Casserole Recipe For People Who Hate Casseroles??

[gulfporter]

We've been asked to bring a casserole to a neighbor's potluck party.   It's our first invitation from this couple, don't know them very well. 

 

I have zero experience making casseroles, or at least what I think of as a typical casserole....indistinguishable proteins mixed with a lot of pasta or rice and a ton of cheese holding it all together.  They always seemed too heavy for us, especially on an April day in Florida.  

 

But the invitation clearly says "casserole" so that's what we need to bring. 

 

Is there such a thing as a light casserole??  A gourmet casserole??  I'm trying not to sound snobby, it's just that I don't have any go-to recipes filed under 'casserole' 

 

 

 

 

[Dave the Cook]

We don't do many casseroles, either. But recently, we found Kenji's Tuna-Noodle Casserole to be very high on the reward-to-effort ratio, and much lighter than the traditional versions.

[ElainaA]

I love casseroles. There are a lot of relatively light and definitely gourmet options. Several of my favorites are from an ancient article (appropriately titled "Casseroles") in the long defunct magazine Cuisine - Pork and Pepper Moussaka, Herbed Lamb with White Beans, Corn and Beef Pastel, Ham and Spinach Strata - not a bit of cheese in any of them. Then there is Baked pasta with Chicken Parmesan and Arroz con Jocoqui - those both do have cheese.  There is also a (somewhat) simplified version of cassolulet in the CI cookbook - French Pork and White Bean casserole - that is very good. And I still make Solyanka from the original Moosewood Cookbook - late 70"s vegetarian gourmet - containing potatoes, cabbage, cottage cheese, sour cream and yogurt among other things. I think lasagna qualifies as a casserole, so how about a chicken and vegetable lasagna? If you would like any recipes, let me know.

I think I like casseroles so much because I can assemble everything when I have time, refrigerate them and then just stick it in the oven, make a salad, pour some wine and dinner is ready. 

Edited March 13, 2016 by ElainaA (log)

[Lisa Shock]

I'd just take it as a general suggestion, and actually make a real dish like:

vegetable fritatta (traditionally served cold)

a large pot pie with an assortment of vegetables inside in addition to the meat

arroz con pollo

a byriani

lasagna with plenty of vegetables (a little pre-cooking will reduce water content -you can cut zucchini into thin long strips and roast then use like a pasta layer.)

a hearty focaccia with lots of toppings

eggplant parm

 

My favorite for hot weather, though, would be a sushi cake. The only thing you cook is rice and maybe some scrambled eggs, no oven is used. Plus, you can use Florida seafood. Here's a basic video, don't worry about the decor so much. Layers can include thinly sliced avocado, cucumber, crabmeat tossed with mayo, tiny shrimp, Japanese scrambled eggs, cooked fish, smoked salmon, caviar, whatever you like on sushi basically. Thosee little containers of furikake  and finely cut nori are also useful here, on layers or as a pretty topping. It can be made up to 6 hours in advance, longer if you don't use raw vegetables inside. The colored rice is made by mixing cooked and cooled rice with finely minced carrot for orange, parsley for green, radish (mostly outer layer) for red, well, you get the idea.

 

Martha has a great page of baked pasta dishes, too.

[Anna N]

Wow! @Lisa Shock. That sushi cake is an amazing creation.  I have never seen anything quite like it.   Don't suppose I will ever make it but thank you for sharing it.  

[Lisa Shock]

The best part, aside from being tasty and easy to make, is that people remember you for bringing it.

[Darienne]

Moussaka is a favorite in our household.   And Ed makes his Mother's Macaroni & Cheese which always goes quickly because it's so delicious. 

Edited March 13, 2016 by Darienne (log)

[blue_dolphin]

I love the idea of that sushi cake, too, @Lisa Shock!   Thinking of rice, I remember that @shain posted pictures of Maklouba, sort of an upside down rice and vegetable dish over in the Dinner thread the other day.  That seems like something you could take in a number of directions.   

 

And if you really don't feel comfortable with the casserole concept, just bring whatever one-dish main course item appeals to you, like a lovely composed Niçoise salad or a platter of grilled vegetables and shrimp.  

I suspect any offering like that would be appreciated but if asked, you can always say that you couldn't bear to turn on the oven on such a lovely warm day.

[Alex]

Kugel! It's simple, and you can make it savory, sweet, or combo. Recipes (and opinions) abound. For example:

Savory potato kugel from Francis Lam (!)

Sweet noodle (lokshen) kugel from Dave Lieberman

Jerusalem kugel (peppery sweet) from food dot com

[Deryn]

How about a Moroccan chicken bastilla 'pie'? Light-ish, a bit different than most will probably bring, no cheese. Perhaps not a traditional 'casserole' but you can make it in a casserole dish and pretend it is.

[gulfporter]

7 hours ago, Deryn said:

How about a Moroccan chicken bastilla 'pie'? Light-ish, a bit different than most will probably bring, no cheese. Perhaps not a traditional 'casserole' but you can make it in a casserole dish and pretend it is.

I like this idea.  

 

While the sushi recipe looks killer, another neighbor said this hostess always does a theme potluck and is compiling a recipe book for the neighborhood based on a decade of these events.  This explains the footnote on the invitation asking guests to bring their recipe.  I'm still the new kid on the block and don't want to upset any apple carts.  

 

Back to the bastilla recipe....I've been googling and find many variations.  Anyone one have a tried and true recipe?  

Edited March 14, 2016 by gulfporter (log)

[Darienne]

If I were attending such an event, I would probably take a South African dish, Bobotie, which I made for the first time a few months ago for a South African meal with the help of several eGulleters.  The combination of meat, apricots, raisins, almonds, and the spices took eaters by surprise and the popularity of the dish was amazing.

[liuzhou]

19 hours ago, gulfporter said:

indistinguishable proteins mixed with a lot of pasta or rice and a ton of cheese holding it all together.

 

Not at all what I think of as a casserole. I've made thousands of casseroles and never troubled them with cheese or pasta or rice.

 

Probably my favourite is a casseroled version of steak and kidney with onions, potatoes and carrots. A winter warmer.

[shain]

I agree with the people here saying that casseroles doesn't have to be heavy or include pasta at all.

 

@Alex I do love a good kugel! (due you can't say this is a light dish at all )

 

You can consider an eggplant Parmesan (which is easy to make lighter if reducing cheese and grilling the eggplant rather then frying). A lasagna or cannelloni is a nice idea. Also quiches of any kind are always a putluck favorite of mine.

 

A couple of more specific suggestions:

 

Pasta casserole with fresh tomatoes, mozzarella, plenty of basil and garlic - very summery and light - an absolute favorite of mine.

 

 

Spanakopita (filo dough filled with spinach and feta)

 

Ma'akuda - mashed potatos and eggs casserole, with carrots and chickpeas.

 

Pasta casserole with sour cream and scallions - another light hearted dish.

 

Quiche with roasted peppers and goat cheese.

 

[kbjesq]

On 3/12/2016 at 4:29 PM, Lisa Shock said:

The best part, aside from being tasty and easy to make, is that people remember you for bringing it.

I'm definitely going to make some version of the sushi cake. This is brilliant. Thank you for posting the link. 

[kbjesq]

Interesting invitation. I also live in FL and if I got this invite in my neighborhood, I'd bring an old fashioned 7 layer salad in a pretty trifle dish and say that my oven was out of order. 

[gulfporter]

7 minutes ago, kbjesq said:

Interesting invitation. I also live in FL and if I got this invite in my neighborhood, I'd bring an old fashioned 7 layer salad in a pretty trifle dish and say that my oven was out of order. 

I could also stay home, turn off all the lights and tell her we had to rush out of town for an emergency.  But I don't lie very well. 

I'll figure something out.  Thanks all for the suggestions.

 

Still would appreciate a link to a kitchen tested recipe for the Moroccan chicken pie (aka, bastilla, pastilla, b'stilla).  

[Alex]

10 hours ago, gulfporter said:

I like this idea.  

 

While the sushi recipe looks killer, another neighbor said this hostess always does a theme potluck and is compiling a recipe book for the neighborhood based on a decade of these events.  This explains the footnote on the invitation asking guests to bring their recipe.  I'm still the new kid on the block and don't want to upset any apple carts.  

 

Back to the bastilla recipe....I've been googling and find many variations.  Anyone one have a tried and true recipe?  

 

I always knew it as b'stilla. In fact, there was a restaurant of that name near me when I lived in Detroit, way too many years ago. Here's a good recipe from Saveur. (Use the chicken thighs )

Edited March 14, 2016 by Alex (log)

[Deryn]

There are probably as many recipes for Basteeya/Bastilla/Pastilla/B'steya, etc. as there are names for it in English. I have made it several times (quite a while ago now) but I am a terrible person to ask for a recipe as I am sure that I probably just read about it and winged it in the end. I therefore would not be able to give you my recipe unfortunately.

 

There is one good thing about that though - it means you can use what you have and not worry too much about anything but the ultimate taste you want. I think you probably should have tasted what you consider a decent Bastilla at some time before attempting to make it or it could be quite a surprise if you follow a recipe that makes the end product way too sweet for your tastes/intentions. I have, as far as I recall, not actually ever put confectioner's sugar in the body of the 'pie' (only on top) but some recipes seem to lean that direction. Instead I think cinnamon. cloves, allspice, mace, etc. lend enough of a sweet inference. And I have never attempted to make Warqa so Phyllo/Filo/Fillo for me was always the fast answer.

 

However, if I were you I would find a chef you trust (David Lebovitz? Paula Wolfert?) and use one of their basic recipes, but if you don't have some ingredient on hand such as a particular prescribed spice (or spice mixture) then fake it with some others. For instance, Ras en Hanout - some recipes call for that spice mix and others avoid it entirely substituting instead just some of the spices that are predominant in that mixture. Lebovitz's recipe: http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2013/11/chicken-basteeya-bstilla-recipe. I don't have a link to Paula's but apparently it can be found in her Couscous book - maybe someone else can find it if you don't have that book either, gulfporter. I suspect hers is very authentic but may be a lot more work. David's looks fairly straight forward and familiar to me.

 

Here is a link to a site with pictures of the process - again the recipe is not 'kitchen tested' by me so I apologize: step by step bastila recipe with photos

Edited March 15, 2016 by Deryn (log)

[Lisa Shock]

You know, another option, probably in complete opposition to the host's invitation, would be to bring dessert. A Charlotte or trifle is, IMO, the casserole of the dessert world. Verrines are the single-serving versions thereof.

 

The classic traditional dessert would probably be some sort of layered gelatin concoction with canned fruit and 'whipped oil' topping mixed in. If you think anyone would notice, you could make an upscale version with plain gelatin, fruit juice, champagne, and fresh fruits.

[ElainaA]

I think one issue here is do you want to be a good neighbor or a good foodie? If this a group of people that you like and would like to be part of I would say go with the group recommendations and make a casserole. And make a really good one that your neighbors will like. It's a social group not a foodie competition. If your host asks for a casserole they probably have the other courses taken care of - don't step on their toes.

 

Edited to say: I hate it when people arrive at a dinner I have all planned out with something that does not fit in. "They just HAD  to bring something.!" Do others here feel that way?

 

 Like this

Edited March 15, 2016 by ElainaA (log)

[Tere]

I think this is sensible. I am also of the opinion that you could go for a British casserole if you want a non carby dish, but they are very much winter food so I am struggling to think of a recommend for a Florida April. Think stew basically, anything cooked slowly. Casserole to me is synonymous with Dutch oven I think, if that helps at all?

 

I would stick to a main course as I could see the host might have starters / desserts to hand.

 

If you like this route I can stare at Delia tomorrow

[Deryn]

I have contributed to other people's dinner parties occasionally unsolicited but I (nor anyone I know personally) have never actually thrown a party like that and no one I have invited to my place has ever brought anything (other than perhaps a bottle of wine) so, I have never had that problem, ElainaA. But then I am a 'foodie' and something different and interesting - outside the 'norm' - would probably be a real treat and I would showcase it if I could (without hurting anyone else's feelings, of course). I have never moved in a circle which did the 'potluck supper' kind of thing when it came to entertaining - not sure why not though. That was mostly reserved for things like church suppers and the like in my experience. I have also lived in 'communal' circumstances where people cooked together - but didn't bring in things from outside. However, when I did take anything to a dinner party I never felt they actually had to put It on the table, mind you (and, if unsolicited, it was usually a small dessert type treat - not to overshadow the host/hostess - just to show my appreciation for being invited). They could keep it for later or they could throw it out behind my back and it would not have bothered me somehow. I never asked even for the dish it was contained in/on to be returned - I made sure it was disposable or was purchased as part of the 'gift'.

 

I would say however, if someone asks people to bring a 'casserole' with recipe for a cookbook, but doesn't say more than that, they may be leaving a lot open to interpretation and may have to put up with 14 dishes full of spaghetti chicken (apparently a southern dish and guftporter is in a southern state so it is probably at least known there) or 4 mac and cheese dishes and 10 tuna casseroles or whatever. And they deserve what they get in that case - although this may be more organized than that and we just don't know it. Maybe they have explained more that gulfporter didn't relate (will ALL recipes brought be included in the cookbook, and if not, will some people feel really left out if theirs isn't? etc.). In the absence of further instruction, I say one should take whatever one interprets to be a 'casserole' and feels like making, all else being equal.

Edited March 15, 2016 by Deryn (log)

[kbjesq]

9 hours ago, gulfporter said:

I could also stay home, turn off all the lights and tell her we had to rush out of town for an emergency.  But I don't lie very well. 

 

No offense intended - I've probably lived in Florida too long. 

Our neighborhood get-togethers inevitably involve over-salted pimento cheese, something called Cowboy Caviar which looks and tastes vile, and an assortment of grossly overcooked meats and vegetables. Vegetables are often boiled to death, then pureed, mixed with mayonnaise and butter or cream, then topped with cracker crumbs and baked again in a casserole dish.

My last  offering, Indonesian gado gado (a platter of simple steamed & fresh veggies on a bed of Jasmine rice with peanut sauce) went untouched as it was deemed too exotic 

By the time I left, however, the three 9 x 13 pans of banana pudding made with packages of instant vanilla pudding mix, Nilla Wafers and sliced bananas with Cool Whip has been licked clean 

I've learned to eat at home and just show up to socialize as my taste in food is very different from my (native) Floridian neighbors 

Again, no offense to you intended. As aforesaid, I think that I've lived here too long 

 

[naguere]

Rachel Khoo showcased a 'none casserole' by making a sauce that would be just right for beuf bourguignon, then skewered good big   chunks of beef along with small onions and lardons.

then she basted the skewers with the sauce and cooked on a grill, keep basting.

 

this link (if you can see it), offers her Beuf Bourguignon in a normal way, and a good deal removed from a Casserole.that may please you:

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/boeuf_bourguignon_with_17690

Edited March 15, 2016 by naguere
missed out a 't' in basting (log)