Five ways to Rock that Casserole
It’s not an empty baking dish—it’s a blank canvas ready to become a delicious work of art. Make it a masterpiece!
1.Gather all the ingredients in one place before assembling your casserole—that includes all food and cookware. Digging in the fridge for this and reaching into the pantry for that adds unnecessary steps that slow down the process.
2.Potatoes, carrots, and other root vegetables often need a little more lovin’ in the oven than other produce. Parcook (or partially cook) them ahead before including so they’re on the same page with everything else.
3.Fresh or frozen vegetables are often full of extra water that ends up at the bottom of the dish. Thaw and strain frozen vegetables, precook mushrooms and bell peppers, and give those greens a good squeeze.
4.Prefer your pasta al dente? Cut a few minutes off the cooking time so it doesn’t overcook when baking.
5.Finish on a fun note: Up the flavor factor by adding crumbled bits of bacon, crushed potato chips, or buttered breadcrumbs on top.
Freezing: The Cold, Hard Truth
Making two casseroles and freezing one? Avoid leaving both dishes in the cold with these genius tips:
•Line the baking dish you plan to freeze with heavy-duty aluminum foil, allowing foil to extend over each side. Lightly grease foil.
•Prepare the casserole as directed, using prepared foil-lined dish. Do not bake. Freeze unbaked casserole until firm.
•Remove the foil-covered frozen casserole from the baking dish; fold foil over top of casserole. Wrap in additional foil, or place foil-wrapped casserole in a zip-top plastic freezer bag, seal, and return to freezer.
•When ready to use, remove all foil from frozen casserole, and place in a lightly greased baking dish; cover.
•Thaw in refrigerator for 24 hours; let stand 30 minutes at room temperature, and bake as directed.
Crack the Casserole Code
Casseroles have a language of their own. Get looped in on the lingo.
WHAT: “Cover and chill”
WHERE: The fridge
HOW: Casseroles love to be made ahead of time, which means covering the dish, and chilling it in the fridge. No lid? No problem. Use heavy-duty aluminum foil or plastic wrap to seal the deal.
WHAT: “Overnight”
WHERE: The fridge
HOW: To humans, overnight means sundown to sun up. For casseroles, it means 24 hours.
WHAT: “Take the chill off”
WHERE: The counter
HOW: All casseroles—whether they’ve been refrigerated overnight or previously frozen—need to rest before hitting the oven. Unless the recipe states otherwise, give them 30 minutes on the counter before baking, and use that time to preheat the oven.
WHAT: “Cover and freeze”
WHERE: The freezer
HOW: Baby, it’s cold inside! Use heavy-duty aluminum foil to cover your casserole before sending it into subzero temps.
WHAT: “Start thawing”
WHERE: The fridge
HOW: Ready to break out that casserole you were so smart to freeze? Plan ahead. Unless the recipe states otherwise, let it spend 24 hours in the fridge before baking.
WHAT: “Bake”
WHERE: The oven
HOW: Casseroles bake best without a cover, so remove the lid unless the recipe says otherwise.
Doctor that Dish!
The best dish is the one you create with your family and friends in mind. Use the recipes in One-Dish Wonders as a blueprint, and let your creative juices flow. Recipe calls for Gouda but your kids love Cheddar? Sub it out. Other easy adaptations include swapping canned soup for a prepared Alfredo sauce and using protein-rich almonds as a textured topping.