What are your favorite casserole recipes?

Casseroles, to me, are the epitome of a one dish meal. I grew up eating a variety of casseroles, especially during the busy workweek.

A casserole can be loosely defined as a dish, usually savory but could be sweet, baked in a deep wide pan and consists of a mix of ingredients.

What are some of your favorite casseroles? Any stories or family recipes?

I'm a big fan of Moussaka.



It is a Mediterranean recipe that involves ground meat (beef or lamb), eggplant, and a bechamel sauce. I have a diner nearby that offers it often and I always love it when I have it.

Ingredients

3 eggplants, peeled and cut lengthwise into 1/2 inch thick slices

salt to taste

¼ cup olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

1 pound lean ground beef

2 onions, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

ground black pepper to taste

2 tablespoons dried parsley

½ teaspoon fines herbs

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, divided

1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce

½ cup red wine

1 egg, beaten

4 cups milk

½ cup butter

6 tablespoons all-purpose flour

ground white pepper, to taste

1 ½ cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Step One
Lay eggplant slices on paper towels; sprinkle lightly with salt. Let sit for 30 minutes to draw out moisture, then pat dry with paper towels.
Step Two
Warm olive oil in a skillet over high heat. Fry eggplant until browned, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels; set aside.
Step Three
Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in ground beef, onions, and garlic; season with salt and black pepper. Cook and stir until beef is browned, 8 to 10 minutes.
Step Four
Add parsley, fines herbs, cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg. Pour in tomato sauce and wine; mix well. Simmer for 20 minutes. Allow to cool, then stir in beaten egg.
Step Five
Scald milk in a saucepan over medium heat.
Step Six
At the same time, melt 1/2 cup butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
Step Seven
Whisk flour into butter until smooth. Lower heat; gradually pour in scalded milk, whisking constantly until it thickens. Season béchamel sauce with salt and white pepper.
Step Eight
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
Step Nine
Arrange a single layer of eggplant in the prepared baking dish.
Step Ten
Cover eggplant with meat sauce, then sprinkle 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese on top. Cover with remaining eggplant and sprinkle another 1/2 cup cheese on top.
Step Eleven
Pour béchamel sauce on top and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg. Cover with remaining cheese.
Step Twelve
Bake in the preheated oven until bubbly and browned, about 1 hour.
Step Thirteen
Serve hot and enjoy!

My fave of all time is hands down green bean casserole!  With mushrooms added, my father is a champion at making it and my husband is catching up with him.
My grandmother used to make 2 casseroles I liked.  I was very picky about casseroles, I guess I still am, but I liked her breakfast casserole, which involved a layer of breading and then eggs, sausage and cheese.  I wish I had the recipe now.  I also loved her chicken divann (spelling)?  I haven't seen it anywhere else and don't have any other friends or family members who know how to make it and I haven't seen it in any restaurants either.  

These days I like breakfast casseroles with egg as the base, because its what we know how to make.

@Riona Abhainn - Chicken divan -  chicken, broccoli, rich cheesy bechamel sauce and crunchy topping, usually breadcrumbs.  Is this what you remember?

I do mix and match casseroles.   Meat/protein ;   vegetables - onion, carrot, celery;  gravy to suit seasonings;  beef or chicken stock, beer or wine.
Variations     curry spices (prefer to make an 'own blend', commercial are too harsh)   tomato paste with italian herbs,   Cajun spice blend or Moroccan.  
Vary by adding potato or short pasta as suits the mood.  Moroccan add olives and pickled lemon.   Sometimes I mash potato and spread it over the top of a beef version - hey presto cottage pie, more or less.  Then there's the pastry topper - and a pie.  With chicken sometimes use leek instead of onion and add a good dose of thyme, and finish with cream.
Bake in the oven mostly,  sometimes make a stove-top version which I guess is more of a stew!

My favorite is pork chops, sausage, potatoes, tomato sauce and pickle relish.

Yes, with the curry, I don't remember it having cheese?

We generally do soups more than casseroles but, when the tomatoes and zucchini are in seasons I make tons of our favourite.

It's pretty simple. You just make a big batch of a thick bechemel sauce. Add in good dose of Parmesan cheese. Then chunk up a bunch of zucchini, tomatoes and onion. Usually a bit more zucchini than tomatoes and just a few onions. Chunks are usually around an inch or so square, but it doesn't have to be too precise. Mix the sauce into the veggies so it's all covered and bake at 350 for 45 mins to an hour, depending on the pan size and depth. You can put a bit of extra cheese on top to make a nice crust.

If you want a full meal deal, you can add chopped up cooked chicken chunks or tofu to the mix. With tofu, I make sure it is well drained and go for smaller cubes on it, 1/4 to 1/2 inch sized.

Once cooked, it can be portioned out and freezes well.

A friend does a version where he adds some fresh basil or pesto to it, but we like it plain.

You know, lasagna is technically a casserole, and I adore lasagna, so there's that!