These Aren't Your Grandma's Casserole Recipes (2024)

FAQs

Why does Anna always make chicken casserole? ›

Anna brings a casserole to dinner at Neil and Emma's house, uses a casserole to lure murder details out of Neil's late wife's sister, distracts the police with casserole, and even brings a casserole to Elizabeth's grave (with her mysteriously changing headstone epitaphs) on what would have been her birthday.

Notes: ✿ 4 cups of green beans is about 1½ pounds fresh or 16 ounces frozen or 2 cans (15 ounces each) drained.

Make-ahead meals (especially baked casseroles) are terrific because you can completely assemble them in advance and bake them just before serving. They're the ultimate comfort food as they come bubbling hot and delicious straight from the oven to the table to the delight of family and friends.

She opens the mirror and says a line repeated throughout the season: "Bingo." Unless the mirror exposes more than Anna's own reflection, this act could symbolically mean that the killer Anna was looking for all along was herself.

The three main thickening agents for gravies are flour, cornflour and arrowroot. The first two are normally used in savoury dishes while arrowroot tends to be used in sweet dishes – that said, arrowroot will work in a savoury dish as it has no flavour.

Always Cook Meat Before Adding

Don't add raw meat to a casserole. Cooking the meat before adding it, or using up leftover cooked meat in a casserole, is the way to go. DeLeeuw says this is important for food safety because it makes sure the protein is fully cooked—especially key when making a chicken casserole.

Uncovering the foods promotes browning and crisping, and reduces the amount of liquid in the finished dish. If a casserole looks soupy when it's ready to bake, bake it uncovered unless the ingredients include pasta or rice, which absorb liquid.

Begin by browning the meat or chicken, separately, before adding vegetables, liquids and herbs. This seals in the juices and adds flavour. Work in batches when browning meat or chicken. If you add too much to the pan at once, it will cook in its own juices and become tough.

Green beans from a can have already been cooked to death right in the can and harbor plenty of sodium that could make your casserole too salty. Frozen French-cut green beans are a better option. They hold their texture better than canned, and you can cook them straight from their frozen state.

Can you freeze green bean casserole? ›

Let the casserole cool to room temperature. Wrap well with plastic wrap and foil, label and date, then freeze for up to 2 weeks. To serve, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Discard the plastic wrap and foil from the frozen casserole.

“When alternative sides are plentiful, assume guests will eat a little less of each and one pound will serve four people,” Hartigan says. “And if vegetarians outnumber carnivores at your table, assume your green beans will go fast and assume that one pound will serve two people.”

It protects your food from drying out or burning and helps keep in the heat and moisture, ensuring a perfectly cooked meal. Loosely covering your dish with foil can prevent uneven browning while baking. However, tightly sealing your bakeware with foil is the way to go for more steam.

- **Moisture Retention:** Covering the casserole with foil helps to retain moisture during cooking. This can be beneficial for dishes that have ingredients that may dry out easily, such as lean meats or certain vegetables.

Soft vegetables like broccoli can be quickly par-cooked (aka blanched). If you are using hard vegetables like potatoes or carrots or other hardy root vegetables, you'll want to par-cook for longer. Often a quick 2-5 minutes in the microwave will just give them that great head-start.

Casseroles and "Southern Hospitality" Go Hand-in-Hand

They are warm dishes rich with flavor, texture, and soul. Casseroles are a simple way to feed a big group and are great for leftovers the next day."

They're easy to fix, feed a ton of folks, and can often be made ahead. What would Thanksgiving be without green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole, and of course, cornbread dressing—which is made in a casserole dish, so it totally counts.

The protagonist of the series, Anna, is seen baking a Chicken Casserole throughout the series. The casserole plays a bigger role in the thriller series than anyone would expect. If you watch closely, the Chicken Casserole actually gives out a clue that leads Anna to the killer.

“Many of the ingredients and inspiration behind these casseroles came from our European ancestors who settled in the Midwest, such as noodle casseroles from Germany, potato gratins from France, and shepherds' pies and pot pies from England.”