The Best Casserole Cookbook Ever (45 page)

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²
/
₃
cup wild rice

1 cup chopped green onions (white and green parts)

1
¹
/
₂
cups chopped fresh celery

¹
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pound mushrooms, sliced

2 cups beef broth,
homemade
or prepared

2 cups water

1 teaspoon dried thyme

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teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed

1 tablespoon cornstarch

2 tablespoons dry sherry or water

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/
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cup heavy cream

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1. Preheat the oven to 325°F.
   
2. Wash the rice in 3 changes of hot tap water and put in a 2
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   /
   ₂
   -quart casserole. Add the green onions, celery, mushrooms, broth, water, and herbs. Stir to combine. In a small bowl, blend the cornstarch and sherry or water, and pour over the mixture. Add the heavy cream and stir.
   
3. Cover and bake for 2 to 2
   ¹
   /
   ₂
   hours, until the rice has absorbed the liquid.
   

This casserole is a perfect side dish for roasts and grilled meat, chicken, or fish. If you’re entertaining, you can assemble it ahead of time and bake it before serving.

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1 tablespoon butter, plus extra for the dish

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/
₂
cup chopped onion

1 red or yellow bell pepper, seeded and diced

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/
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cup julienned sun-dried tomatoes

1 cup wild rice

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley

2 cups chicken broth,
homemade
or prepared

¹
/
₂
cup dry white wine or apple juice

1 cup cubed sharp Cheddar cheese

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1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 1
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   /
   ₂
   -quart casserole.
   
2. In a saucepan or skillet, melt the 1 tablespoon butter and add the onion, bell pepper, and sundried tomatoes. Stir and cook over medium heat for 4 minutes, or until the onion is soft but not browned. Transfer the mixture to the casserole.
   
3. Wash the rice in 3 changes of hot tap water. Add the rice to the casserole along with the Worcestershire sauce, parsley, chicken broth, and wine.
   
4. Cover and bake for 1 hour or until the rice has absorbed all of the liquid. Stir in the cheese cubes and return to the oven just long enough for the cheese to melt, about 5 minutes.
   

Fresh bay scallops are generally found only on the East Coast, although they can be found frozen in other parts of the country. The scallops are very tiny, about
¹
/
₂
inch across, and average about 100 per pound. They have a very sweet flavor and are expensive because they are not plentiful. In other parts of the country, calico scallops are sold as bay scallops, and can be about 1
¹
/
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inches across (about 30 to the pound). Although not as tender, calico scallops are still sweet and moist. Either variety is wonderful cooked this way.

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6 tablespoons butter, divided, plus extra for the pan

¹
/
₂
cup
fresh breadcrumbs

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons minced onion

¹
/
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cup chopped fresh parsley

2 tablespoons white wine or sherry

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

¹
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teaspoon salt

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teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons diced onion (
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-inch dice)

1
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pounds fresh bay scallops

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pound mushrooms, sliced

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1. Combine 4 tablespoons of the butter, the breadcrumbs, garlic, minced onion, parsley, wine, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Chill until the mixture is firm, at least 1 hour.
   
2. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Lightly butter a 1
   ¹
   /
   ₂
   -quart shallow casserole or au gratin pan and set aside.
   
3. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet. Add the diced onion and sauté over medium heat until soft, but not browned. Add the scallops, and mushrooms, and sauté briefly.
   
4. Arrange the scallop mixture in the casserole dish. Slice the chilled garlic butter–breadcrumb mixture and arrange evenly over the scallops. Bake until the butter is hot and bubbly, about 5 to 10 minutes. Serve immediately.
   

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NOTE:
To make fresh breadcrumbs, tear 1 or 2 slices of fresh bread into pieces and put in a food processor with the steel blade in place. Process with on/off pulses until the bread is broken down into crumbs.

I recall being served this cod casserole many years ago, when it was all the rage among Norwegian Americans. It was served with boiled buttered potatoes and pickled beets (for color).

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1
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/
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pounds fresh cod fillets, or frozen fillets, thawed

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, melted

1 teaspoon kosher salt

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/
₂
teaspoon pepper

¹
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teaspoon paprika

Fresh parsley sprigs for garnish

Lemon slices for serving

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1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
   
2. Arrange the fish in a shallow casserole. Pour half of the melted butter over the fillets. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and paprika.
   
3. Place the fish in the oven and bake, uncovered, basting occasionally, until the fish flakes with a fork, about 15 to 20 minutes. Garnish with parsley. Serve with lemon slices and the remaining melted butter for dipping.
   

All the comforting flavors of clam chowder are in this hearty casserole. To round out the meal, serve a roasted vegetable salad and hot cornmeal muffins.

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6 tablespoons butter, plus extra for the dish

2 cups chopped onions (about 1 large onion)

2 cups diced celery (2 stalks)

4 cups peeled and diced boiling potatoes (about 8 potatoes)

1
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/
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teaspoons minced fresh thyme, or
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/
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teaspoon dried

1 teaspoon salt

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/
₂
teaspoon pepper

3 cups chopped fresh clams (littleneck, pismo, or whatever clams are available) or canned clams, including juices

¹
/
₂
cup milk or cream

1 tablespoon cornstarch

¹
/
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cup fine dry breadcrumbs

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1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
   
2. In a nonstick skillet, melt 4 tablespoons of the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onions and celery and sauté for 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft, and transfer to a large bowl.
   
3. Meanwhile, put the potatoes in a pot with just enough water to cover and cook until they are tender, about 15 minutes. Drain the potatoes and add to the onions and celery. Add the thyme, salt, pepper, and clams. In a measuring cup, mix the milk and cornstarch, then stir into the potato mixture.
   
4. Transfer the potato mixture to the prepared casserole. (At this point the casserole can be covered and refrigerated for up to 1 day. Add 10 to 15 minutes to the baking time.) In a small bowl, mix the remaining 2 tablespoons of the butter and the breadcrumbs and sprinkle over the casserole. Bake, uncovered, for 30 to 35 minutes, until bubbly.
   

This Peruvian recipe combines the rather bland flavors of cod and plantains with spicy chiles. Choose any red chile, from a relatively mild cherry pepper to a fiery habanero if you really like the hot stuff. Start the meal with pisco sours, which are made with pisco, a regional Peruvian brandy, and follow with a pumpkin soup. For dessert, serve a creamy cheesecake.

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2 tablespoons butter

2 ripe plantains, thinly sliced

2 green jalapeño peppers, seeded and finely chopped

1 red chile, seeded and finely chopped

1 can (14
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ounces) diced tomatoes with their juice

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

1 pound cod fillets, skinned

1 tablespoon fresh lime or lemon juice

1 teaspoon salt

¹
/
₄
teaspoon pepper

Brown rice for serving

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1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Coat a shallow 1
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   ₂
   -quart casserole with cooking spray.
   
2. In a nonstick skillet, melt the butter. Add the plantain slices and cook over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, turning the slices once. Add the jalapeño and red chiles and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes with their juice along with the cilantro. Heat to simmering and transfer to the prepared casserole.
   
3. Sprinkle the fish with the lime or lemon juice, salt, and pepper and nestle the fillets in the tomato mixture in the casserole. Cover and bake for 20 minutes, or until the fish is just cooked through. Serve with brown rice.
   

Hominy is dried white or yellow corn kernels, from which the hull and germ have been removed. It is sold canned, ready to eat or dried, in which case it must be reconstituted before using. Hominy is often served as a side dish or as part of a casserole. Here we’re blending it with crab.

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6 tablespoons butter

1 large can (29 ounces) whole hominy, drained

³
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pound fresh crabmeat, or 2 packages (6 ounces each) frozen crabmeat, thawed and drained

1 cup sliced ripe olives

2 tablespoons diced red bell peppers

2 tablespoons diced canned green chiles

1 recipe
Basic White Sauce

Salt