02211 Casseroles

A family in my sister's neighborhood was recently stricken with a double tragedy, when both the young mother and her three-year-old son were diagnosed with cancer. When Catherine told me about this, I could only say, shocked, "Dear God, that family needs grace." She replied firmly, "That family needs casseroles," and proceeded to organize the entire neighborhood into bringing that family dinner, in shifts, every single night, for an entire year. I do not know if my sister fully recognizes that this IS grace. — Elizabeth Gilbert, Eat, Pray, Love

There are six categories of ingredients that make a casserole:

  1. Protein — hamburger, ham, chicken, beans, etc.
  2. Vegetables — whatever you like
  3. Fillers — pasta, rice, potatoes
  4. Gravy or Sauce
  5. Topping
  6. Seasonings and spices

The basic food ingredients of a casserole are the protein, vegetables, and fillers.

Creamy liquid or gravy holds these ingredients together.

Top the casserole with dough, pastry, or a crumb crust (such as crumbled crackers mixed with melted butter). The topping usually is crunchy and a variety of textures is one of the factors that makes good food good.

The seasonings and spices support the flavors you combine to make the casserole.

Casseroles can be made ahead of time and frozen for reheating later, thus saving time. If you're making one, you might as well make two and freeze one for later.

When cooking a casserole that you plan to freeze, undercook it by about 10 minutes. If there is a crumb topping, do not put it on until ready to reheat for serving. Quickly cool the casserole to stop the cooking (you can set the covered pan in a larger pan of ice water.)

To save on the number of casserole dishes you need, before putting the casserole into the dish, line it with aluminum foil. When frozen, lift the foil out of the dish, wrap to exclude all air, return to it to the freezer until needed. When ready to reheat, put it back into a baking dish, with the aluminum foil for reheating (this saves time in cleaning the baking dish afterwards). It doesn't have to be thawed before reheating. Casseroles can be stored for about three months.

Label and date any casseroles you put into the freezer.