The Best Casserole Cookbook Ever (72 page)

Consider this a template of a casserole for kids. It can be varied endlessly, depending on what the kids like and what is in your refrigerator.

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2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons butter at room temperature

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pound whole-wheat noodles

2 large eggs

3 cups low-fat milk, heated

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teaspoon salt

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1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Coat a 2-quart casserole with the 2 teaspoons butter.
   
2. Cook the noodles in boiling salted water according to package directions. Drain and toss with the remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Transfer to the casserole dish.
   
3. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs and mix in the milk and salt. Pour over the noodles in the casserole dish. Bake for 30 minutes, or until set.
   

Variations:
Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese before baking, or add 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese to the noodles before adding the egg and milk mixture. You may also add Italian seasonings such as basil and oregano to the milk-and-egg mixture.

Hot dogs are a favorite food with many kids, and it’s no wonder; they are so easy to cook in a pinch. Here, the hot dogs are sliced and covered with a simple homemade barbecue sauce.

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1 large can (28 ounces) baked beans

1 package (about 10) hot dogs, cut into
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-inch-thick rounds

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medium onion, diced

1 tablespoon mustard

1 tablespoon ketchup

1 tablespoon brown sugar

Cooked brown rice for serving

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1. Preheat the oven to 325°F.
   
2. Pour the beans into a 2-quart casserole and add the hot dog rounds. Add the diced onion, and stir in the mustard, ketchup, and brown sugar.
   
3. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until bubbly and hot. Spoon over the cooked brown rice.
   

If the kids like Mexican food, try this. If you don’t have diced tomatoes with green chiles (I prefer the Rotel brand), you can substitute mild, medium, or hot tomato salsa. Offer an ice cream sundae for dessert.

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3 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 cans (15 ounces each) red kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1 can (10 ounces) diced tomatos and green chiles, with their juice

2 teaspoons ground cumin or chili powder

Salt

Pepper

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cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

12 flour tortillas (8 inches), preferably whole-wheat

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cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Guacamole for serving

Tomato salsa for serving

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1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
   
2. Heat the oil in a large heavy skillet. Add the onion and garlic and cook over medium-low heat until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Add the beans, and mash about half of them with the back of a wooden spoon. Add the diced tomatoes and chiles with their juice and the cumin.
   Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Simmer the mixture, stirring, for 5 minutes, or until thickened slightly, and stir in the cilantro, if desired.
   
3. To soften the tortillas, place them between sheets of dampened paper towels and microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
   
4. Spread about 3 tablespoons of the bean mixture down the center of each softened tortilla. Roll up, enclosing the filling, but leaving the ends open.
   
5. Arrange the filled tortillas, seam side down, in a single layer in the baking dish. Sprinkle with the cheese and cover with aluminum foil. (At this point, you can cover and refrigerate the casserole for up to 1 day. Add 5 to 10 minutes to the baking time.)
   
6. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the burritos are heated through. Serve hot with guacamole and salsa.
   

Nachos are an all-time favorite, quick to make and even more nutritious if you use ripe, fresh tomatoes instead of the salsa, and you can whip it up in less than an hour. Layers of seasoned ground beef, corn, tortilla chips, and cheese are baked until warm and rich with melted cheese. Juicy slices of watermelon would be a perfect summertime dessert.

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1 pound lean ground beef

1
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cups chunky tomato salsa or chopped fresh tomatoes

1 can (10 ounces) corn kernels, drained

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cup low-fat sour cream

1 teaspoon chili powder

2 cups crushed low-salt tortilla chips

2 cups shredded mild Cheddar, colby, or Monterey Jack cheese

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1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
   
2. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the beef, breaking it up, until it is browned and crumbled. Drain the grease. Remove from the heat, and stir in the salsa, corn, sour cream, and chili powder.
   
3. In a 2-quart casserole, layer half of the ground beef mixture, half of the tortilla chips, and half of the cheese. Repeat the layers, ending with the cheese. Cover with greased aluminum foil.
   
4. Bake for 20 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the dish is heated through.
   

Our grandchildren love broccoli. That’s a good thing. Their favorite is usually just plain buttered broccoli, but for variety, we serve this creamy broccoli with buttered bow tie pasta. The pasta is called farfalle in Italian, which actually means “butterflies,” not “bow ties.”

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1 package (10 ounces) frozen broccoli spears, or 1 bunch fresh broccoli cut into spears

1 cup light or regular sour cream

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

4 cups farfalle (bow tie pasta), preferably whole-wheat

2 tablespoons butter or olive oil

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1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
   
2. Cook the broccoli according to package directions and drain. Or, if using fresh broccoli, cook in boiling salted water to cover for 5 to 6 minutes, until crisptender. Drain and transfer to a 9-inch square baking dish or shallow 2-quart casserole.
   
3. Spread the sour cream evenly over the broccoli and sprinkle with the cheese.
   
4. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted.
   
5. Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package directions in boiling salted water. Drain and mix with the butter or olive oil. Serve the broccoli with the pasta.
   

This casserole contains mushroom, and while some kids adore them, others don’t. As my mother used to tell me, “You have to learn to like them!” You can, of course, just leave them out. Leave out the mushrooms
and
the ham and you still have a delicious and nutritious breakfast or brunch dish.

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2 cups seasoned whole-wheat or regular croutons

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

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pound mushrooms, sliced

1 cup diced cooked ham (optional)

6 large eggs

2 cups milk

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teaspoon salt

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ground pepper

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teaspoon prepared mustard

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1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking pan.
   
2. Spread out the croutons over the bottom of the pan. Top with the cheese, mushrooms, and ham, if using.
   
3. In a medium bowl, mix the eggs, milk, salt, pepper, and mustard. Pour over the layers in the pan. Bake for about 1 hour, until the eggs are set.
   

We taste-tested this dish with a group of five-to-thirteen-year-olds. They all ate it enthusiastically, except for one little niece, who would not even try it. The others thought it tasted like pizza. Alas, you can’t win ‘em all!

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1 large can (28 ounces) crushed Italian-style tomatoes with their juice

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon salt

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teaspoon pepper

3 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

Baguette cubes for serving

Celery sticks for serving

Sliced green bell pepper for serving

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1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
   
2. Put the tomatoes with their juice in a 1-quart casserole. Mix in the oregano, salt, and pepper.
   
3. Bake for 1 hour, or until the tomatoes are bubbly hot.
   
4. Add the cheese gradually, stirring to combine after each addition. Keep warm until ready to serve.
   
5. Center the casserole on a platter and surround with the baguette cubes, celery sticks, and green pepper (or whatever vegetables your kids prefer). Provide forks or skewers.
   

I’ve always been suspicious of macaroni and cheese from a box, which is actually a product of WWII, having been invented for feeding the troops. This recipe is mac and cheese in a hurry. Sometimes when the grandkids arrive (which can be in the middle of the afternoon or long after the dinner hour), they’re hungry. It must be a conditioned response. When I serve this to them, it’s comforting to know that they’re eating good-quality whole foods, instead of powdered dark yellow cheese. I keep a package of shredded sharp Cheddar in the freezer, and I seem to always have cream cheese and good Parmesan on hand. Elbow macaroni is not one of our staples, but any other small pasta seems to be okay with the kids.

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2 cups whole-wheat or regular elbow macaroni (or, in a pinch, penne, farfalle, or cavatelli)

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (mild, medium, or sharp)

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese or Neufchâtel cheese, cubed

1 cup undiluted evaporated milk

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cup fine dry breadcrumbs

2 tablespoons butter, melted

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cup grated Parmesan cheese

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1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
   
2. Cook the macaroni in boiling salted water according to package directions. Drain, but do not rinse.
   
3. Combine the macaroni with the Cheddar and cream cheese in a shallow 1-quart casserole. Stir until the cream cheese melts into the hot macaroni. Stir in the milk and scrape down the sides of the dish.
   
4. In a small bowl, mix the breadcrumbs with the melted butter and grated Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle evenly over the macaroni and cheese. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the breadcrumbs are browned.
   

This is a simple and straightforward combination of ingredients that is kid-friendly. If there are leftovers, you’ll be so glad you have something for their midnight snacks. Even though this looks similar to many hamburger casseroles, it has the distinct flavors of pizza. You can even top it all off with thinly sliced pepperoni—if that’s how the kids “ordered” it.

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1 package (8 ounces) elbow macaroni, preferably whole-wheat

1 pound ground beef

1 teaspoon dried oregano

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teaspoon dried basil

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teaspoon salt

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 green bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped (optional)

1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce