Casseroles, A Great Meal To Have With The Family

Casseroles have become a staple in American families and as families get busier and busier, making a casserole is a great way to make some quick and easy meals that you can still enjoy around the family table. Today when we think of the word "casserole dish," I picture a church potluck or a woman with her arms stretched out welcoming a neighbor to a new house or neighborhood or even a housewife like Donna Reed on a 50's television show. Clearly, there is a reason why we have this perception. These meals are quick and easy to make.

What makes the elements of a great casserole or "hot dish," as Minnesotans like to call it? Think of hamburger or tuna helper and basically you will get an idea of what the great elements are. For me it usually includes rice or some sort of pasta. Next comes a layer of some sort of condensed soup, usually cream of chicken or cream of mushroom.

Meat Casseroles

Personally, I am a little pickier, and while cream of mushroom seems to be a main ingredient in many of the recipes I like to make, I don't necessarily like it to be the main ingredient all the time. So I will often substitute the cream of chicken soup or find a way to substitute something else in that matches whatever I am making. It makes it more fun to be able to experiment and find new variations of recipes me and my family already enjoy. Next comes a meat; tuna, beef, chicken or even turkey all work. You can also add things like peas or corn to get a more balance meal.

One of my favorite things about these dinners is that you probably already have most of the stuff you need to make it in your cupboard right now. I always have mushroom or chicken soup in the cupboard, as well as, rice and noodles. Frozen vegetables and chicken are also almost always in the freezer and I am betting you have all of these ingredients too.

Recently, these type of meals seem to get a bad reputation because they throw everything together and aren't very difficult to bake. However, they are probably better than the fast food alternative and they get your family together with a quick and easy home cooked recipe that all of us should enjoy more often.

Casseroles, A Great Meal To Have With The Family

Of course, you always need something to cook it in. A casserole pan is useful for all sorts of meals and I recommend using le creuset casserole dishes.

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