The BEST Vegan Casserole Recipes! (2024)

FAQs

How do you make a casserole not soggy? ›

To prevent a soupy casserole, be sure to fully thaw any frozen vegetables in a colander over a bowl, and pat dry, squeeze excess moisture out of greens like spinach or chard, and quickly precook watery fresh vegetables like onions, mushrooms or squashes just until they release their moisture.

The key to a good casserole is the sauce or broth that binds those ingredients together as they bubble in the oven, allowing the flavors to meld together into a harmonious, comforting meal. This can be something as simple as the McCormick Brown Gravy Mix used in this tasty Hamburger Casserole dish.

The real beauty of casseroles is how easy they are to make. All you need to do is combine the prepared ingredients in a casserole dish, then cover and place in the oven to cook. The indirect heat of the oven warms the ingredients slowly, preventing the food from sticking together and burning onto the base of the dish.

They're often defined by the vessel they're baked and served in, which is called a casserole dish. The ingredients in a casserole can be layered or simply mixed together. And although oven-baked pasta dishes like lasagna and baked ziti are technically casseroles they're not known as such; those are called baked pastas.

Uncovering the foods promotes browning and crisping, and reduces the amount of liquid in the finished dish. If a casserole looks soupy when it's ready to bake, bake it uncovered unless the ingredients include pasta or rice, which absorb liquid.

In general, you'll want to bake a casserole covered with aluminum foil for most of the cooking time. Covering the casserole helps lock in moisture and prevents it from drying out. If you don't cover the casserole or uncover it too soon, the casserole will dry out.

Let's talk anatomy: A standard dinner casserole usually includes a protein, a starch, a vegetable, a sauce (or other binding ingredient), and cheese. But making a casserole is not an exact science, and you can definitely break away from this formula. Check out some fun side-dish casseroles and desserts below!

Try different herbs for added flavour: sage or lemon thyme work wonderfully well. For a meatier casserole, add chopped sausage or pancetta when cooking the chicken. Stir wholegrain mustard through the casserole at the end of cooking (to taste); this is especially good if you have sausage in the casserole.

Liquid for casseroles

Bone stock is good for beef casseroles, but failing that plain hot water enriched with a few drops of Worcestershire sauce and mushroom ketchup makes a handy instant stock. Red or white wine will add extra flavour of its own, and its acidity will actually help to tenderise the meat as it cooks.

Make-ahead meals (especially baked casseroles) are terrific because you can completely assemble them in advance and bake them just before serving. They're the ultimate comfort food as they come bubbling hot and delicious straight from the oven to the table to the delight of family and friends.

What is the main ingredient in a casserole? ›

In the United States, a casserole or hot dish is typically a baked food with three main components: pieces of meat (such as chicken or ground meat) or fish (such as tuna) or other protein (such as beans or tofu), various chopped or canned vegetables (such as green beans or peas), and a starchy binder (such as flour, ...

Macaroni and cheese is the oldest written casserole recipe found in 1250.

Preparing a casserole is easy – all you need to do is brown the meat on the stovetop, combine all the ingredients in the casserole dish then cover and pop it in the oven. There's no stirring required either, so you have more time to relax.

Pro Tip: Avoid Dry Casserole.

The best way to prevent it from drying out is to add a little bit of water, around ¼ cup, to the top of it. Allow the water to seep between the food and the sides of the baking dish. Cover with aluminum foil to seal in the moisture.

Incorrect oven temperature - Casseroles that are baked at an oven temperature that is too low may not cook evenly, resulting in a soggy top and a firm or crunchy bottom. Too much liquid - Casseroles that have too much liquid may not be able to absorb all of the moisture, leading to a soggy top.

Covering dishes with aluminum foil during a bake helps lock in moisture. Loosely placing or tenting a sheet of foil over a dish can prevent the top from browning while the rest of your dish continues to bake.