3 of Our Favorite Casserole Recipes
A casserole is a food that is cooked and served in the same dish that includes three or four main ingredients. Today, we call those “One Dish Recipes”, but they are still casseroles. The casseroles that we remember from the old days were comfort foods that usually included some kind of meat, vegetables, a starch like potatoes or pasta, and a sauce like milk, soup, or juice.
Why Are Casseroles So Popular?
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What is great about casseroles is how easy they are to make. All you have to do is gather the ingredients together, put it in a pan, cook it, and serve it in the same pan. No dishes or mixing bowls to wash and you can store it in the same pan if it has an airtight lid too.
Besides being easy to make, serve, and store, they are also very versatile. It does not always have to be a dinner meal, you can make a breakfast casserole with eggs, bacon, sausage, and cheese or a dessert casserole with pudding, graham crackers, and whipped cream.
3 of Our Favorite Casserole Recipes
Whether you are cooking dinner for the family or making a dish for the Thanksgiving holidays, casseroles just make sense. You can combine a variety of tasty ingredients in one dish, heat it up, and it is all ready to go. It saves time and often saves money too because you can make a scrumptious casserole out of leftovers from the week. Here are our three favorite casserole recipes:
Stuffed Cabbage Casserole
If you love cabbage, you will devour this stuffed cabbage casserole and want more. But it is not just cabbage. The amazing blend of ground beef, bacon, and cheese layered between cabbage leaves, tomatoes, garlic, and onion seasoned with herbs and spices, broth, and Worcestershire sauce create an explosion of flavors in every bite.
Bake it for 40 minutes at 350 degrees F and serve it over a bed of white rice for a simple entrée any day of the week. For a keto-friendly meal, substitute the rice for cauliflower rice and add a bit more meat. Cut a few calories by cutting out the bacon or using turkey bacon and use low fat cheese and broth.
Another way to serve this savory dish is to use different types of meat like chicken, pork, or turkey or switch the mozzarella cheese for cheddar, pepper jack, or Mexican blend cheese. Or substitute the rice for pasta such as gnocchi, farfalle, or macaroni noodles.
Cheesy Crack Chicken
With tender chicken, cheddar cheese, and bacon, you can’t go wrong. This rich and creamy cheesy crack chicken casserole will wow your family and friends and you! No matter what kind of chicken meat you choose, it will go great with the pasta, veggies, herbs, and spices.
You can use any kind of pasta you like with this dish, but I use elbow macaroni. Also try other types like cavatelli, rotini, ziti, or whatever pasta you like. You will cut the chicken into chunks or for a faster and easier dinner, use rotisserie chicken from the deli.
The sauce that tops this tasty entrée is one of the most important parts of this casserole. Melted butter, milk, cream of chicken soup, ranch seasoning, and cream cheese blends together to make a thick and creamy cheese topping. Sprinkle it with cheese, add the bacon and panko, and bake for 20 to 30 minutes at 375 degrees F. Then serve with a salad or a glass of wine.
Sausage Breakfast Casserole
This sausage breakfast casserole makes a warm and hearty start to get you going and give you energy to greet the day. With eggs, sausage, peppers, cheese, and bacon, this is the perfect morning meal for everyone. Actually, this casserole is so good, you will want to eat it for lunch and dinner too.
The colorful bell peppers, eggs, cheese, sausage, and bacon make this as appetizing to the eye as it is to the taste buds. Just mix Greek yogurt, milk, and eggs with the cheese, veggies, and meat, toss it in a casserole dish, and bake it for 35 to 50 minutes at 350 degrees F.
For a lighter meal with less calories, try using lean chicken or turkey instead of sausage, switch the regular bacon with turkey bacon, and use skim milk instead of whole milk. Another tasty alternative is to add other veggies like potatoes, broccoli, or mushrooms or add different types of cheese. Either way, this casserole will be a hit with your family at breakfast or any other meal.
