Archive for the ‘CASSEROLES’ Category
Pork & Stuffing Casserole
November 6, 2017 Lee
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Pork & Stuffing Casserole

Sounds perfect, and two of the major ingredients can be made from shortcuts for cost savings, and in my opinion, better taste. Links to the shortcuts are listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 4 pork chops, bone in or boneless
  • 1 box Stove Top stuffing, OR make from a shortcut
  • 1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup, OR make from a shortcut
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven to 180 C. Oil or butter a 9x13 baking dish.
  • Heat a splash of cooking oil in large non stick pan, season chops with salt and pepper as desired, browns chops on both sides, remove from pan and place in the baking dish.
  • Prepare the boxed stuffing according to package or make from the shortcut. Spoon the stuffing over the chops.
  • Mix together the milk and soup, pour over the top of the chops.
  • Cover the dish with foil and bake for 1 hour. You can bake longer for increased tenderness if desired, the chops will remain moist.
  • Remove the foil for the last 15 to 20 minutes of baking to nicely brown the top of the casserole.
  • Serve.

Notes

I will price this when I get 4 pork chops again, for now I will say Low cost.
Shortcuts: Stove Top Stuffing, Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Stephen Connell.
United States.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,5 Ingredients or Less,CASSEROLES
Chicken & Dumpling Casserole II
October 29, 2017 Lee
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Chicken & Dumpling Casserole II

Sounds very good! On the to cook list for sure. I love a good casserole, and chicken, win win. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 3-4 cups cooked chicken, see Step 1
  • 4 tablespoons butter, this is 1/4 standard block
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 1 can condensed cream of chicken soup, OR make from a shortcut

Instructions
 

  • For the chicken, economical way is to use quarters, separated, about 6 to 8 cover with about 2 inches of water (any extra chicken after this, freeze and use in another recipe). Boil them up in large pot. Optional, to make a really good broth and juicy chicken, add Trinity (an onion, celery, and a carrot, all roughly chopped). Allow to cool to room temp, remove skin and bones (good dinner for your dog) and roughly chop the chicken. Stain the broth, measure out 2 cups for this recipe, put the rest in a jar and cover and place in your fridge for the next recipe.
  • Preheat your oven to 200 C. Add the butte to a 9x13 baking dish and put in the oven while it is heating, remove the dish when the butter is melted, see, you just saved yourself a small sauce pan to wash.
  • Remove dish from the oven and place the chopped chicken in the dish. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, milk, salt, and baking powder, pour this over the chicken in the dish but do not stir or mix in, think of this as a chicken cobbler.
  • Same mixing bowl, mix together the soup and chicken broth you made, pour this over the casserole, but once again, do not stir or mix in.
  • Bake uncovered for 35 to 45 minutes, done will be indicated by a nicely browned top and bubbling on the edges.
  • Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes, serve, and enjoy.

Notes

I will state go with 1 kilo of chicken, cost for that would be about 70 Baht. Go a heavy handed with the chicken for 90 Baht, no one will complain. For 6 servings, this is about 45 cents per serving.
Shortcut: Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup.
This recipe for Chicken & Dumpling Casserole is from Veronica's Cornucopia.
United States.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,CASSEROLES
Old Fashioned Mac & Beef Casserole
October 28, 2017 Lee
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Old Fashioned Mac & Beef Casserole

Sounds like a good hearty meal. This dish can be changed in many ways to make it different each time. On the to cook list.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups dry macaroni
  • 500 grams ground beef
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 tablespoon fresh Jalapeno pepper, minced
  • 3 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika, smoked if available
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 cup onion, diced
  • 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
  • 1 cup tomatoes, diced
  • 1 cup evaporated milk
  • 120 grams Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
  • 120 grams Cheddar cheese, shredded
  • salt, to taste
  • 1 teaspoon ground white pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven to 180 C. Lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish with butter.
  • In a pot of salted water, cook the macaroni to just tender, drain.
  • In another pot, heat the butter then saute the garlic, thyme, jalapeno pepper, and paprika for about a minute, then add the onion and saute until just translucent.
  • Add the ground beef and season with salt and both types of pepper. Cook until the beef is no longer pink and browned. Sprinkle in the flour and mix in and cook for another minute or two.
  • Add the tomatoes and cook for a few minutes to soften them up then add the macaroni then the milk, stir and mix well, adjust salt and pepper to taste. Stir in half the cheeses.
  • Pour into the prepared baking dish, top with remaining cheese. Bake uncovered for 20-30 minutes or until heated through and the top is starting to brown.
  • Remove from oven, let rest for 5 minutes, serve.

Notes

For the beef figure about 150 Baht for 500 grams. For 6 servings, this is about 75 cents per serving.
Variants: 1. Change the cheese to Swiss or a 4 cheese blend. 2. Change the meat to ground chicken or ground pork. 3. Add chopped bell pepper. 4. Add sliced mushrooms. 5. Instead of baking, just prepare on the stove.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Stephen Connell.
United States.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,CASSEROLES
Beef, Potato & Tomato Casserole
October 21, 2017 Lee
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Beef, Potato & Tomato Casserole

Stephen Connell, United States.
This is an Arabic dish in origin, can be found in many cultures there including Lebanon and Syria. Sounds like a great dish for sure! On my to cook list. I am going to base this on a 8x8 baking dish for 4 servings. If you are looking to make a larger batch, think 7x11 or 9x13 dish.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine Arabic
Servings 4 servings

Equipment

  • Oven
  • Baking Pan (8x8 inch)

Ingredients
  

  • 500 grams ground beef, (1 lb)
  • salt and pepper, as desired
  • 1 potato, sliced thin
  • 1 onion, sliced thin
  • fresh tomatoes, sliced thin
  • 1 cup beef broth, fresh or from powder

Beef Seasonings, optional and up to you

  • fresh cilantro, finely chopped
  • garlic, finely minced
  • fresh herbs, of your choice

For Additional Layers, optional

  • fresh mushrooms, sliced thin
  • bell peppers, sliced into strips

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven to 180° C (350° F). Get out a 8x8 inch baking pan.
  • Season the ground beef with salt and pepper as desired, as an option, mix in cilantro, garlic, or herbs of your choice. Make 4 patties with the beef and fry them in a hot skillet, flipping once, until nearly cooked through.
  • Place the patties in a single layer in the baking pan. On top of the beef, place the sliced potato, then the sliced onion.
  • If you want to add options, such as mushrooms or bell peppers, or vegetables of your choice (sliced thin), in layers on top of the onion layer. Lastly, place a layer of tomato, always the top layer, as the juices run run down through the casserole.
  • Pour in a cup of beef stock, or just water, season with salt and pepper to your liking, cover with foil and bake for 1 hour.
  • Serve.

Notes

Figure about 150 Baht for the ground beef. For 4 servings, this is about $1.10 per serving.
* Fair Value $1.01 to $1.50 per Serving,: ARABIC,CASSEROLES
Breakfast Casserole II
October 14, 2017 Lee
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Breakfast Casserole II

Sounds really good, would be perfect when having house guests stay over. This is basically a make with what you have on hand recipe or if you do not like a particular ingredient, swap it out for something you like. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Course Breakfast, Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 8 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 10 eggs, chicken, duck, or a combination of both
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 2 cloves garlic, smashed and finely minced
  • salt and pepper, as desired
  • 1 1/2 cups Cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 500 grams hash brown potatoes, OR make from a shortcut
  • 150 grams frozen spinach, thawed, water squeezed out
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1 green bell pepper, diced
  • 1/2 cup fresh mushrooms, diced
  • 1 roma tomato, diced
  • 1 avocado, sliced
  • 1 jalapeno pepper, diced

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven to 190 C. Lightly butter a 9x13 baking dish.
  • Spread out the has browns in an even layer in the baking dish, then spread out the spinach over the potatoes. Next spread out the onion, mushrooms, and bell pepper evenly in the dish.
  • In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk, stir in the garlic, salt and pepper as desired, then mix in the cheese. Pour mixture into the baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour.
  • Remove the dish from the oven, sprinkle on the diced tomato and jalapeno, place the avocado slices on the top.
  • Serve.

Notes

The cheese is the only costly item used here, figure 170 Baht for the cheese. For 8 servings, this is about 63 cents per serving.
Shortcut: Hash Brown Potatoes.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Stephen Connell.
United States.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,BREAKFAST (for dinner!),CASSEROLES,EGGS - ALL,Eggs - Chicken,Eggs - Duck
Cajun Chicken
October 4, 2017 Lee
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Cajun Chicken

This sounds good. Chicken and sausage, what is not to love about this? This is a make with what you have, no quantities of ingredients given here. This is a truly make it your recipe. 4 servings is just stated as a starting point, test this out with a 8x8 baking dish and go from there. Link to the shortcuts are listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Print Recipe
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour
Course Main Dish
Cuisine Mixed
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 4 chicken thighs
  • fresh mushrooms, sliced, Shiitake would be perfect
  • onion, diced
  • smoked sausage, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
  • Cajun seasoning, OR make from a shortcut
  • BBQ sauce, OR make from a shortcut
  • sweet corn, canned, frozen, cooked and cut from cob
  • 1 can whole peeled tomatoes, chopped, or fresh tomatoes chopped

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven to 180 C. Get out a casserole dish or a baking dish.
  • Place everything in a pot on the stove, even a good shaking of Cajun seasoning, except the chicken. Heat to just about a simmer for about 5 minutes then remove from heat.
  • While the pot is heating, place the thighs in the baking dish. Sprinkle some Cajun seasoning to your desired taste on the thighs. Pour the sauce contents from the pot over the chicken.
  • Bake for about an hour or until the chicken is chicken is cooked through.
  • Serve with mashed or boiled potatoes and a vegetable.

Notes

Going with 4 chicken thighs for 4 servings, this probably less than 70 Baht. For 4 servings, this is about 52 cents per serving.
Shortcuts: Cajun Seasoning, BBQ Sauce.
Provided by Mick at Mick's Feckin Cook Book and the link to this recipe is here.
Scotland.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,CASSEROLES
Sausage & Bean Casserole
October 4, 2017 Lee
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Sausage & Bean Casserole

This comes from a good friend and sounds delicious! I was hooked when sausage was mentioned. This a flexible recipe, if you don't have Spanish Chorizo, go with more pork sausage, don't have a yellow bell pepper but you have a green one, go with that, see, easy as that. On my to cook list. You can make the baked beans yourself but will another day to the process. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine Mixed
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 6 Spanish Chorizo, sliced
  • 6 pork sausages, whole
  • 1 can baked beans, OR make from a shortcut
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 2 stalks celery, diced
  • 1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 red bell pepper, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika, smoked paprika if you have that
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 tablespoon dried thyme
  • white wine, as needed
  • 800 grams fresh tomatoes, diced
  • 1 cube chicken stock

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven to 180 C.
  • In a large oven proof pot, heat the olive oil, when hot, add the onion and cook for 5 minutes then the celery and bell peppers and cook for 5 minutes more, stirring occasionally. Then add the sausages and cook for 5 minutes then stir in the garlic, paprika, cumin, and thyme.
  • Add the wine, about a quarter bottle, tomatoes and beans. Stir, then cover and place in the oven for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
  • Serve with mashed or boiled potatoes and a vegetable.

Notes

I cannot price this until I buy sausage again. I will base the price on pork sausage only and not chorizo. I will say fair value for now.
Shortcut: Baked Beans.
Provided by Mick at Mick's Feckin Cook Book and the link to this recipe is here.
Scotland.
* Fair Value $1.01 to $1.50 per Serving,CASSEROLES
Hamburger Casserole III
September 28, 2017 Lee
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Hamburger Casserole III

Print Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 500 grams ground beef
  • 1/4 cup bread crumbs, fine, if not, use a roller to crush further
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2 small onion, minced
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 2-4 cups mashed potatoes
  • 3/4 cup Cheddar cheese, shredded
  • paprika, as needed

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven to 180 C.
  • In a small bowl, add the milk and bread crumbs and let them soak.
  • In a large bowl, add the beef, salt, pepper, onion, egg, and bread crumb mixture, mix together with a large spoon or your hands.
  • Add the meat mixture to a 9 inch pie dish, and pat down evenly. Bake for 30 minutes.
  • While it is baking, cook your potatoes and prepare your mashed potatoes.
  • When the meat has baked 30 minutes, remove it from the oven, very carefully pour off the fat from the dish, and wipe the pan side and bottom clean as well.
  • Now top the meat with the mashed potatoes, spread evenly, sprinkle with cheese then sprinkle with paprika. Place back in the oven for about 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the potatoes heated through, serve.

Notes

Figure about 100 Baht/500 grams of beef and about 90 Baht for the cheese. For 4 servings, this is about $1.40 per serving.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Stephen Connell.
United States.
* Fair Value $1.01 to $1.50 per Serving,CASSEROLES
Tuna Casserole III
September 26, 2017 Lee
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Tuna Casserole III

I really like tuna casserole, and this version sounds really good. On my to cook list. Links to the shortcuts are listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 1/4 cup butter, this is 1/4 of a standard block
  • 1-2 cups fresh mushrooms, thinly sliced
  • 1 green bell pepper, diced, or a red pepper, or both
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 1 stalk import celery, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
  • 1/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 1/4 cups whipping cream
  • 1 1/4 cups milk
  • 2 cups Cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 2 cans tuna, or 1 cup fresh cooked tuna
  • 370 grams egg noodles, cooked, or macaroni
  • 3/4 cup breadcrumbs, OR make from a shortcut
  • 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
  • 3 tablespoons butter, melted, used at the end
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven to 180 C. Grease a 9x13 baking dish with butter.
  • In a large (I may use a medium size pot for this) non stick pan melt the 1/4 cup of butter then add the onion, celery, bell pepper, and garlic for about 3 minutes, then sprinkle in the flour and mix and cook for another minute. Remove from heat.
  • Slowly stir in the milk, then return to heat and stir until thickened and the mixture comes to a boil, season with salt and pepper to your liking, stir, then stir in the mushrooms, Cheddar cheese, and tuna, when mixed, add in the egg noodles and mix to combine.
  • Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and smooth out, sprinkle on the breadcrumbs then Parmesan cheese, drizzle with the melted butter.
  • Bake for 25-30 minutes, remove and let rest 5 minutes, serve.

Notes

The Cheddar cheese is the most expensive part here, for 2 cups, think about 180 Baht. For 6 servings, this is about 88 cents per serving.
Shortcuts: Tuna, Breadcrumbs.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Stephen Connell.
United States.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,CASSEROLES
Creamy Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole III
July 20, 2017 Lee
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Creamy Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole III

Sounds like another winner of a casserole, on my to cook list for sure, hard to go wrong with a casserole, especially one with chicken, ham, cheese and white sauce.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 12 servings

Ingredients
  

For the Casserole

  • 5-6 cups chicken, cooked, shredded, breasts, thighs
  • 250 grams ham, sliced, thin sliced is perfect
  • 2 cups Swiss cheese, shredded

For the White Sauce

  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 3 cups milk
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika, smoked paprika woulb be best
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

For the Topping

  • 2 cups panko breadcrumbs
  • 5 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions
 

For the Casserole

  • Preheat your oven to 180 C. Butter 9x13 baking dish. Put the chicken evenly in the bottom of the dish, layer the ham, then sprinkle with the cheese. Set aside.

For the White Sauce

  • Melt the butter in a medium size sauce pan over medium heat, once the butter is melted, add all the flour stir to make a thick roux, will look like thick paste.
  • Once it is smooth and bubbly, slowly pour in the milk while whisking to make a smooth sauce. Continue to cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens.
  • Whisk in the lemon juice, mustard, salt, paprika, and pepper. Bring the sauce barely to a boil then remove from heat and pour over over the cheese in the dish.

For the Topping

  • Melt the butter in a medium size sauce pan, when the butter is melted, mix in the panko, salt and lemon pepper. Sprinkle on top of the casserole.
  • Bake uncovered for 45 minutes or until the top is just starting to brown up. Let cool for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Notes

I will price this when I make it due to the amount of chicken needed, I will have to determine what that is. I will estimate low cost for now and will revise that after I make this.
Provided courtesy of good friend, Stephen Connell.
United States.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,CASSEROLES