Sunday, November 21, 2010

Whatever Casserole

Casserole (or Hotdish) is great when the weather turns cold, plus it's another one of those 'use up bits of this and that' kind of main dishes.

Anyway, it's super easy! All you need is:

1 carby base - I usually use a package egg noodles but rice and macaroni work well too
A couple of handfuls of chopped cooked meat (most any kind will do, chicken, ham, roast whatever, sausage... really anything!)
About half an onion, chopped
A handful or two of other fresh 'soft' veggies you want to include, chopped (like green peppers, celery, broccoli)
A handful or two of any canned/frozen 'hard' veggie (corn, peas, carrots etc. I use 'mixed vegetables' a lot in casserole)
1 can of cream of something soup (chicken, mushroom, celery, etc)
1 can of creamed corn. Yes, I said creamed corn. Thank my sister in law for this addition, it's awesome!
Chopped/shredded/crumbled cheese (any kind you have to use up)
Spices to taste (salt and pepper, Mrs Dash, etc)
Something crunchy for a topping (crushed chips, dried bread crumbs, grated parmesan, etc)

Cook your carb and drain. Mix in chopped meat, veggies, soup, creamed corn, cheese and spices. Pour into greased 2 quart casserole dish. Sprinkle on crunchy topping. Bake at 375˚ for about 30 min until bubbly and hot. Serve with salad and bread, if desired. :)

Casserole with egg noodles, ham, mixed veggies, velveeta, mushroom soup and crushed potato chips.
Honestly, you can skip (or expand upon) everything but the carb, soup, creamed corn, and cheese. Use what you have! It re-heats well and there's just something about the carb/cheese/creamed corn that's amazing!