Only for enjoyable, a variety of years in the past, I made a decision to spend per week cooking solely dinners from Betty Crocker’s New Good and Simple Cookbook, printed in 1962. This meant casseroles, tons and plenty of casseroles containing the whole lot from floor beef to sliced scorching canines.
And guess what? My husband and I typically liked it. Casseroles placed on no airs and supply consolation on the finish of the day, plus doubtlessly leftovers on the finish of the meal. They’re additionally handy, which is what midcentury dwelling cooks wished. It is what I need in 2024.
Loads of casseroles from again within the day are greatest left precisely that—again within the day (Good and Simple cookbook’s tuna puff, for instance). However the casserole recipes I am sharing under are all winners, and all older than me. How previous is that? For instance I nonetheless name hashtags pound indicators.
I promise none of them requires sliced scorching canines, however you’d not be remiss including them to a couple recipes when you felt prefer it. Improvisation is all within the spirit of a great casserole, in any case.
Merely Recipes / Dude that Cookz
For a dinner with all of the issues—macaroni, floor beef, and cheddar cheese—this reader favourite completely delivers. Look out, Hamburger Helper!
Merely Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Sebrek
Contributor Nick Evans says, “Nearly each model of shipwreck casserole I’ve seen consists of some form of potato, most frequently a number of uncooked potatoes which can be peeled and sliced very thinly. In my recipe, frozen hash browns make it faster and simpler. Plus, the hash browns get extremely crispy on the underside and high of the casserole.”
Elise Bauer
Here is a cocktail party casserole that is completely retro-classy. Our founder, Elise Bauer, got down to duplicate Campbell’s hen and mushroom casserole, however from scratch. And it is severely in its personal stratosphere. Bitter cream, dry sherry, recent herbs, and sautéed mushrooms lend it an air of a really grown-up soirée. Serve it with a inexperienced salad, and you’ve got a predictably crowd-pleasing hit for entertaining firm.
Merely Recipes / Picture by Jen Causey / Meals Styling by Emily Nabors Corridor / Prop Styling by Lindsey Decrease
Senior Editor Laurel Randolph says, “Add some greens to up the dietary worth. Add diced bell peppers or tomatoes together with the onion, or toss in handfuls of recent spinach or frozen peas on the finish.”
Sally Vargas
I grew up consuming a number of casseroles like this within the basement fellowship corridor of the church that my mother and father nonetheless attend to today. At group meals and youth group conferences the fare there hasn’t modified a lot. If you are going to present up at a potluck, this creamy casserole made filling with shredded hen is all the time a great wager.
Elise Bauer
This hearty breakfast casserole relies on the recipe discovered for years on packages of Jimmy Dean sausage. My household kicked off many a Christmas morning with this magnificence, however it makes a effective dinner any time of yr. You’ll be able to assemble it forward of time and add no matter greens and cheese you could have useful within the fridge.
Merely Recipes / Picture by Jen Causey / Meals Styling by Emily Nabors Corridor / Prop Styling by Lindsey Decrease
Laurel says, “The taco seasoning packets have a thickening agent that helps to soak up among the liquid within the salsa. This helps to thicken the liquid so the chips are coated with out absolutely absorbing the sauce.”
Merely Recipes / Marta Rivera
I am 100% optimistic that I ate hen enchilada casserole for years earlier than I consumed a single true enchilada. It is all of the flavors and substances with a a lot simpler meeting. No surprise my working mother used this as a weeknight go-to.
Nick Evans | Artwork Banner Credit score: Andy Christensen
Technically this may be a facet dish, however not if I am at your own home once you serve it. My plate could have nothing however mounds of tacky potato casserole and perhaps a token broccoli floret. My mother made hers with canned cream of mushroom soup, however this recipe features a from-scratch cream sauce. You continue to benefit from the comfort of frozen hash browns, so it is win-win!
Alison Bickel
Reuben sandwiches will not be gentle affairs, and neither is that this filling casserole that simply delivers Reuben flavors to a crowd. It takes all the weather of a Reuben (corned beef, Swiss cheese, kraut, and Thousand Island dressing) and makes use of cubed rye bread as the inspiration.
Merely Recipes / Ciara Kehoe
I want Membership or Ritz crackers on this recipe, whereas my mother says Cheez-It or Goldfish are superior. Even plain previous saltines work, although.
Elise Bauer
Could we apologize to your entire international locations of Mexico and Italy for the totally fanciful title of this cultural mashup that is extra American than the rest? Taco lasagna is one other of its aliases. However layering taco-seasoned floor beef and cheddar cheese with tostadas or broken-up laborious taco shells is a system for a meal that’ll get everybody on the desk lickety-split, with no reminders or cajoling needed.
Merely Recipes / Ciara Kehoe
We now have not one, however two tuna casseroles in your eating pleasure. One is constructed from scratch; the opposite makes use of canned condensed cream of mushroom soup. Both approach, make sure you pile these potato chips on high! I like to recommend Ruffles for the job.
Merely Recipes / Picture by Will Dickey / Meals Styling by Julian Hensarling / Prop Styling by Christina Daley
Laurel says, “You can also make the filling a day or two forward, let it cool, then refrigerate it till you’re able to bake. Reheat the filling earlier than including to the dish and topping with the potato tots. You too can utterly assemble the casserole, then tightly wrap it and freeze for as much as 3 months. Defrost within the fridge earlier than baking.”
Merely Recipes / Ciara Kehoe
Make this a number of days after Thanksgiving or any huge turkey dinner. Improve alert: add some leftover gravy to the bechamel sauce.
Merely Recipes / Mark Beahm
This Ohio-bred casserole dates again to not less than the 1910’s and feeds a big military. Again in highschool once we had my crew workforce of hungry youngsters over for dinner, that is the carb load all of us requested. Whether or not you serve it with crimson wine or a glass of milk, it makes any dinner an event.
Megan Keno
Home made crispy onions and a little bit Parmesan cheese are just some of the upgrades this inexperienced bean casserole advantages from versus its cousin made with comfort merchandise. Our reader Jolee commented, “Add 1/4 cup bacon and it’s even higher!”
Merely Recipes / Cambrea Gordon
Turkey Tetrazzini, which originated in a San Francisco restaurant within the early 1900s and is called after an opera singer, is one other casserole that is particular sufficient to serve to firm. Sherry, Gruyère, and a lightweight grating of nutmeg distinguish it from strange weekday fare.
Elise Bauer
Even the picture right here is retro, so far as meals styling goes. It won’t be fairly, however this beef noodle casserole is darned tasty. Merely Recipes founder Elise Bauer ate this rising up on nights when her grandmother cooked. With floor beef, egg noodles, black olives, corn, mushrooms, and shredded cheddar cheese, it additionally goes by the title talerine. Says Elise, “It could sound like an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink form of recipe, or a midwestern model of tamale pie, however wow is it good!”
Sally Vargas
Solely in America would you discover one thing this exquisitely candy served at a dinner desk. Like it or hate it, this casserole is iconic, notably across the holidays. For the remainder of the yr, get artistic and check out it with pork chops.
