Two-Cheese Squash Casserole

4  pounds yellow squash, sliced
4  tablespoons butter or margarine, divided
1  large sweet onion, finely chopped
2  garlic cloves, minced
2 1/2  cups soft breadcrumbs, divided
1 1/4  cups shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
1  cup (4 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2  cup chopped fresh chives
1/2  cup minced fresh parsley
1  (8-ounce) container sour cream
1  teaspoon salt
1  teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2  large eggs, lightly beaten
1/4  teaspoon garlic salt

Cook squash in boiling water to cover in a large skillet 8 to 10 minutes or just until tender. Drain well; gently press between paper towels.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in skillet over medium-high heat; add onion and garlic, and sauté 5 to 6 minutes or until tender. Remove skillet from heat; stir in squash, 1 cup breadcrumbs, 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, and next 7 ingredients. Spoon into a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish.

Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Stir together melted butter, remaining 1 1/2 cups soft breadcrumbs, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, and garlic salt. Sprinkle mixture evenly over top of casserole.

Bake at 350° for 35 to 40 minutes or until set.

Yield: Makes 8 to 10 servings

Chicken Casserole D'Iberville

This recipe, from Charlotte Skelton's book Absolutely a la Carte (A la Carte Alley, $22.95), is named after a community north of Biloxi. When pressed for time, try the Kitchen Express method below.

2  (3-pound) whole chickens
1  cup water
1  cup dry sherry
2  celery stalks
1  onion, quartered
1 1/2  teaspoons salt
1/2  teaspoon curry powder
1/4  teaspoon pepper
1/4  teaspoon poultry seasoning
2  (6-ounce) packages long-grain and wild rice mix
1/2  cup butter or margarine
2  (8-ounce) packages sliced mushrooms
1  bunch green onions, chopped (about 1 cup)
1  (8-ounce) carton sour cream
1  (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
1  sleeve round buttery crackers, crushed (about 1 1/2 cups)
1  (6-ounce) can French-fried onions, crushed
1/4  cup butter or margarine, melted
1/4  teaspoon paprika
1/8  teaspoon garlic powder

Bring first 9 ingredients to a boil in a large Dutch oven; reduce heat, cover, and simmer 1 hour or until chicken is done. Remove chicken, reserving broth in Dutch oven. Let chicken cool. Pour broth through a fine wire mesh strainer into an 8-cup liquid measuring cup; discard solids.

Cook rice according to package directions, substituting 4 1/4 cups reserved chicken broth for water and omitting butter. (Add water to broth to equal 4 1/4 cups, if necessary.)

Skin, bone, and coarsely chop or shred chicken.

Melt 1/2 cup butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat; add mushrooms and green onions, and sauté 10 minutes or until tender. Stir in rice, chicken, sour cream, and soup. Spoon mixture into 8 (2-cup) casserole dishes, 8 (5 1/2- x 3 1/2- x 2-inch) mini-loaf pans, 3 (8-inch or 9-inch) square baking dishes, or 1 (4-quart or 15- x 10-inch) casserole dish.

Stir together crushed crackers and fried onions. Stir in 1/4 cup melted butter, paprika, and garlic powder. Sprinkle casserole evenly with cracker mixture.

Bake, covered, at 350° for 20 to 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 5 to 10 more minutes or until bubbly.

To make ahead: Cover casseroles tightly with foil, and freeze unbaked up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in refrigerator. Bake as directed. (Casserole may also be baked frozen. Plan to double the baking times.)

To microwave one frozen, unbaked 8-inch square casserole: Casserole must be in a microwave-safe dish. Cover dish with wax paper. Microwave at HIGH 15 to 16 minutes or until casserole is bubbly, giving dish a half-turn once.

To microwave one thawed, unbaked 8-inch square casserole: Follow directions to microwave a frozen, unbaked casserole, reducing microwave time to 7 to 8 minutes.

Kitchen Express: Use 2 deli-roasted chickens (about 2 pounds each) in place of boiled chickens. Use 1 cup dry sherry and 3 1/4 cups (26 ounces) canned chicken broth to cook rice.

Yield: Makes 12 to 16 servings

King Ranch Chicken Casserole

1  large onion, chopped
1  large green bell pepper, chopped
2  tablespoons vegetable oil
2  cups chopped cooked chicken
1  (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1  (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1  (10-ounce) can diced tomato and green chiles
1  teaspoon chili powder
1/4  teaspoon salt
1/4  teaspoon garlic powder
1/4  teaspoon pepper
12  (6-inch) corn tortillas
2  cups (8 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese, divided

Sauté onion and bell pepper in hot oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in chicken and next 7 ingredients; remove from heat.

Tear tortillas into 1-inch pieces; layer one-third of tortilla pieces in bottom of a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Top with one-third of chicken mixture and 2/3 cup cheese. Repeat layers twice.

Bake at 350° for 30 to 35 minutes.

Note: Freeze casserole up to 1 month, if desired. Thaw in refrigerator overnight, and bake as directed.

Yield: Makes 6 to 8 servings

Smashed Potato-and-Broccoli Casserole

2  pounds baking potatoes, halved
1  cup chopped broccoli
1/2  cup diced onion
1/2  cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1 1/2  teaspoons chopped fresh or 1/2 teaspoon dried dill
1/2  teaspoon salt
1/8  teaspoon ground red pepper
1  (8-ounce) container fat-free sour cream
Cooking spray
3/4  cup (3 ounces) shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 375°.

Place potatoes in a saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 20 minutes or until tender. Drain potatoes in a colander over a bowl, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid. Return potatoes and liquid to pan; mash with a potato masher until slightly chunky.

Add chopped broccoli and next 6 ingredients (broccoli through sour cream) to pan, and stir well. Spoon potato mixture into an 11- x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray; bake at 375° for 35 minutes. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese; bake an additional 5 minutes or until cheese melts.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 cup)

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 292(17% from fat); FAT 5.6g (sat 3.2g,mono 1.5g,poly 0.3g); PROTEIN 14.9g; CHOLESTEROL 19mg; CALCIUM 257mg; SODIUM 405mg; FIBER 3.9g; IRON 2.5mg; CARBOHYDRATE 45.5g

Mushroom and Turkey Casserole

This one-dish meal needs only a green salad to make it complete. Day-old bread is best for breadcrumbs, but you can bake fresh bread cubes in a 350° oven until toasted.

1  (6-ounce) package long-grain and wild rice (such as Uncle Ben's)
1  ounce French bread or other firm white bread, cubed
1  tablespoon butter, melted and divided
3/4  cup (3 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1/2  cup chopped onion
2  garlic cloves, minced
1  (8-ounce) package presliced mushrooms
1 1/2  cups chopped cooked turkey
1  cup turkey gravy
1/2  cup 2% low-fat milk
1/2  cup reduced-fat sour cream
1/4  cup chopped fresh parsley
3/4  teaspoon minced fresh or 1/4 teaspoon dried sage
1/2  teaspoon salt
1/4  teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cooking spray
3/4  cup whole-berry cranberry sauce

Preheat oven to 325°.

Prepare rice according to package directions, omitting fat and seasoning packet. Set aside.

While rice cooks, place bread in a food processor; pulse 15 times or until fine crumbs measure 1/2 cup. Add 1 teaspoon butter to processor; pulse until combined. Add cheese to processor, and pulse until combined.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 teaspoons of butter, onion, garlic, and mushrooms; sauté 7 minutes or until onion is tender. Stir in turkey and next 7 ingredients (through pepper). Add cooked rice; stir.

Spoon rice mixture into a 1 1/2-quart casserole coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with breadcrumb mixture. Bake at 325° for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with cranberry sauce.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: about 1 cup casserole and 2 tablespoons sauce)

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 363(27% from fat); FAT 10.8g (sat 6g,mono 2.3g,poly 0.8g); PROTEIN 23g; CHOLESTEROL 62mg; CALCIUM 268mg; SODIUM 766mg; FIBER 1.9g; IRON 2.6mg; CARBOHYDRATE 44.3g

Elizabeth Taliaferro
Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2004

La Bamba Casserole

1  (5.25-ounce) can whole green chiles, drained
Cooking spray
1  pound ground turkey breast
1  cup chopped onion
2  teaspoons chili powder
1/2  teaspoon ground cumin
1/4  teaspoon salt
2  garlic cloves, minced
1  (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chiles, undrained
2  cups frozen whole-kernel corn, thawed
1  (16-ounce) can fat-free refried beans
1 1/2  cups (6 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
1  cup chopped tomato
1/2  cup chopped green onions

Preheat oven to 375°.

Cut green chiles in half lengthwise. Arrange chiles in a single layer in an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray.

Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add turkey, onion, chili powder, cumin, salt, and garlic; sauté 5 minutes, stirring to crumble. Add diced tomatoes; cook 5 minutes or until liquid evaporates.

Spoon turkey mixture over chiles. Top with corn. Carefully spread beans over corn. Sprinkle cheese over beans. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes; top with chopped tomato and green onions.
Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 1/3 cups)
NUTRITION PER SERVING

CALORIES 344(28% from fat); FAT 10.7g (sat 6.3g,mono 2.9g,poly 0.8g); PROTEIN 32.2g; CHOLESTEROL 77mg; CALCIUM 269mg; SODIUM 902mg; FIBER 7.4g; IRON 3.2mg; CARBOHYDRATE 30.7g

Casserole of Beef and Potatoes

5 tbl. butter
2 med.boiled potatoes, sliced
1 med. onion, chopped
1 sm. green pepper, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 c. canned tomato sauce
1/2 c. leftover pot roast gravy
3 c. diced beef
salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Melt 3 tbl. butter. In a large plate dish place potatoes in a single layer and pour melted butter over the top. Set aside.
In a large saucepan saute onions, green peppers, & celery in remaining butter until limp but not browned. Add tomato sauce, gravy and beef. Season to taste w/ salt & pepper , blend and allow to simmer gently 2-3 minutes. Transfer to a 9x13 baking dish and layer buttered potato slices over the top. Bake @ 350 degrees 10-15 minutes, then place directly under broiler flame to brown tops of potatoes. Serve.

Nancy B. (aka momtonine)