Cookbook for Casseroles

[Darienne]

Recently took a big casserole cookbook out of our local library.  Taste of Home Casseroles.   Lots of lovely photos and over 400 recipes.  Alas, many of the recipes call for cans of cream of this soup and that soup, packages of instant rice and potato mixes, refrigerated rolls and so on.  And almost all the recipes were very North American. 

 

Not that I am damning these ingredients to the nether realms...I just want to know: where are the good casserole cookbooks?  Are there any?  Who has a title for me?  

 

Thanks. 

[Smithy]

Bake Until Bubbly: The Ultimate Casserole Cookbook, by Clifford Wright
and
The Best Casserole Cookbook Ever, by Beatrice Ojakangas

 

are two that I have enjoyed.  As I recall they both rely more heavily on fresh ingredients. 

[Jaymes]

Although not labeled "casserole," I've had great luck with various cookbooks for "clay pot cookery." Many of these recipes call for baking in some sort of what is essentially a casserole dish - cazuela or romertopf.

[Darienne]

Thanks Smithy and Jaymes.

 

Not fond of cookbooks with NO pictures alas.  The second one named sounds good.

 

Jaymes...can you give me one or two titles, please.

[Jaymes]

Paula Wolfert's Mediterranean Clay Pot Cooking http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/076457633X?pc_redir=1414049570&robot_redir=1

And this one, too, by Jacobi:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0002250519/ref=pd_aw_sims_2?pi=SL500_SY115&simLd=1

You can also find so many wonderful recipes for a traditional cassoulet and adapt them to whatever ingredients you like, or have access to or, frustratingly enough, do not have access to.

And, although I know it's not a book, here's a recipe for one of my personal favorite casseroles - the one I always take to neighbors that find themselves in need of a little extra looking after (scroll down for my Ham and Potato Casserole):

http://forums.egullet.org/topic/86548-recipe-help-please/

Edited October 26, 2014 by Jaymes (log)

[Darienne]

Thanks Jaymes.  And thanks for the recipe.   I can't abide ham...long story from childhood...but I do eat chicken.  And I am going to think about pork which has become my go-to meat.

 

Thanks again.

[Silkhat]

Hi Darienne

 

I recently bought a good casseroles book called 

 

The Ultimate Casseroles Book by Better Homes and Gardens - ISBN 97811180200357

 

It is 478 pages and beautifully printed with many photos

 

It does have an American slant but I have not found any trouble with substitutions here in Australia

 

Neil

[lindag]

Check out Cooks Illustrated specialty cookbooks for casseroles, slow cooker, etc.  Never a hint of canned soup anywhere.

[Darienne]

Found Bake Until Bubbly in the downtown library today and so now I'll sit and give it a good lookover.   Thanks Smithy

[Honkman]

Found Bake Until Bubbly in the downtown library today and so now I'll sit and give it a good lookover.   Thanks Smithy

 

if you like the book you should also give Clifford Wright other books a lookover. I like in particular his "Real Stews" and "The best Soups of the World" which nicely covers stews and soups from all around the world with many normally not covered examples.

[Darienne]

Thanks again all.  I'm not sure how to go about finding Cooks Illustrated Specialty Cookbooks. 

 

I've been looking over Bake until Bubbly and although I made a vow a couple of years ago not to buy any more cookbooks...and I've pretty much kept it...I just might break down and get it.  It is more international than I had thought.  Just doesn't use the language of the recipe in the title usually.  Thanks again, Smithy.

[rotuts]

I also have 

 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0811856240/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0811856240&linkCode=as2&tag=egulletcom-20

 

and have enjoyed it.   i have some of the older Test Kitchen books , Cover and Bake, Skillet etc and although Ive enjoyed them

 

when I got them, their business plan seems to be to take a good idea and publish it in as many books / magazines as they can 

 

not letting you know there is very little new in these books.  My library system has them all so I look there .

 

this also helps w the temptations to buy more books.

[ruthcooks]

Darienne--I have never found that a "subject" cookbook yields more than two or three good recipes.  Why don't you start a thread on this forum like "My favorite casserole/one dish meal recipe" and see what  you get.  I'll contribute.

[Darienne]

Brilliant Ruth.  I'll do just that.  I'll just figure out my favorite and start from there.

[Darienne]

Have to report that I made a dessert casserole from Bake Until Bubbly. Cranberry-Apple-Walnut Crisp.  Delicious.  Just might give in and buy the book.  Am quite impressed with it.

[Thanks for the Crepes]

Here is a link to season 3, episode 7 of " A Chef's Life", our homegrown gal, Vivian Howard's series. The episode title is "A Casserole Says Plenty", and it originally aired on Oct. 13, 2015, but is being offered in reruns on our local PBS station.

 

She makes a fancied up version of the green bean casserole that I have failed at when I tried to replicate the convenience food version when trying to hit that holiday comfort food spot, so I gave up, but there are others in there too, and it's worth a watch, I think.

 

Also her version of the iconic casserole is really fancied up with shitakes, ham stock and buttermilk marinated fried onions, and she's a chef, and I'm a home cook. I haven't tried her version, but it looks tempting.

[kayb]

I tried one Christmas doing a "homemade" version of that green bean casserole. Damned if it was any better than the Campbell's golden mushroom soup version. One of the three dishes for which I use canned soup.

 

[Thanks for the Crepes]

3 hours ago, kayb said:

I tried one Christmas doing a "homemade" version of that green bean casserole. Damned if it was any better than the Campbell's golden mushroom soup version. One of the three dishes for which I use canned soup.

 

 

Yup, I may get my eG credentials revoked, but the "gourmet" versions just aren't as popular as the convenience ones when your're trying to hit the traditional comfort zone of people who grew up on it for holidays. While Vivian's buttermilk fried onions looked like they would be most delicious one their own, I sincerely doubt they could keep the crispness of the French's version in that application. People want family and familiarity on holidays.

 

She's an awesome chef, though, with a James Beard award, so if anyone could pull it off, my money would be on her.