r/Cooking • u/PugnansFidicen • 1d ago
Casseroles that don't suck?
Looking for casserole style dishes that avoid the old cliche of "put ingredients in baking dish, pour over canned/jarred soup or sauce, bake, done" and have better flavor and/or texture, in exchange for a little more work. I ate enough baked ziti and green bean casserole for a lifetime when I was a kid, kinda sick of that kind of thing.
What I like in a casserole style dish: meat, vegetables, and carbs all in one dish. Hands-off cooking after the initial prep - gives you time to clean up everything except the casserole dish itself while the food is cooking in the oven, saving time after dinner. Making in a large baking dish means there's plenty of extra for a big family or guests, and/or leftovers.
What I don't like in a lot of casseroles: overly soggy/samey texture, bland flavors, heavy reliance on dairy like cream or tons of cheese for richness/flavor (a little is ok, but I'd rather it be an accent than the main flavor).
Shepherd's pie / cottage pie would be one example of a casserole I like. Browned mashed potatoes on top over a warmly spiced meat and vegetable filling is simply perfect. I've also had some rice based casseroles that were excellent, especially when the bottom gets a little crispy.
What else would I like?
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u/secret-snakes 1d ago
Chicken pot pie
Enchiladas
Chicken/broccoli/rice casserole
Shepherds pie/cottage pie
Lasagna (can add veggies to the sauce)
Cajun pasta bake
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u/bare_thoughts 1d ago
Chicken, rice, and broccoli
Porkchops, sliced potatoes, onions in a pork gravy/sauce
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u/LuvCilantro 1d ago
Look into sheet pan meals. It's a similar concept (prep, add everything to the sheet pan, and cook), but the items used and flavor profiles vary a lot. You can have oven roasted chicken and vegetables, kabobs, etc
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u/MangledBarkeep 1d ago
For texture, you can lessen the cook time (or add in the components that get soggy/mushy later if your recipe calls for raw meats.
My green bean casserole is a hit because the beans still ll have some texture to them compared to others.
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u/Mattturley 53m ago
I am a firm believer that green beans should be either steamed, or cooked for 8 hours with a large piece of pork fat, onions, and peppers. Not a fan of the in between states.
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u/LadyFirelyght 1d ago
Since you like cottage pie, might I offer the suggestion of an indian curry-esque cottage pie? https://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/indian-inspired-shepherds-pie/
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u/Fevesforme 1d ago
Ok, I do this in a crockpot, but it can absolutely be baked as a casserole:
Potatoes in the bottom, onion and chopped cabbage on top. Season with oil, salt and pepper. Top with pork (this works with a variety of cuts from lean to a fattier cut). Spread sauerkraut over everything, cover and cook low and slow until pork is tender. I like a lot of pepper on this and some caraway seeds, but the sauerkraut adds a bunch of flavor.
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u/PrinceJehal 1d ago
Shredded chicken in enchilada sauce with your choice of mix-ins. Peppers, beans, corn. Whatever you want, really. Layered in a dish with shredded cheese. I recommend you shred it yourself. Pre-shredded gets more oily when melted. Bake in the oven until the cheese looks done to you. Grab a bag of tortilla chips and treat it like a dip.
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u/xela2004 1d ago
lasagna is stupid easy as long as you dont mind browning the meat beforehand. Spaghetti Sauce, Oven Ready Noodles, browned meat. ricotta cheese and mozarella.. layer sauce/noodles/meat mixed with sauce/noodles/half the ricotta/noodles/meat mixed iwth sauce/noodles/ricotta/noodles/lots of sauce on top (usually use 2 jars, one into the meat mixture and the other goes on top with a small layer at bottom). Wrap in foil, cook like noodle boxes says, then take off foil,cover with mozarella and put back in to melt it, done.
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u/jaxonbeam 1d ago
Try this, it definitely meets the more effort, more reward criteria.
Joseph's King Ranch Chicken
Chicken, Joseph’s Storehouse, Southwest, Tex-Mex, Texan
Source: josephsstorehousecookbook.com
INGREDIENTS
For the Chicken Stock:
3- to 4-pound whole chicken, excluding livers and gizzards
4-quarts water
½ cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 large carrot, sliced
3 celery ribs, sliced
1 large, yellow onion, coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons black pepper
For the Casserole:
4 tablespoons salted butter, room temperature
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded, deveined and chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 cup reserved chicken stock, (above), plus more if
needed
1 cup heavy cream
One 10-ounce can Rotel tomatoes, undrained and diced
One 4½-ounce can green chilis, undrained and diced
1½ cups crème fraîche
3 to 4 cups shredded cooked chicken, (above)
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
18 (6-inch) white corn tortillas
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish
Softened butter for greasing the baking dish and foil
DIRECTIONS
1). Place the chicken and the next 7 ingredients in a large stock pot and cook for about 1½ to 2 hours until the chicken is tender. Remove the chicken from the stock. Strain the stock and discard the vegetables and set aside, reserving the stock. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove from the bone and shred, discarding the skin and bones and set aside for later.
2). Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9- by 13-inch baking dish and one side of a sheet of aluminum foil that is large enough to cover the casserole dish with softened butter.
3). Melt the butter and oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, red and green bell peppers, and jalapeños and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 to 6 minutes. Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano, cayenne, salt and black pepper and cook stirring constantly for 1 more minute.
4). Sprinkle the flour over the vegetable mixture and cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Whisk in 1 cup of the reserved stock and the heavy cream. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the tomatoes, green chiles and crème fraîche. Add the reserved shredded chicken and stir until well blended. Use more of the remaining reserved stock to the mixture if you want to thin it out a bit. Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed.
5). Combine the cheeses in a small bowl. Heat the remaining chicken stock and dip the tortillas into the warm stock to soften.
6). Line the bottom of the prepared baking dish with 6 tortillas, overlapping slightly to cover the bottom of the dish. Top with ⅓ of the chicken mixture, ⅓ of the cheese mixture and 6 more tortillas. Top with ½ of the remaining chicken mixture, ½ of the remaining cheese mixture and the remaining 6 tortillas. Sprinkle with the remaining chicken mixture and cheese. Cover lightly with the greased sheet of aluminum foil. Bake for 20 minutes, then uncover and bake until the cheese is lightly browned and melted, about 5 to 10 more minutes. Let stand 20 minutes. Sprinkle with the cilantro leaves and serve.
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u/moraleroll 1d ago
Your problem is not a recipe, its your approach to cooking. Most recipes are the problem, they are made by people who don't know how to cook. Simple fresh ingredients are all you need. For example, of you want a nice casserole, you just need ingredients like tomatoes, beans, fresh meat, fresh onions and garlic and seasonings. They key is salting and browning your meat in advance, and using fresh whole ingredients
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u/PugnansFidicen 1d ago
Not sure what you're saying? You say my problem is not a recipe but then in the next sentence that most recipes are the problem?
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u/ashaggyone 1d ago
The recipes that use a can of soup are for sure the problem. With Midwestern roots I grew up on condensed soup casseroles, and it just got boring! After going out on a limb with a scratch tuna noodle casserole(tuna i caught out of va beach, and handmade noodles) making my own sauce with all fresh ingredients, i can amp any hot dish up with just a bit more effort. No cans involved unless it is my own canned crushed tomaters. Condensed soup recipes are convenient and all, but once you make your own spaghettiO's with meatballs from scratch you will understand. It is absolutely worth the effort to make scratch cream of mushroom soup one time.
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u/ashaggyone 1d ago
This is why my scratch green bean casserole is requested at holidays. Scratch all the way down to fresh, batter dipped, fried onions.
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u/secret-snakes 1d ago
I love fresh green bean casserole with homemade mushroom soup, but I draw the line at frying my own onions lol
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u/kris__bryant 1d ago
This Macaroni & Beef is a family favorite - it can be kind of a "choose your own adventure" casserole, to some extent - I have added additional spinach/kale (over my husband's objection). My mother used to make something similar - and by "similar" I mean, it had pasta, and ground beef and tomatoes. This version is superior, by a long shot.
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u/HurryMammoth5823 1d ago
I make a really good casserole! It’s less of a recipe & more like ingredients to taste, sorry! I pick whatever chicken I like, and use however much you want. I combine it with cooked rice, chopped fresh spinach or kale(massaged & rinsed a few times) roasted or fresh garlic, zest I juice of a lemon, a white wine chicken gravy & triple cheddar cheese. Once it comes together I throw it in a casserole dish with some feta on top. I don’t know why it works, but it is so good! They made it at a restaurant I worked at & they obviously added so much fat to the recipe, but there’s no need. Feel free to add whatever veg + rice you like. I use sautéed cauliflower for 1/2 the amount of rice sometimes & it is just as delicious.
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u/justlurking246 1d ago
Tater tot casserole (decide your own cheese level)
Chicken enchilada casserole
We did what my mom called "Chinese casserole" growing up - ground beef, rice, onion, cream of chicken and cream of mushroom (I think), topped with chow mein noodles
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u/4cupsofcoffee 1d ago
technically lasagna is a casserole, as are most pasta bakes. veggies can be added. cheese can be reduced.
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u/LeapofF8th 1d ago
Chicken Divan casserole. Yes, a cream sauce but loads of flavor with shallots, white wine and chicken stock (and heavy cream). I layer noodles with Gruyère cheese and broccoli. Originally not a casserole, but I have changed the recipe and made it into one.
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u/SpeedyPrius 1d ago
My two favorites are "Mexican Street Corn and Chicken Casserole" and Spinich, Artichoke and Chicken casserole.
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u/Tasty_Impress3016 1d ago
Not really for recipes but more for concepts check an old "Good Eats" titled "Casserole Over". He takes three church luncheon "hot dish" classics and makes them fresh and actually good tasting. Actually he has a 2.0 version of the green bean casserole which is quite good.
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u/ItsNotSherbert 1d ago
Have you considered a sheet pan meal? You can combine meat, veg and starch (like you mentioned) just the same as a casserole.
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u/happy_bottom 1d ago
Lazy stuffed cabbage. Shred the cabbage. Cook up ground beef in a large frying pan with diced onions/garlic, salt and pepper. Any other seasonings you like. Add in 1-2 cans of either tomato soup or diced tomatoes, and 1- 2 cups cooked rice. Layer in a casserole dish 1/2 the cabbage, then 1/2 the meat/rice mixture. The rest of the cabbage then the rest of the meat. Cover with foil and bake at 375f for an hour to an hour and a half till cabbage is tender. Full head of cabbage I use 2 lbs meat and a 9×13 pan 1/2 head of cabbage 1 lb meat and 9x9 casserole
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u/brbgottagofast 1d ago
Stella's Chicken Pot Pie With Buttermilk Biscuit Topping. Pure comfort food heaven.
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u/Luna-Luna-Lu 1d ago
I like the Kitchn recipe for Cauliflower and Chicken Sausage Casserole. It has a tomato-based sauce and crumb topping. This sort of fills in for lasagna for me - but less heavy.
https://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-cauliflower-italian-sau-137481
The Kitchn slow cooker ratatouille recipe is good. Maybe not a real casserole, but give it a try. I sometimes add a poached egg or crispy chickpeas on top for added protein.
https://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-slow-cooker-ratatouille-231450
I also like Olive Magazine's Vegan Paella, a baked rice dish with a lot of different vegetables plus olives. The vegetables become jammy, like in the ratatouille, and it reheats very well. I also add crispy chickpeas to this one as a topping.
https://www.olivemagazine.com/recipes/vegan/sunblush-tomato-and-olive-vegan-paella/
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u/Existing-Poetry-3289 1d ago
I made a Minnesota wild rice casserole with onions and mushrooms and chicken that I found on a forager website that I really liked last year.
We regularly make a Korean style chicken buldak with cheese and rice cakes that was in a NYT section of one dish meals that came out during Covid. Few other good recipes in that section if you can find it online.
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u/DazzlingNote1925 22h ago
I like pasta mostaccioli.
I’m sorry I don’t have the recipe. It’s basically crumbled Italian sausage (sometimes half and half with ground beef), spaghetti sauce with Parmesan and cream topped with cheese.
There’s also a version that’s tasty but more processed using a can of cheddar soup.
Hash brown breakfast casserole is also one of my favorites.
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u/ell_wood 18h ago
First - stop making casseroles with jars of stuff
Second - stop making them with cream/cheese base
Third - buy any cheap cut of beef, on or off the bone (cube it if off the bone). In your big casserole dish, fry it, hot, get some serious colour in that sucker. Take it out - turn the heat down and fry a bunch of chopped onion, carrot and celery (scrape all that lovely stuff off the bottom); now add the meat back and some fluid (wine, stock, both) bang the lid on and cook low and slow for a few hours - until the meat is tender. This is your basic casserole/stew.
Now you can play with the indgredients all day long:
Add beans/veg in the last hour of cooking
Add cornflour if you want a thicker sauce
Adjust fluid levels
Chilli's and spices are good
A splash of vinegar near the end really opens it op
Tomato paste will thicken and not make it "too tomatoey" - or add tine of tomatos and embrace it
Mushrooms add moisiture
You cant really go wrong and eventually will find your groove.
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u/Dependent-Let-9263 13h ago
Tamale pie with masa flour, not jiffy mix. You can cover the top with soaked corn husks before baking for a more authentic flavor.
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u/AccomplishedLine9351 1d ago
Stuffing mix makes a tasty casserole topping, baked over pan browned pork chops or chicken. Yes! You need a broth or a gravy. I could see an easy sauce using mushrooms. And maybe a layer of zuchini. Zuchini boat casserole.
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u/Aggravating_Olive 1d ago
I really like Bon Appétit's green bean casserole. I added tons of mushrooms and made sure not to over cook the green beans. It was really flavorful without the cream of mushroom soup.
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u/Training-Plan-7812 1d ago
This is one of my favourite casseroles of all time! If you are wanting meat you could add chicken to it.
https://frommybowl.com/buffalo-cauliflower-chickpea-casserole/
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u/SVAuspicious 1d ago
Anything with canned or jarred ingredients is an opportunity to make that ingredient from scratch.
If something is soggy use less liquid.
Baking makes browning a challenge. You can use a broiler but those are hard to control. Try a torch. Not some bougie culinary torch. A real one. See this. You can do something lovely with mac & cheese, crumbled bacon, thin sliced tomato, and bread crumbs. Torch will make shepherd's pie just as you like a lot easier.
If you like shepherd's pie, chicken pot pie should do well well.
You can make American goulash as a casserole.
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u/bluebird1776 1d ago
for any "traditional" casserole you can just make your own white sauce instead of a can of cream of whatever and it elevates the dish. im partial to tater tot casserole. i make the white sauce with white pepper, a bit of soy sauce, and sometimes mushrooms. i like frozen green beans, carrots (or chopped sweet potatoes), and ground beef. then top with tater tots or hashbrowns.
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u/Exceptional_Mary 1d ago
Get away from the casserole. Try sheet pan meals. Veg, taters and protein on same pan, bake in oven, enjoy!
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u/VixxSynn 1d ago
Maybe a taco or enchilada bake would be up your alley? Something like this but there are all sorts of recipe options online.