Tag: lunch

A Great Idea for Any Meal of the Day!

I hope you like casseroles as much as I do. You don’t??? I cannot understand. Okay, I know that there are people who do not like their food touching. There’s actually a name for it: Brumotactillophobia. That’s hard for me to imagine as well, but if you’re one of those people, then you will NOT like casseroles, where everything is not only touching but sweetly joined. If you have brumotactillophobia, then my apologies. And stop reading. This article is not for you. For me the whole point of creating a meal is that you are trying to put things together that balance, complement, and improve each other. What better way to do that than to comingle them in a delicious casserole?

So what makes a casserole a casserole? The Oxford definition is: A kind of stew or side dish that is cooked slowly in the oven. Some people define it by the cookware used (a deep wide dish, known, fittingly, as a casserole dish). Historically it has been thought to contain the following elements: A protein, a starch, vegetables and a sauce, and/or cheese. Just describing this makes me hungry for one! These days, of course, a casserole can really be any combination of yummy foods that are mixed together and baked. Aside from being delicious, casseroles have lots of other benefits:

  • Casseroles are easy to prepare-just throw everything together and mix
  • Casseroles often use minimal ingredients
  • You can often throw a casserole together with items already in your fridge and pantry
  • Casseroles require a minimum of dishes and utensils to prepare (less mess to clean up!)
  • Casseroles can be prepared ahead of time
  • You can have a casserole for any meal of the day
  • Casseroles can be as healthy as you want to make them
  • Casseroles make great leftovers and usually can even be frozen for another day
  • Casseroles are comfort food at its best!

If you’re looking for some inspiration, you don’t have to look far. There’s nothing like a classic casserole to bring back memories of your childhood: Tuna, green bean, onion pie, chicken n biscuits, lasagna, chicken tetrazzini, sweet potato, and chicken pot pie are all good staples.

Or maybe you prefer something more contemporary: Try Barbecue chicken and apple bread pudding, crispy chicken strips loaded potato, pierogi casserole, taco spaghetti, or crab spinach and egg.

Here are some other yummy ideas in a category you may be seeking:

Meatless: Broccoli and rice, baked ziti and zucchini, corn pudding, pineapple, overnight cinnamon apple french toast, green pea, mushroom rice, hash browns, cream cheese pasta bake

Kid Friendly: cheeseburger and fries, taco, tater tot, pizza lovers, chicken alfredo bake, beef burrito

Dessert casseroles: SMores, cinnamon bun, mint chocolate lasagna, oreo four layer, peanut butter chocolate poke cake, lemon lush, banana pudding

Simple: shepherds pie with instant potatoes, chicken and rice with fully cooked rotisserie chicken, spinach parm, sausage and crescent rolls, 4 ingredient hamburger casserole, biscuits and gravy with refrigerated biscuits and gravy mix packet, rotisserie chicken and stuffing

Create your own: Start with whatever protein you have on hand. Add some pasta or rice, a creamy soup and your favorite vegetable and voila! I’m willing to bet you will not be disappointed. And if you’re especially proud of your creation, share it here for others to enjoy!

Soup, anyone?

Photo by Karolina Grabowska on Pexels.com

I love living in New England and enjoying all of our beautiful seasons. There really are things to enjoy about each one. Winter gets a bad reputation, but there’s nothing cozier than sitting by a warm fire with a cup of hot chocolate and watching light snow falling outside. Of course, the snow and cold can get tiresome, but just when you can’t take it any more, spring arrives, with warmer weather, shedding of heavy coats and boots, and the color green popping out everywhere. Summer might be the favorite among us New Englanders. School is out, vacations are in, and we can be outside a lot more, especially considering the longer days. While I do mourn the ending of summer, I also greatly look forward to Fall. Fall brings gorgeous foliage, great outdoor activities, beautiful scents, and best of all, great flavors. And nothing says Fall better than a big pot of hot soup.

I’ve only come across one person in my life who claimed to not like soup. The conversation came up at work. “What??” We all exclaimed, flabbergasted. “How can you not like soup?” The rest of us were dumbfounded. What’s not to like? It’s hot, soothing, and filling. Comfort food at its best. It’s also easy to prepare and generally inexpensive. Pair it with a nice loaf of bread and you have a satisfying meal.

Let’s start by defining soup. Oxford describes soup as: A liquid food made by boiling meat, vegetables and other ingredients in stock or water. Occasionally there is a debate over dishes like chili or beef stew. The consensus is that these dishes are not made with a stock or water base, and therefore, are not technically a soup. They are both delicious and should be enjoyed at any opportunity, but not part of our soup discussion today.

The next question when it comes to soup is not, “would you like some soup?” but rather, “what type of soup should we make?” Here the options are endless. According to the website Travel.com, the most popular soups in America are:

  • Tomato Soup
  • Chicken Noodle Soup
  • Potato Soup
  • Clam Chowder
  • Minestrone

Tomato soup. So simple but so satisfying. Easy to prepare, and even good straight out of a can. I find that even people who do not like tomatoes on their sandwich still enjoy the creamy flavor of a nice bowl of hot tomato soup. And if you haven’t had it with a grilled cheese sandwich you are really missing out. For variation try cutting your grilled cheese into small chunks and dropping them into the soup like cheesy little croutons. I also recently came across a recipe for tomato soup and grilled cheese casserole. Yes, it’s as yummy as it sounds. See the recipe here: https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/grilled-cheese-tomato-soup-bake/s.

Of course, chicken soup is famous for feeding a cold. There’s actually some science behind this long-held belief. Chicken contains carnosine which is thought to reduce stuffiness and congestion in your nose and throat. In addition, warm liquids promote hydration and clear nasal passages and the vegetables contain vitamins and antioxidants that boost your immune system. But you don’t have to have a cold to enjoy this great soup. Stick with homemade soup for this one. There is no shortage of recipes. You can go old school and cook the chicken yourself, or opt for a simpler, quicker version. Grab some saltines–cold not required–and enjoy.

If you prefer a cream based soup for your fall lunchtime meal, you might be reaching for the potato soup or clam chowder. (Chowder: a thick soup with seafood and vegetables) There are many other options in the cream family and if this is your go-to, you may have trouble deciding on which soup to enjoy: cream of asparagus, celery, mushroom, broccoli. Yum. Pair with some oyster crackers and you won’t be hungry for long.

One of the best things about soup is that you can make it your own. My boyfriend will sometimes complain that soup does not equal dinner. I disagree! I could, and often have, enjoyed many different kinds of soup as my sole dinner item. But for those who tend to agree with my BF, perhaps a more substantial soup will fit the bill. Consider minestrone. While traditionally this soup is made with beans, vegetables and a small pasta, already relatively filling, to satisfy the hearty appetites, I will often add ground beef or ground turkey. My family members are not big vegetable eaters, so when I’m making any soup, I’ll often add vegetables that are not part of the recipe: onions, carrots, peppers, celery, corn and peas can all be diced small and added to most broth based soups. I will often scan the refrigerator for fresh vegetables nearing the end of their shelf life, or leftovers from last nights dinner, to toss in the pot.

While these 5 favorites are a great start, there are so many more soups that hit my must-have lists. I am a big fan of cheese, so I cannot go wrong with French Onion Soup. The classic version with lots of caramelized onions, a chunk of bread and a melty topping of gruyere cheese, is perfection. Recently in a restaurant, I couldn’t resist a Creamy French Onion Soup. I know, right?? It was as good as you’re imagining right now. I could go on and on with many other delicious soups. Broccoli cheddar, vegetable, butternut squash, white bean and sausage. I really have to stop as I’m getting hungry and it’s lunchtime. You know what that means. Care to join me? What’s your favorite?