Homemade casseroles can be a welcome addition to any holiday table
A good guest brings something. Maybe it’s flowers; maybe it’s a celebratory beverage for the hosts to enjoy later. For many large holiday gatherings of friends and family, however, what’s more welcome than a casserole? Casseroles can serve as hearty side dishes or as entrees. Bring your casserole in a container your hosts can keep to be easily set aside or frozen, providing a postparty repast long after guests have gone. Take one of these recipes to an upcoming holiday event, and let your casserole say, “Thank you for inviting me!”
Creamy Wild Rice Seafood
Ingredients
- 1½ cups wild rice
- 2 pounds skinless orange roughy fillets (or substitute cod or tilapia)
- ¼ cup dry white wine
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ¾ teaspoon garlic salt
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
- ¼ teaspoon hot sauce
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 tablespoons half-and-half
- 1 cup cooked lump crabmeat
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Cook the wild rice according to the package directions. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Arrange fillets in a single layer in a 13-by-9-inch baking dish that has been coated with cooking spray. In a measuring cup, whisk together the wine, lemon juice, garlic salt, pepper and hot sauce. Pour over the fillets and dot with 1 tablespoon of the butter. Cover and bake 20-22 minutes or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.
- During the last 5 minutes of cooking, place the remaining butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. When melted, whisk in the flour and cook 2 minutes, whisking constantly until smooth and bubbly. Remove the fish from the oven and turn the broiler on high. With a baster, remove the cooking liquid and add to the butter mixture. Cook, stirring for 3-4 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and cream. Gradually add 2 tablespoons of the hot liquid to the egg mixture, whisking briskly. Add to the hot liquid, whisking constantly, and return to heat. Cook, stirring for 1 minute longer, and remove from the heat.
- Ladle the cooked wild rice into the casserole dish, carefully shifting around the fillets so they are positioned on top of the rice. Top the fillets with the crabmeat and gently pour the sauce evenly over the top. Sprinkle with cheese. Broil 5–7 minutes or until the top is lightly browned. Serve hot.
Baked Jambalaya
Ingredients
- 1 pound hot smoked sausage, sliced
- 1 (8-ounce) package mushrooms, sliced
- 3 cups shredded cooked chicken
- 2 cups uncooked long grain white rice
- 3 green onions, sliced
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- ¾ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 (10-ounce) can condensed French onion soup
- 1 (10-ounce) can condensed beef broth
- 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13-by-9-inch baking dish and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the sausage, mushrooms, chicken, rice, green onions, celery, thyme, pepper and garlic powder. In a separate bowl, stir together the soup, broth and tomato paste until smooth. Pour over the sausage mixture and toss to evenly coat. Transfer to the baking dish and dot with butter. Cover and bake 50–60 minutes or until the rice is tender. Serve hot.
Chicken and Dressing
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
- 1 medium white onion, peeled and diced
- 3 celery stalks, diced
- 1 large garlic clove, minced
- 1 cup uncooked long-grain rice
- 3½ cups chicken stock
- 1 recipe cornbread, cooked and crumbled
- 2 slices white bread, torn
- 1 teaspoon rubbed sage
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 4 bone-in chicken breast halves
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 13-by-9-inch baking dish and set aside.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions, celery and garlic. Sauté 2 minutes or until tender. Add the rice and sauté 1 minute. Stir in the stock and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, combine the crumbled cornbread, white bread, sage, pepper and poultry seasoning. After the rice is done, add the contents of the skillet to the mixing bowl. Stir well and spoon into the prepared pan.
- Heat the remaining oil in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Brown each chicken breast 2 minutes on each side. Place the chicken over the dressing and cover. Bake 45 minutes or until the chicken is completely done. Serve warm.
Chicken Tetrazzini
Ingredients
- 8 ounces dry spaghetti, broken in half
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 small sweet onion, peeled and chopped
- 1 (8 ounce) package whole button mushrooms, sliced
- ½ cup chopped green bell pepper
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt, divided
- 1 teaspoon black pepper, divided
- 1 cup English peas (if frozen, no need to thaw)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 heaping tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ cup chicken stock
- ¾ cup milk, room temperature
- 2 cups chopped cooked chicken
- 6 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, divided
- ¼ cup chopped fresh chives, divided
Instructions
- Cook the spaghetti according to the package directions; drain and set aside. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease an 11-by-7-inch baking dish and set aside.
- In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onions, mushrooms, peppers, garlic and half the salt and pepper. Saute 5 minutes. Stir in the peas and saute 2 minutes longer. Transfer to a large bowl and stir in the spaghetti. Set aside.
- Place the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. When hot, add the flour, stirring until smooth. Gradually add the stock, stirring constantly for 2 minutes or until thickened. Gradually add the milk, stirring constantly until thickened, around 3 minutes. Add the remaining salt and pepper and stir into the spaghetti mixture along with the chicken, 4 tablespoons of the cheese and half of the chives.
- Transfer to the prepared baking dish and sprinkle the top with the remaining cheese and chives. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to stand 10 minutes before serving warm.
Crescent Topped Turkey Casserole
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 2 large celery stalks, chopped
- 1 large shallot, peeled and chopped
- 1 (8-ounce) can sliced water chestnuts, drained
- 1 (10-ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
- ½ cup coarsely chopped mushrooms
- 3 cups cooked chopped turkey
- ⅔ cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 (8-ounce) can refrigerated crescent rolls
- 1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
- ½ cup slivered almonds
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13-by-9-inch baking dish and set aside.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, melt half of the butter. When melted, add the celery and shallots. Saute 5 minutes and add the water chestnuts, soup, mushrooms, turkey, mayonnaise and sour cream. Cook, stirring constantly for 3 minutes or until bubbly.
- Transfer to the prepared baking dish. Separate the crescent rolls into two squares and place over the turkey mixture. Sprinkle evenly with the cheese and almonds. Melt the remaining butter in the microwave on low power for 30 seconds and drizzle over the top. Bake for 22–25 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Allow to stand 10 minutes before serving warm.
Casserole tips:
- Make sure to chop any dense vegetables as close to the same size as possible in order to have even cooking. These include any types of potatoes and winter squash as well as carrots, turnips and parsnips.
- Use the correct size of dish and fill it to around an inch from the top rim. This is enough space to prevent overflow but is full enough to keep the ingredients from drying out in the cooking process.
- If possible, prep the casserole the day before and refrigerate until ready to bake. This gives all the ingredients time to meld. Simply pull it out of the refrigerator for 30 minutes before preheating the oven to fully bake.
- Crispy toppings demand that the casserole be baked uncovered.
- If you prefer to bake the casserole covered, make sure to coat the aluminum foil with cooking spray first to prevent sticking.
ASK Chef Tammy
Email your cooking questions to Tammy Algood: [email protected].
Melissa writes:
I have some really tall glass bottles that are getting to be a bit grimy in the bottom. I don’t have a bottle brush long enough to clean them. Any suggestions?
Melissa, there are several options and all will work equally well. Start by filling the bottles halfway with very warm soapy water. Then add a handful of either small pie weights or any small dried beans. Cover the top with your thumb and shake vigorously. The agitation should sufficiently clean the bottom of the bottles. Discard the dried beans.
Ronnie writes:
I don’t do a lot of baking, and my sugar is hard and quite lumpy. I hate to throw it away and waste it. Is there an easy way to get it back to “normal”?
Ronnie, first of all, I would transfer it to a double thickness of two heavy-duty zip-top bags and pound it with a hammer or meat mallet. Watch it carefully so the bags don’t burst, When you get the sugar to usable sizes, you can roll them with a rolling pin. Lay out several long pieces of waxed paper on your countertop and crush until the sugar is back to the original granular form. In the future, make sure the sugar is stored in an airtight container that is tightly closed.
