Step by Step Casseroles
Casseroles are usually made with five ingredients:
- Protein
- Vegetables
- Sauce
- Whole grains
- Toppings
Choose your own combination and serve a delicious budget-friendly meal.
Use these ingredients to make your casserole:
Protein (1 cup, fully cooked)
Choose one of the following:
- Beef (lean) cuts, cubed or ground
- Chicken, boneless skinless breasts or thighs
- Ham (low sodium), diced
- Beans or lentils, canned
- Tuna, canned or pouch
Vegetables (1 ½ - 2 cups)
Choose one or a combination of the following:
- Greens (kale or spinach), chopped
- Mixed vegetables, canned or frozen
- Zucchini or yellow squash, sliced
- Mushrooms, sliced
- Broccoli, sliced
- Bell pepper, sliced or diced
- Carrots or celery, sliced
- Green beans
- Onion, sliced or diced
Sauce
Choose one of the following:
- Low-sodium cream of soup, such as mushroom, chicken, or tomato (10-ounce) plus ¼ cup nonfat milk
- Low-sodium diced tomatoes (14.5 ounce can drained, approximately 1 cup) plus ½ cup reduced-fat sour cream
Whole Grains (1 ½ cup, cooked)
Choose one of the following:
- Brown rice
- Whole grain pasta
- Instant barley
- Whole grain couscous
- Cubed whole wheat bread, (1 cup)
Toppings (1/2 cup)
Choose one of the following:
- Grated low-fat cheese
- Bread crumbs
- Crushed corn flakes
- Crushed whole-grain crackers
Try this combination!
- Preheat oven to 350°F
- Wash your hands well with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds.
- Cook whole grains according to package directions.
- Wash fresh vegetables and slice if needed.
- Thaw frozen vegetables and drain.
- Drain canned ingredients.
- Add protein, vegetables, and cooked grains to large bowl.
- Add ingredients for sauce.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Stir to combine.
- Add ingredients to baking dish.
- Sprinkle bread crumbs on top of mixture.
- Cover baking dish with foil.
- Place in oven and cook for 30-35 minutes.
- Remove foil and continue baking for 5 minutes, until top is brown and bubbly.
- Serve and enjoy!
- Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.