13 Smart Ways To Improve Any Classic Casserole Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How to spruce up a casserole? ›

Add fresh chilli and coriander to a simple casserole to spice it up. Always add hardy, fresh herbs such as bay leaves and rosemary at the beginning of cooking, and throw in lighter herbs, such as parsley and tarragon, at the end so they keep their flavour.

Fresh herbs or citrus zest can also punch up flavors with a bit of welcome brightness for a long-cooked dish, as can adding some heat in the form of a dash of hot sauce, a generous pinch of minced or sliced fresh chili pepper, or a shake of red pepper flakes.

Let's talk anatomy: A standard dinner casserole usually includes a protein, a starch, a vegetable, a sauce (or other binding ingredient), and cheese. But making a casserole is not an exact science, and you can definitely break away from this formula. Check out some fun side-dish casseroles and desserts below!

Depending on the dish, you can try adding more salt, pepper, garlic, onion, herbs, or spices to enhance the flavor. Add acid: Acidic ingredients such as vinegar, lemon juice, or lime juice can brighten up the flavors of a dish and make it taste less bland.

Casserole history

Apparently, casseroles originated as communal pots that people shared for meals. The oldest recipe for a casserole, around 1250, consisted of pasta sheets cooked in water, layered with grated cheese and spices.

Top tips for casseroles

Cut your ingredients, such as meat, potatoes and parsnips, into similar-sized pieces to ensure they cook evenly. Add any ingredients that cook quickly, such as broad beans, towards the end of cooking. To save time – and washing up – use a flameproof, ovenproof casserole dish.

Generally, casseroles with grains, rice or pasta that will cook during the baking process are usually covered, for at least part of the time. Casseroles made of cooked ingredients are usually baked uncovered. If you like a crisper, browner top, be sure the casserole is uncovered for at least part of the bake time.

Acid. One of my favorite ways to perk up a bland dish is with a splash of acid. These types of ingredients are great especially if you're trying to cook with less salt. This is one reason I try to have at least one lemon in my refrigerator produce drawer at all times.

How to make a casserole less rich? ›

If your food is too rich...

Add an acid such as lemon juice, lime juice, vinegar, or pickled vegetables (such as jalapeños).

Add hardy herbs like thyme, rosemary, oregano, sage, and marjoram to dishes early in the cooking process; this way, they release maximum flavor while ensuring that their texture will be less intrusive.

The extender/starch, a food ingredient that helps thicken a dish. – Dry bread crumbs; cooked, diced potatoes; pasta, rice, grits, or barley; cooked, mashed dry beans.

In the United States, a casserole or hot dish is typically a baked food with three main components: pieces of meat (such as chicken or ground meat) or fish (such as tuna) or other protein (such as beans or tofu), various chopped or canned vegetables (such as green beans or peas), and a starchy binder (such as flour, ...

But the standard rectangular, 13-by-9-inch (or 3- to 5-quart) dish is the most basic and versatile, because the shape is so great for entrées like macaroni and cheese or enchiladas, and for baked goods like bar cookies and coffee cakes.

Herbs and seasoning. add herbs, maybe taragon or sage. Or you could put balls of stuffing in with it. Pepper, and plenty of onion and garlic.

The extender/starch, a food ingredient that helps thicken a dish. – Dry bread crumbs; cooked, diced potatoes; pasta, rice, grits, or barley; cooked, mashed dry beans.