So I want to cook some old fashioned casseroles

[Carlovski]

Speaking of English comfort food, you know Fish Pie is also really tasty.

I was really doubtful when I first tackled it.  It seemed to violate everyting I held holy about fish.

Poach some cod or haddock in milk.  Use the poaching liquid to make a stiff mustard spiked bechamel.  Combine the sauce and fish, drop in a couple quartered hard boiled eggs.  Pipe over some buttery mashed potatoes and bake until the top is golden brown.

It seems wrong; but, tastes so right.

-Erik

←

A good fish pie is a thing of beauty.

I usually make mine with smoked haddock, but sometimes use normal fish (In which case I like to use a mixture).

Some fish pie pointers and suggestions...

- When making your bechamel fry some leeks first before adding the flour for the roux, adds a touch of sweetness (And some colour - although a big handful of parsley helps here too)

- You want to be rigorous in removing every scrap of skin and bone, this is the sort of dish you want to be able to eat with a spoon and not have to worry.

- Some fried quartered button mushrooms can stretch out the fish, and I like them anyway - nothing too fancy or stongly flavoured though.

- A rosti type topping makes a nice change, but to be honest is not quite as good. Trying variations on the potato topping like you might do on a shepherds pie (mix in parsnips/celeriac/sweet potato or use mashed white beans) just doesn't seem to work, but there may be a magic combination I haven't tried.

- Putting somewhat too much butter on top of the mash creates a lovely buttery crust - to hell with calories!

- Mussels are fine addition, steam them open in a little white wine. The good thing is you can then use the juices in the sauce. This does make the whole thing hopless for re-heating though, the mussels turn into rubber.

- I do not own a piping bag and have no desire to buy one so I just pile on the mash, spread it on and fork across the create ridges. These are very important as they produce the delicious crust - epscially when some of the filling bubbles up over the sides.

[Varmint]

The classic casserole in my house was chicken and rice, with pieces of chicken throughout the sticky rice that just happened to absorb whatever gooey liquid it was in. I've never really tried to recreate that, which should be very simple. Bechamel, cheese, peas, celery, maybe even some spinach, and I'll have a meal for the family. Thanks for bringing up this topic!

[hjshorter]

"Busy Mother's Casserole" was called "Texas Hash" at our house. My recipe calls for browning the meat, sauteeing onions and green pepper, then combining both with uncooked rice, tomatoes and seasonings then baking until the rice is cooked.

I might have to make it tonight and see if the kids like it.

[Jaymes]

Speaking of English comfort food, you know Fish Pie is also really tasty.

I was really doubtful when I first tackled it.  It seemed to violate everyting I held holy about fish.

Poach some cod or haddock in milk.  Use the poaching liquid to make a stiff mustard spiked bechamel.  Combine the sauce and fish, drop in a couple quartered hard boiled eggs.  Pipe over some buttery mashed potatoes and bake until the top is golden brown.

A good fish pie is a thing of beauty.

I usually make mine with smoked haddock, but sometimes use normal fish (In which case I like to use a mixture).

Some fish pie pointers and suggestions...

- When making your bechamel fry some leeks first before adding the flour for the roux, adds a touch of sweetness (And some colour - although a big handful of parsley helps here too)

- You want to be rigorous in removing every scrap of skin and bone, this is the sort of dish you want to be able to eat with a spoon and not have to worry.

- Some fried quartered button mushrooms can stretch out the fish, and I like them anyway - nothing too fancy or stongly flavoured though.

- A rosti type topping makes a nice change, but to be honest is not quite as good. Trying variations on the potato topping like you might do on a shepherds pie (mix in parsnips/celeriac/sweet potato or use mashed white beans) just doesn't seem to work, but there may be a magic combination I haven't tried.

- Putting somewhat too much butter on top of the mash creates a lovely buttery crust - to hell with calories!

- Mussels are fine addition, steam them open in a little white wine. The good thing is you can then use the juices in the sauce. This does make the whole thing hopless for re-heating though, the mussels turn into rubber.

- I do not own a piping bag and have no desire to buy one so I just pile on the mash, spread it on and fork across the create ridges. These are very important as they produce the delicious crust - epscially when some of the filling bubbles up over the sides.

I want to thank you 'fish pie' people for taking the time to post this. Fish pie sounds absolutely delicious. We eat a lot of fish, and I'm always looking for good ideas to prepare it.

I'll be making this very soon.

Thanks again.

[EllenC]

The favorite at our house for casserole was chili casserole. Layer rice, corn, chili, and cheese and bake until bubbly. Filling and tasty! yum.

[hjshorter]

Another casserole my mom made frequently was Chicken Tetrazzini from the old Fanny Farmer cookbook. Spaghetti, cooked chicken, sliced mushrooms, veloute with nutmeg and sherry added, prinkled with Parm and baked. Pretty good stuff and not out of a can.

[snowangel]

I am reminded of one my grandmother used to make for lunch when the men were busy combining and would come in for a fortifying lunch. Keep in mind that it was sweet corn season. Leftover sweet corn, scraped from the cobs, and all of the juice, so you had in effect creamed corn without all of the crap in the canned stuff. Mushroom soup. Browned hamburger. Cooked egg noodles. Way more "creamed corn" than mushroom soup.

I have made this in recent years with a veloute or a bechamel if I have leftover sweet corn. I have also added diced green chilis, which is not middle-of-Nebraska traditional.

[annanstee]

I agree with others that have suggested veloute. I use it now for chicken or turkey flavoured casseroles. It doesn't muddy the taste of the ingredients, and herbs really shine through. For certain things though, nothing beats a bechamel.

[gourmande]

Back in the late 60's, my father tried a new "casserole" one Saturday night that we all said we really liked, and that was all the encouragement he needed... he made it every Saturday night after that

What became known as "Dad's Saturday Night Special" consisted of KD (prepared according to package directions) mixed with seasoned cooked ground beef and turned into a casserole, topped with enough stewed tomatoes to cover, and baked until bubbly. Our kids asked for it when they were little, and I suspect their kids will come to know it as well, in time.

[kiliki]

How about a potato gatto? Lightly mashed potatoes, parmesan, mozzerella, salami topped with bread crumbs...with a glass of white wine and a salad, mmm. There's a nice version in Lynn Rosetto Kasper's Italian Country Cooking.

[amccomb]

Someone mentioned creamed onions further up the thread, and I've always wanted to try them! Does anyone have a wonderful creamed onion recipe?

[Hombre]

One of my favorite casseroles is James Beard's turkey rice casserole with stuffing. No heavy sauces required. The recipe doesn't make this clear, but the rice should not be cooked first.

Turkey Rice Casserole

[BarbaraY]

Recently, in one of my Mom's cookbooks I found a hand written recipe for "More".

As best as I can remember it was something that she had found in a Sunday suppliment.

It was made with browned ground veal and ground pork, macaroni, 1 can peas, 1 can corn, 1/2 can of olives, 1/2 cup pimento, onion, and garlic.

This was all mixed together in a roasting pan and baked for "two or three hours". Then it was topped with 2 cans of "hot sauce" and some grated cheese.

A note at the bottom: "Improves flavor when cooked longer."

I loved this stuff when I was a kid.

[Jaymes]

Someone mentioned creamed onions further up the thread, and I've always wanted to try them!  Does anyone have a wonderful creamed onion recipe?

This recipe has been a staple at our Thanksgiving table for decades:

CREAMED ONIONS

30 or so small onions -- not tiny pearl onions, but the small stewing ones - I guess about the size of a pingpong ball

1/3 C butter

3 T all-purpose flour

1 1/2 C whole milk

1 C shredded processed cheese

Tabasco or other hot sauce, to taste

paprika, parsley

1/2 C chopped peanuts for garnish

Peel onions and cook until tender in boiling salted water. Drain well and set aside. In cooking pan, melt butter. Add flour and cook until flour begins to brown slightly and bubble, and is no longer 'raw.' Stir in milk and cook slowly, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens. Add cheese and continue stirring until mixture is thoroughly combined, smooth, and a little thicker than you want the eventual dish (the onions, although drained, will still contain some liquid). Add onions and stir, being careful not to break down onions any more than you have to. Add hot sauce to taste, if desired. Heat through and pour into warmed serving dish. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts, parsley and paprika and serve immediately.