Cassarole Tips and Recipes

1. Make sure to consider any food allergies and preferences before making a dish. You should also consider dietary restrictions if they are on medication.
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3. Check to see what other friends are bringing so that they have some variety.
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5. Use a disposable pan so they won't have to worry about remembering who's dish it is and returning it. It will also save them time with dishes.
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7. Include cooking instructions. A lot of people forget to do this simple task.
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9. Do not overcook foods that are going into the casserole because when you reheat the dish you don't want everything to be over cooked.
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11. Don't be afraid to go the extra mile and include side dishes or a nice dessert. During rough times these small acts of kindness can really help.

Now for the fun part, I've included some great casserole recipes for you to try!

Chicken Tetrazzini

1 (8 ounce) package spaghetti, broken into pieces

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1 cup chicken broth

1 cup heavy cream

2 tbsp sherry

1 (4.5 ounce) can sliced mushrooms, drained

2 cups chopped cooked chicken

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
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3. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add spaghetti, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente; drain.
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5. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Stir in flour, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring, until smooth. Remove from heat, and gradually stir in chicken broth and cream.
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7. Return to heat, and bring to a low boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add sherry, then stir in cooked spaghetti, mushrooms, and chicken. Pour mixture into the prepared baking dish, and top with Parmesan cheese.
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9. Bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until bubbly and lightly browned.

1 pound lean ground beef

1 (4 ounce) can sliced mushrooms

1 (15 ounce) can mixed vegetables

1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup

1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of celery soup

salt and pepper to taste

3 tablespoons butter

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Coat a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray.
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3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook potatoes in boiling water until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain, reserving some of the cooking liquid. Mash potatoes with a little of the cooking liquid. Set aside.
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5. In a large skillet, cook ground beef until brown over medium-high heat. Drain fat from pan. Stir in mushrooms, mixed vegetables, mushroom soup, celery soup, and salt and pepper; heat through. Pour into prepared baking dish, cover with mashed potatoes, and dot with butter.
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7. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until potatoes are golden and beef and vegetable mixture is hot and bubbly.

2 tbsp olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp dried parsley

1 eggplant, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

salt to taste

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 zucchini, sliced

1 large onion, sliced into rings

2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms

1 green bell pepper, sliced

2 large tomatoes, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Coat bottom and sides of a 1 1/2 quart casserole dish with 1 tablespoon olive oil.
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3. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Saute garlic until lightly browned. Mix in parsley and eggplant. Saute until eggplant is soft, about 10 minutes. Season with salt to taste.
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5. Spread eggplant mixture evenly across bottom of prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle with a few tablespoons of Parmesan cheese. Spread zucchini in an even layer over top. Lightly salt and sprinkle with a little more cheese. Continue layering in this fashion, with onion, mushrooms, bell pepper, and tomatoes, covering each layer with a sprinkling of salt and cheese.
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7. Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes.
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