Casseroles: From oven to table

photo by rizcapb

One-dish meals are comfort foods, and they’ve had a makeover since retro tuna-noodle surprise. But they’re still basic enough to incorporate your favorite foods, such as melted cheese, meat, starch and vegetables. The best part is that everything you need is probably already in your kitchen. You should include a few casserole recipes in your meal rotation. They’re easy to assemble, cheap to make, flexible and cleanup is a breeze. And if you have any extra, they taste great reheated.

Pineapple Ham Casserole

1 can (20 ounces) pineapple tidbits
1/2 cup mayonnaise (full-fat)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 cups cooked rice
2 cups fully cooked, cubed ham
1 cup chopped green pepper
1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded Swiss cheese, divided
1/3 cups chopped onion

Drain the pineapple, reserving 1/2 cup juice; set pineapple aside. In a large bowl, combine the mayonnaise, salt, mustard, pepper and reserved pineapple juice; mix well. Fold in rice, ham, green pepper, 1 cup Swiss cheese, onion and pineapple. Transfer to a greased 2-quart baking dish. Cover and bake at 350 F for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake uncovered for 10 minutes or until heated through and the cheese is melted.
Serves 6. — Heather, New York

Spaghetti Pie

12 ounces spaghetti, cooked and drained
4 tablespoons margarine
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
2 well-beaten eggs
1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
8-ounce can diced tomatoes
6-ounce can tomato sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1 cup cottage cheese
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

Cook’s note: You can replace the can of diced tomatoes and tomato sauce with a jar of thick spaghetti sauce. For variation, put meatballs (instead of the meat mixture) on top of the cottage cheese, and pour spaghetti sauce over them. You can use frozen ravioli (thawed), too. If you’re using ravioli, use a shallow 2-quart baking dish.
With the first four ingredients, make crust in 10-inch pie dish. Cook meat, onion and pepper until tender and meat is browned. Drain off excess fat. Stir in the next six ingredients. Spread cottage cheese over crust, and fill with tomato/meat mixture. Bake covered in 350 F oven for about 1 hour. Uncover and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake until cheese is melted. — Cheryl, Canada

Corn Casserole

1 stick butter/margarine, melted
1 can (15-1/4 ounces) whole-kernel corn, drained
1 can (14-3/4 ounces) cream-style corn
1 package (8 ounces) corn-muffin mix
1 cup sour cream
1-1/2 cups shredded cheddar or fiesta-blend cheese

Preheat oven to 350 F. Melt one stick butter/margarine. In a large bowl, stir together the two cans of corn, corn-muffin mix, sour cream and melted butter. Pour into a 9-13-inch pan. Bake for 45 minutes or until brown. Remove from oven, and top with cheddar. (I mix the cheddar into the corn mixture, reserving a little for the top.) Return to oven for 5 to 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Let stand for at least 5 minutes and then serve warm. Serve with chili or chicken. — Dianne, Mississippi

Posted by Sara Noel on April 21 2009. Filed under Frugal Cooking.
Sara Noel owns Frugal Village, LLC and is a nationally syndicated columnist with Universal Uclick. Bio, Follow me on Twitter, Join us on Facebook