Casseroles -

A Perfect Comfort Food On A Cold Winter’s Day

Casserole – what is it, really? I was a bit surprised by looking up the word in the dictionary to find this primary definition: “cooked dish, a stew or other moist food dish, cooked slowly at a low heat in a covered pot or dish. Nowhere did it say, “A conglomeration of any meat and vegetables you wish to mix together that wasn’t eaten during last week’s meals, with croutons as a binder and cheese to cover up what’s really inside.” Surprise, surprise! A casserole could actually be a good thing, and it usually is, anyway you look at it. Regardless of what Webster says, a casserole works with whatever we want to put in it . . .and it’s a perfect comfort food for a cold winter’s day.

Enjoy!

Quick and Easy Chicken Casserole Recipe

2 cups cooked, cubed chicken
2 cups chopped celery
1 cup chopped onion
2 Tbsp. chopped pimiento
1 tsp. salt
¼ cup toasted almonds (slivered)
½ cup mayonnaise

Mix and spoon into casserole dish. Top with:1 ½ cups shredded Mozzarella cheese and ½ cup crushed Ritz crackers mixed with 1 Tbsp. butter or margarine. Bake at 350 until crumbs are golden, about 25 minutes.

 

Chili, Chips and Cheese Casserole

3 cups corn chips
1 large onion, chopped
2 ½ cups prepared chili (canned or homemade)
1 cup grated cheese of choice

Place half the corn chips in a greased baking dish. Sprinkle with all the chopped onions and half the cheese. Top with all the chili, then the remaining corn chips and cheese.

Bake at 350 for 15 to 20 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly. Doubles easily for larger casserole.

Easy Greek Chicken Casserole

1 ½ tsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 lb. skinless boneless chicken breast, chopped
1 zucchini, chopped
1 large can of tomatoes, with juice
1 tsp. dried oregano
2 bay leaves
1 tsp. kosher salt
¼ tsp. black pepper
2 oz. Feta cheese, crumbled

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Heat oil in a large frying pan. Saute onion and garlic for about 5 minutes over medium-high heat until onion is golden brown. Add chicken, stir and cook until nearly done. Add zucchini and cook for additional 10 minutes or until tender but not real soft.
Pour juice from canned tomatoes into pot. Break up and add tomatoes to pot. Stir in oregano, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Simmer covered for 10 minutes. Top with cheese and place uncovered in oven for 15 minutes.

Simple Cabbage Roll Casserole

2 lbs. ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
1 (29 oz.) can tomato sauce
Approx. 3 pounds chopped cabbage
1 cup uncooked white rice
1 tsp. salt
2 (14 oz.) cans beef broth

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large skillet, brown beef in oil over medium high heat until redness is gone. Drain off fat. In a large mixing bowl combine the onion, tomato sauce, cabbage, rice and salt. Add meat and mix all together. Pour mixture into a 9x13 inch baking dish. Pour broth over meat mixture and bake covered for 1 hour. Stir, replace cover and bake for another 30 minutes.

 

 

Don’t forget your copy of “Lovin’ Spoonful . . . Cooking With Family and Friends,” a compilation of nearly 400 mouth-watering recipes by Sherrie Norris. It is available at all locations of High Country Media – Boone, Banner Elk, West Jefferson, and at The Avery Journal in Newland, all Boone Drugs, Black Bear Books, Trailway Laundry, Wilcox Emporium,( top level, booth 312-W,) and beginning June 15 at Mast Store locations.