Chook Me!

need quick & easy (and tasty) casserole recipes?

We're on a tight budget (who isn't these days?) and I've started sending lunch to work with the hubby. Sandwiches got old pretty fast so I found some cheap ramekins (single serving casserole dishes) and have been making those as an alternative. Our favorite is Shephard's Pie (browned meat with onions, sometimes carrots & peas, topped with creamed corn and mashed potatos and baked) but we don't want it all the time. I'm looking for your best casserole recipes that can be divided in this way. They must be... A) easy - if it involves an hour chopping and preparing I know I'll never do it B) cheap - preferably with ingredients most people have on hand. If it needs some strange spice that is only available in one import store then I doubt I'll be able to try it C) tasty - we like most kinds of meat but the hubby will not eat tuna period. Salmon, chicken, turkey, beef, pork or even veggie recipes are needed. Something that is good with hot sauce (for him) is even better.

Public Comments

1. How about a quiche style one? You could do ham and cheese, bacon and spinach, mushroom, garlic and sausage. Pick any combo you like. Press a round of pie crust (packaged is perfect) into the bottom of the ramekin. Fill the ramekin 1/2-3/4 full with filling (meat, veg, cheese - any combo at all!) Then add a mixture of whisked egg with little cream to fill in the gaps maybe a little over the 3/4 line of the ramekin. Add a couple small 1/2" cubes of butter to the top. It'll melt in and get nice and creamy. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until "poofed" and golden on top. Cover with foil and have him reheat it at work!! YUm :)
2. One night when you have tacos, make extra meat. Then layer the leftovers with cheese, salsa, olives and refried beans between tortillas. Make a large casserole with bow-tie pasta (or your favorite), cooked burger (beef or turkey) and/or pepperoni. Add mushrooms, onions, peppers, olives--whatever pizza toppings you like--and mozzarella cheese. Stir in spaghetti sauce then pour into serving sizes. Make extra chicken stir-fry, with strips of chicken breast, a can of chop suey veggies, and either Ramen noodles or rice. and dish that out. Extra spaghetti with meat sauce (or mostaccioli noodles instead) is easy to reheat. Throw some mozz or parmesan on top. Toss some leftover ham into some prepared box-dinner scalloped potatoes or Au Gratin potatoes. Very good reheated!
3. cheeseburger casserole really good, easy to make, and tastes awesome! recipe is in the link
4. Boy do I hear you about a tight budget. . . I have several recipes on my site that include: Broccoli Chicken Casserole Everything Dish (hamburger, peppers, etc.) Spaghetti Pizza (best of both worlds, pizza & spaghetti) Tater tot casserole Mexican Pizza Are to name a few, easy and inexpensive. http://www.cooking-is-easy-and-fun.com/In-The-Oven.html
5. A couple of the recipes I posted call for the meat from a deli-rotisserie chicken, the kind you buy pre-cooked at the grocery store. I will buy 3-4 of these when they are on sale, pick the meat off, and freeze it in "one-chicken" portions for use in casseroles. (I also boil the bones to make chicken stock, but that's another issue.) If you do not want to pick chicken meat (although it does come apart very easily) you can just poach or roast yoru own chicken meat, chop it up, and use that. ----------------------- Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole 2 lbs. coked, cubed chicken ½ cup. milk 1 egg bread crumbs 8 oz Swiss cheese, grated 8 oz chopped or cubed ham 1 can cream of chicken soup 1 can milk Dredge chicken in egg/milk, roll in bread crumbs and fry in olive oil just until brown. Place in casserole dish. Top chicken with ham and cheese chunks. Mix the soup and milk together and pour over all. Bake for 30 min at 350ºF. This is wonderful and goes well with just a salad. ------------------------- CURRIED CHICKEN & BROCCOLI (serves 8) 2 whole (both sides) boneless chicken breasts, cut to small pieces 2cans cream of chicken soup 1cup mayonnaise 2 Tbsp. (fresh) lemon juice ¼ tsp curry powder 1 bunch blanched broccoli crowns 1 cup grated cheddar cheese In a large baking pan, layer chicken breast pieces with blanched broccoli crowns. Separately, combine, and mix thoroughly, soup, mayonnaise, lemon juice and curry powder. Pour mixture over chicken and broccoli. Spread grated cheese over top. Bake at 375 for about 40 minutes or until bubbling and slightly browned. -------------------------- Deep Dish Taco Squares 2 cups biscuit mix ½ cup cold water 1( 8-oz )carton sour cream 1/3 cup prepared Ranch salad dressing 1½ pounds ground beef ½ green or red bell pepper – finely chopped** 2 Tbsp. chopped onion** 1 pkg taco seasoning mix (¼ cup) 1 (8-oz) can tomato sauce ½ cup mild salsa 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese Combine biscuit mix and water, stirring with a fork until blended. Press mixture in bottom of a lightly greased 13 x 9 x 2” baking dish. Bake at 375ºF for 9 minutes. Combine sour cream and Ranch dressing. Spread over baked crust and set aside. Cook ground beef, green bell pepper, and onion in a large skillet until meat is browned and crumbled; drain well. Stir in tomato sauce and taco seasoning mix, spoon over Ranch filling. Sprinkle cheese evenly over meat mixture. Bake at 375ºF, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until casserole is lightly browned. Cut into 12 squares to serve. ** If serving to picky children, you can omit the bellpepper and use 2 tsp. onion powder instead of fresh onions. Omit salsa and add a second can of plain tomato sauce. ------------------------- Unforgettable Chicken Casserole 3 cups chopped deli-roasted chicken (or other cooked, diced chicken meat) 2 cups finely chopped celery 1 cup (4 ounces) grated Cheddar cheese 1/2 cup slivered almonds 1/2 cup light sour cream 1/2 cup light mayonaisse 1 can reduced-sodium cream of chicken soup 1 (4-ounce) can water chestnuts, drained and chopped 1½ cups French fried onion rings Stir together first 8 ingredients in a large bowl. Spoon into a lightly greased 11x7” baking dish. Bake at 350ºF for 40 minutes; sprinkle onion rings evenly over top. Bake 5 more minutes or until bubbly around edges. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Makes 6 to 8 servings. --Southern Living, Dec. 2004 -------------------------- Creamy Chicken and Noodles Prep: 10 min., Cook: 15 min. 1 (0.6-oz.) envelope Italian dressing mix 1 (8-oz.) package wide egg noodles 2 tablespoons butter, softened 3 cups chopped cooked chicken 1 cup whipping cream 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley 1. Remove 1 Tbsp. Italian dressing mix from envelope, and set aside; reserve remaining mix for another use. 2. Cook noodles according to package directions; drain well, and return noodles to pan. 3. Stir in 2 Tbsp. butter, and toss to coat. Stir in chopped chicken, next 3 ingredients, and 1 Tbsp. dressing mix. Cook mixture over medium-high heat, tossing to coat evenly, 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Serve immediately. Yield: Makes 6 servings VARIATIONS: 1. Chopped Ham and Peas: Stir in 8 oz. diced ham and 1 cup thawed frozen peas. 2. Southwestern Style: Omit Italian dressing and Parmesan cheese. Stir in 1 (10-oz.) can diced tomatoes and green chiles and 1⁄2 cup (2 oz.) shredded Mexican four-cheese blend. 3. Italian Style: Add 1⁄4 cup diced sun-dried tomatoes and 1 cup turkey pepperoni slices. --Southern Living ---------------------------- LASSGNA Salt 1 package lasagna noodles 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped 1 teaspoon minced garlic 1 tablespoon dried oregano 2 cans tomato soup 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar Nonstick cooking spray 2 cups cottage cheese (small curd) 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add salt. Boil noodles according to package directions. Drain and arrange in casserole (see below). While noodles are boiling, brown beef in a large frying pan over medium-high heat, adding chopped onion, garlic and oregano to meat as it cooks. When meat has browned, drain off fat and then add tomato soup and apple cider vinegar. Simmer for 20 minutes. Preheat oven for 350 degrees F. Spray a medium casserole dish with a nonstick cooking spray. Lay noodles lengthwise across bottom of casserole dish. Spread a layer of cottage cheese over top of noodles. Add a layer of meat mixture, then cover with mozzarella cheese and repeat for a total of 3 layers. Finish with a layer of cheese and bake for 30 minutes or until bubbling. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes before cutting and serving. --Sandra Lee, Semi-Homemade Cooking --------------------------- QUICK & EASY KING RANCH CHICKEN CASSEROLE Prep: 30 min., Cook: 19 min., Bake: 1 hr.; Stand: 10 min. 1 (2-lb.) skinned, boned, and shredded deli-roasted chicken 2 tablespoons butter 1 medium onion, chopped 1 medium-size green bell pepper, chopped 1 garlic clove, pressed 3/4 cup chicken broth 1 (10 3/4-oz.) can cream of mushroom soup 1 (10 3/4-oz.) can cream of chicken soup 2 (10-oz.) cans diced tomatoes and green chiles, drained 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon Mexican-style chili powder* 3 cups grated sharp Cheddar cheese 3 cups coarsely crumbled lime-flavored white corn tortilla chips 1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, and sauté 6 to 7 minutes or until tender. Add bell pepper and garlic, and sauté 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in chicken broth, cream of mushroom soup, and next 5 ingredients. Cook, stirring occasionally, 8 minutes. 2. Layer half of chicken in a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Top with half of soup mixture and 1 cup Cheddar cheese. Cover with half of corn tortilla chips. Repeat layers once. Top with remaining 1 cup cheese. 3. Bake at 350° for 55 minutes to 1 hour or until bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. *1 tsp. chili powder and 1/8 tsp. ground red pepper may be substituted for Mexican-style chili powder. Yield: Makes 8 to 10 servings --Southern Living, FEBRUARY 2008 -------------------------- Pork Chop Casserole 1 (6-oz.) package Uncle Ben's long grain and wild rice mix (not the quick cooking) 2 cups hot water 6 (1/2 inch thick) bone-in pork loin chops, trimmed of most fat 1/4 tsp. pepper 1 can cream of mushroom soup 1/2 cup milk Combine rice, seasoning packet from rice mix and hot water; place in a lightly greased 13x9 baking dish. Set aside. Sprinkle pork chops with pepper, and place over rice mixture. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hr. Uncover casserole; combine soup and milk and pour over casserole. Bake, uncovered about 15 min. more or until thoroughly heated.
6. Make Hamburger helper. cut up vegetables like onions, peppers, mushrooms, anything you like. Or check out the frozen section at the grocery store for veggies already cut up. Defrost them. Mix in a tomatoe sauce or a cream soup like cream of mushroom or cream of chicken or cream of celery to keep it from being dry. Mix veggies with Hamburger helper. Pour in casserole dish. Bake 15 to 30 minutes at 375. Remove and top with cheese and or bread crumbs for crunch.