2 cups milk

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

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cup yellow cornmeal

4 large eggs, separated

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1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Butter a 2-quart casserole.
   
2. Combine the milk, the 2 tablespoons butter, the sugar, and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and slowly add the cornmeal, stirring constantly. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until thickened. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.
   
3. With a fork, beat the egg yolks in a small bowl. Add a small portion of the hot mixture to the eggs, and stir well. Return the egg yolk mixture to the pan and mix well.
   
4. Beat the egg whites in a medium bowl until soft peaks form, then fold into the cornmeal mixture. Transfer to the buttered casserole and bake for 35 minutes, or until firm.
   

Consider serving this grainy bread with a hot bowl of vegetable soup. The Irish often leaven whole-grain breads like this one with baking powder or baking soda. This is a slightly heavy bread, which is delicious cut into thin slices and slathered with butter.

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1 tablespoon butter, melted, plus extra for the pan

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting

1 cup whole-wheat flour

1
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cups quick-cooking or old-fashioned rolled oats

1
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tablespoons baking powder

1 tablespoon salt

1 large egg

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cup honey

1
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cups milk

•••••

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 5-by-9-inch bread pan and dust with the allpurpose flour.
   
2. In a large bowl, mix the 2 cups all-purpose flour, the whole-wheat flour, rolled oats, baking powder, and salt. In a medium bowl, mix the egg, honey, and milk.
   
3. Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir together until the dry ingredients are moistened. The mixture will not be smooth.
   
4. Transfer to the prepared bread pan and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until crusty and a skewer inserted near the center comes out clean. Drizzle the 1 tablespoon melted butter over the hot loaf and turn out onto a wire rack to cool.
   

More like a soufflé than a bread, polenta spoon bread is delicious with a simple meal of roast chicken and steamed vegetables. Serve it with melted butter, gravy, or a white sauce flavored with lemon juice (see
Basic White Sauce
).

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1 tablespoon butter, plus extra for the dish

1
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cups water

1
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cups polenta or cornmeal

1 teaspoon salt

1
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cups milk, divided

2 large eggs, separated

2 teaspoons baking powder

Extra butter, white sauce, or gravy for serving

•••••

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Butter a 1
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   -quart casserole or soufflé dish.
   
2. Bring the water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Combine the polenta and salt and stir into the boiling water. Cook, stirring, until thickened, about 15 minutes. Add 1 cup of the milk and cook, stirring, until smooth, about 5 minutes.
   
3. Beat the remaining
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   cup milk and the egg yolks together. Add a small amount of the polenta mixture to temper the egg yolks, and stir well. Stir into the hot polenta mixture in the saucepan. Mix in the 1 tablespoon butter and the baking powder and stir until smooth.
   
4. Beat the egg whites with an electric mixer in a medium bowl until stiff and fold into the mixture. Pour the batter into the prepared dish and bake until puffed and golden, 35 to 40 minutes. Serve hot with butter, white sauce, or gravy.
   

The “bubbles” in this loaf of bread are little rounds of dough, which are rolled in cinnamon and sugar, and then piled into a baking pan. The bread tastes a lot like cinnamon rolls, and is fun to serve for breakfast or brunch, or with coffee. Use two forks or a pair of tongs to pull apart the bubbles.