default casserole
Most casseroles are:
.5-1# cooked grains
0-2# delicious animal flesh
1-2# veggies
1-4c milk or cream or canned cream of x
0-1c wine, usually white (buy cheap cooking wine or use leftovers)
spices to taste
often bread crumbs or fried onions for texture on top, some people
prefer cheese (parmesan is v. popular)
Assembly:
1. Reduce all solid ingredients to bite sizes, and place into baking
dish. Reserve any topping ingredients if you're into that.
2. Mix liquid ingredients (with spices if you didn't use them in step
one), and pour over solid ingredients in dish.
2.5. For obvious reasons, place your toppings last.
3. Bake at 350 for 30-60 minutes or until bubbling and slightly brown at the edges. If your meat is raw, you might want to check the temp in a few places with a thermometer.
ON PRE-COOKING INGREDIENTS:
Grains are best pre-cooked. Anything else is up to taste. If you have veggies like onions that taste better fried, you might want to fry them first -- but if you're looking for the easiest style of cooking just chop everything, pour the liquids over, and throw the whole shebang in the oven. Meat is another thing that can have a different flavor if pan fried first, so if you're going to fry the onions you might as well fry your meat, too.
SPEAKING OF GRAINS:
To be honest, I tend to think of pasta and rice as unnecessary fillers most of the time, so I usually up the other components to make up for that. You can leave the grains if you want, but in my opinion these dishes taste better with one-third or less in grains -- usually they call for more of a half and half ratio. Grains are a cheap filler, and a lot of American-style casseroles became popular during the depression where cheap was an important factor in cooking. At least try using potatoes or squash instead once. ;)
HATE CREAM?
You can usually substitute broth (canned or boxed, from a jar or cube and mixed with water, leftover from soup, etc) for milk or cream or canned cream of X. If you substitute broth for heavy cream or whipping cream or canned cream of x, for textural reasons you'll want to mix a tablespoon or two of flour or corn starch into the broth as a thickening agent. If you prefer a thicker sauce, you can use the starch with milk, too.
ON WHY SOME INGREDIENTS ARE IMPORTANT NOT TO SKIP:
You want the meat and veggies for flavor (and also nutritional content), the milk or cream to keep everything moist & buttery-delicious, and the grains for texture or really as a cheap filler. If you prefer thicker casseroles, use less liquid or more flour or more starchy ingredients.
HOW MUCH LIQUID?
I think it's best to have enough liquid to cover all the dry ingredients if you're going to bake uncovered. If you're planning to foil your dish, you can use a lot less liquid because little to none of it will boil away. Topping with cheese will also seal in liquids to some degree. You may also want to consider whether your ingredients are more likely to absorb or expel liquid as they cook. Meats and fungi lose a lot of liquid while cooking. Squash is like a sponge and will absorb a lot. Broccoli and peas are pretty neutral.
BUT WAIT WHAT VEGGIES AND MEATS AND SPICES SHOULD I USE?????/
If you're not sure where to start on veggie combos, I usually throw anything in that would be good in a stir fry or soup with the same meat base. Eg, pork can be really good with mushrooms and sage and white wine, chicken is great with peas and carrots and potatoes and lemon and thyme, beef is nice with broccoli and onions and nutmeg and cinnamon, eggplant is super tasty with just tomatoes and cheese (it's like pizza!). If you want some tested combinations, try googling:
tetrazzini
pastitsio (also good with mushrooms)
chilaquiles casserole
spanakopita (skip the crust, use store-bought phyllo, or cheat and go
shepherd-style with potatoes on top)
shepherd's pie
eggplant parmesan / eggplant marinara
green bean casserole
chicken and rice casserole
tuna casserole
SPEAKING OF CHEESE:
I mentioned that somewhere, right? Anyway, remember it's going to melt. Especially if you're using it as a topping, remember you only need about 1/3 or 1/2 as much as you think you do -- it's okay to see through the cheese to the toppings. It will melt to fill the gaps. Of course, melted cheese is hella delicious so you can also use twice as much as you think you need.
.5-1# cooked grains
0-2# delicious animal flesh
1-2# veggies
1-4c milk or cream or canned cream of x
0-1c wine, usually white (buy cheap cooking wine or use leftovers)
spices to taste
often bread crumbs or fried onions for texture on top, some people
prefer cheese (parmesan is v. popular)
Assembly:
1. Reduce all solid ingredients to bite sizes, and place into baking
dish. Reserve any topping ingredients if you're into that.
2. Mix liquid ingredients (with spices if you didn't use them in step
one), and pour over solid ingredients in dish.
2.5. For obvious reasons, place your toppings last.
3. Bake at 350 for 30-60 minutes or until bubbling and slightly brown at the edges. If your meat is raw, you might want to check the temp in a few places with a thermometer.
ON PRE-COOKING INGREDIENTS:
Grains are best pre-cooked. Anything else is up to taste. If you have veggies like onions that taste better fried, you might want to fry them first -- but if you're looking for the easiest style of cooking just chop everything, pour the liquids over, and throw the whole shebang in the oven. Meat is another thing that can have a different flavor if pan fried first, so if you're going to fry the onions you might as well fry your meat, too.
SPEAKING OF GRAINS:
To be honest, I tend to think of pasta and rice as unnecessary fillers most of the time, so I usually up the other components to make up for that. You can leave the grains if you want, but in my opinion these dishes taste better with one-third or less in grains -- usually they call for more of a half and half ratio. Grains are a cheap filler, and a lot of American-style casseroles became popular during the depression where cheap was an important factor in cooking. At least try using potatoes or squash instead once. ;)
HATE CREAM?
You can usually substitute broth (canned or boxed, from a jar or cube and mixed with water, leftover from soup, etc) for milk or cream or canned cream of X. If you substitute broth for heavy cream or whipping cream or canned cream of x, for textural reasons you'll want to mix a tablespoon or two of flour or corn starch into the broth as a thickening agent. If you prefer a thicker sauce, you can use the starch with milk, too.
ON WHY SOME INGREDIENTS ARE IMPORTANT NOT TO SKIP:
You want the meat and veggies for flavor (and also nutritional content), the milk or cream to keep everything moist & buttery-delicious, and the grains for texture or really as a cheap filler. If you prefer thicker casseroles, use less liquid or more flour or more starchy ingredients.
HOW MUCH LIQUID?
I think it's best to have enough liquid to cover all the dry ingredients if you're going to bake uncovered. If you're planning to foil your dish, you can use a lot less liquid because little to none of it will boil away. Topping with cheese will also seal in liquids to some degree. You may also want to consider whether your ingredients are more likely to absorb or expel liquid as they cook. Meats and fungi lose a lot of liquid while cooking. Squash is like a sponge and will absorb a lot. Broccoli and peas are pretty neutral.
BUT WAIT WHAT VEGGIES AND MEATS AND SPICES SHOULD I USE?????/
If you're not sure where to start on veggie combos, I usually throw anything in that would be good in a stir fry or soup with the same meat base. Eg, pork can be really good with mushrooms and sage and white wine, chicken is great with peas and carrots and potatoes and lemon and thyme, beef is nice with broccoli and onions and nutmeg and cinnamon, eggplant is super tasty with just tomatoes and cheese (it's like pizza!). If you want some tested combinations, try googling:
tetrazzini
pastitsio (also good with mushrooms)
chilaquiles casserole
spanakopita (skip the crust, use store-bought phyllo, or cheat and go
shepherd-style with potatoes on top)
shepherd's pie
eggplant parmesan / eggplant marinara
green bean casserole
chicken and rice casserole
tuna casserole
SPEAKING OF CHEESE:
I mentioned that somewhere, right? Anyway, remember it's going to melt. Especially if you're using it as a topping, remember you only need about 1/3 or 1/2 as much as you think you do -- it's okay to see through the cheese to the toppings. It will melt to fill the gaps. Of course, melted cheese is hella delicious so you can also use twice as much as you think you need.