For me, few things are quite as nostalgic as being a kid and coming home from school on a cold day to a warm house, my smiling Mom and a wonderful aroma wafting from the oven. BEHOLD the glory of the casserole! Few meals are as easy to toss together, that are inherently satisfying as a casserole. If you don’t have fond memories of them, you should have visited the Hill House, because my mother had rockin’ casserole skills! I’m not talking Tuna Noodle Casserole; I’m talking about amazing, delicious dishes that satisfied the budget and the family.
The main glory of the casserole, is that it:
- can be made ahead of time
- can be frozen for future use
- utilizes leftovers
- is cheap and easy to prepare
- is so versatile
If you have leftovers that can be used for a particular casserole, but you really don’t want to eat it any time soon…don't throw out good food...prepare the casserole anyway! Just make these minor adjustments:
Layer your baking dish with wax paper prior to filling and do not add any toppers such as cheese or bread crumbs. (Mashed potato toppers are fine to add) Make sure your wax paper goes up & over the sides of the dish. After you add the casserole filling to the paper-lined dish, place it in the freezer until it is frozen solid. Remove the frozen casserole from the dish (it should now just be semi-wrapped in wax paper – the paper makes it easy to remove from the pan). Put your frozen casserole in a large freezer bag or wrap tightly in foil. Don’t forget to label the contents! Then stash it in the freezer until needed! To use: Remove the frozen casserole 1-day prior to use. Remove the wax paper & place the casserole back in its original dish. Cover the dish & allow it to “thaw” in the fridge overnight.
Now I'm going to share a few of our family favorites. Take these basic recipes & change them up...add or subtract ingredients and make them your own! Most of them are easy on the budget...who says you have to eat Ramen to save money??? I am giving the cost, based on utilizing leftovers and shopping at a discount grocery store. (See my post “Trim the Fat” for references) Also, many of the ingredients I consider “pantry items” and are too cheap to apply a cost. If it is less than .25 in value I won’t list it. For example, an egg is worth about .10 so I wouldn’t list them unless I was using at least 3 of them.
Baked Spaghetti – $3.80
Use leftover (or make fresh) spaghetti. Mix about ¼ cup of shredded cheddar cheese and ½ cup of shredded mozzarella into the spaghetti. Pour into a greased 2 qt casserole dish. Layer the top with pepperoni (optional) top with shredded mozzarella and sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake at 400, 25 minutes or until cheese is golden brown.
Cost: leftover spaghetti $0, shredded cheeses $3.50, Pepperoni: .30
Chicken, Cheddar & Broccoli Casserole - $4.60
2 cups cooked rice
Cut-up chicken (any type of leftover or approximately 2-3 breasts fully cooked)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
4 oz of Velveeta, cut up (the oz’s are marked on the pkg for easy measuring)
6 oz of shredded cheddar cheese
½ bag of frozen broccoli
Grated Parmesan cheese
Melt together the mushroom soup, velveeta and 3 oz of the cheddar. While the sauce is melting, combine the cooked rice, chicken & broccoli. Add the sauce to the rice mixture. Pour into a greased 2 qt baking dish. Sprinkle the rest of the cheddar cheese on top then sprinkle with a little grated parmesan.
Bake at 400 for 30 minutes or until golden brown.
Feel free to substitute the chicken with any leftover meat and the broccoli with any other vegetable…ham works well with peas or broccoli and shredded beef is beautiful with peppers and/or mushrooms.
Cost: Leftover meat: $0, Rice: $1.40, Velveeta: .65, Cheddar: $1.40, Mushroom Soup: .50, Frozen Broccoli: .65
One of my husband’s favorites that is easy to double, and is an excellent crowd-pleaser is my Mom’s quick & easy Jumbalaya recipe. It’s so simple; I was making this dish when I was barely big enough to reach the stove!
Mama Hill’s Jumbalaya - $5.05
Cut up raw chicken (approximately 3 chicken breasts)
7 oz of link polish sausage, cut up in thin slices (7 oz is approximately 1 link or half of a pkg. I buy skinless polska kielbasa)
1 can of tomatoes & green chilis undrained
1 pkg of Cajun Rice or “Dirty Rice” (approximately 6 oz pkg)
1 cup of water.
Mix the above ingredients in a greased 2 qt casserole dish. Bake uncovered at 350, 30-45 minutes or until the chicken is done. Serve with Cornbread!
Cost: Chicken: $1.85, Sausage: $1.35, Tomatoes & Chilis: .65, Rice Mix: $1.20
Of course, it wouldn't be a complete "Casserole" segment if we didn't include Tuna Noodle Casserole. I wasn't going to include this retro dish, but I decided I have to honor two great men in my life who think this is a fantastic meal. When I was a kid, if you came home to the smell of this casserole it was a pretty safe bet that Mom wasn't home...
Papa Hill's Tuna Noodle Casserole - $2
1 pkg of egg noodles (cooked & drained)
1 can of drained tuna
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
Combine the 3 ingredients, pour into a greased 1.5 qt baking dish and bake at 350 until bubbly.
Cost: Noodles: .99, Tuna: .52, Soup: .49
Papa Miller's Version - $2.80
1 box of kraft macaroni & cheese (prepare as directed on box)
1 can of tuna
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
1 can of peas (drained)
Combine the ingredients, pour into a greased 1.5 qt baking dish and bake at 350 until bubbly
Cost: Kraft Dinner: $1.20, Tuna: .52, Soup: .49, Peas: .59
(Thankfully that's over with!!)
We typically serve Bean-Dip Casserole as a main-dish with warmed tortilla shells and eat them like burritos. However, it can be a fun side to bring to a party. It’s a family favorite & it’s always requested for pot-lucks. It is also excellent served with tortilla chips. It’s not very budget-friendly, but it’s rather delicious, so I thought it was worth mentioning!
Vicky Miller’s Bean Dip - $9.77
Layer a 9” baking dish with the below ingredients in the order they are listed.
1 can of refried beans
1 lb of seasoned, browned hamburger drained of fat. (I season with salt, pepper, garlic powder and a touch of cumin)
1 small jar of salsa (any variety)
1 12 oz pkg of shredded cheddar or Mexican style cheese.
Bake at 350 for approximately 20 mins or until the cheese is golden-brown.
Cost: Beans: .80, Hamburger:$2.79, Salsa: $1.79, Cheese: $2.79, Soft Tortilla Shells: $1.60
This simple recipe is great for those nights when you are short on time or just don’t feel like making a big fuss with dinner. The result is a warm, simple, aromatic dish.
Sausage Casserole - $5.40
(Recipe from cooks.com)
1 lb ground sausage (variety of your choice)
1 small onion, diced
1 cup Velveeta
1 can cream of mushroom soup
½ cup milk
16 oz Spaghetti
Cook the spaghetti until it is not quite done. Drain.
Fry the onion and sausage together, drain. Add Velveeta, cream of mushroom and milk. Mix together and pour in a greased 2 qt casserole dish. Bake at 350 until bubbly.
Cost: Sausage $2.80, Velveeta: $1.25, Cream of Mushroom Soup: .50, Spaghetti: .85
My final dish in this segment is my crown jewel of casseroles. It is a recipe I created based on an old favorite. I LOVE Shepard’s Pie but could never find a recipe that tasted “quite right”. So, my hubby and I sat down & discussed the things we felt were necessary to a good Shepard’s Pie and this is what we came up with. This retro casserole is hearty & delicious. Few things feel like home for us as much as this dish. It’s not a “quick dish” but it is well worth the effort. Serve it up on a chilly night and witness for yourself the warm reception that it receives. I hope your family enjoys it as much as mine.
Retro Mama’s Shepard’s Pie - $4.13
Mashed potatoes (I always use leftover)
4 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 onion, finely diced
4 large cloves of garlic, minced
2 TBS butter
1 C frozen peas
1 lb hamburger
2 TBS Worcestershire Sauce
2 TBS tomato paste
2 TBS all purpose flour
1 C Beef Broth (I use 2 bouillon cubes to 1 cup of water)
1 egg white - beaten
Parmesan Cheese
Start potatoes to boil – enough for a very small batch of mashed potatoes (or just use leftovers)
Sautee the carrots, onion and garlic. Season well with salt and pepper. Mix in the 2 TBS of butter and frozen peas and remove from heat.
Brown the hamburger; season it well with salt, pepper & garlic powder. Drain the fat and add the Worcestershire sauce and tomato paste. Gently stir in the Sautee mixture. Add the flour and stir well to evenly coat everything. Add the beef broth & stir until thick.
Pour into a greased 2 qt baking dish. Top with the mashed potatoes. Coat with the beaten egg white and sprinkle with the grated parm. Bake at 400 for 20 minutes.
Cost: Potatoes: $0, Carrots: .50, Frozen Peas: .45, Hamburger: $2.79, Tomato Paste: .39
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