Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Sassin' up the Casseroles

Growing up, I hated casseroles. Of course, I also thought wine tasted like hairspray, and look at me now. I begrudgingly ate my mother's tuna casserole, solely to be excused from dinner. As soon as I forked a sensible amount into my mouth, I could spring free of my fishy albatross, and play T.V. tag before dark.

What was I thinking? Now casseroles represent everything I love! Perhaps they are misconstrued by America. When most people think of casseroles, they think of slushy, sloppy scoops of goo, served up by a hair-netted woman, with a mole on her chin. Or their great Aunt Ursula.

I feel that it is my civic duty to reinterpret the casserole. In fact, I will now call it the "sasserole." (Insert eye roll.) I will jazz it up. No longer will we eat them with a spoon. No longer will we dread dinner. Let's create some sassy casseroles, containing all of the things we love. I'd hold off on the m&m's, though.

I love pasta. Don't you? I love chicken. I LOVE artichoke hearts. I love garlic. I love feta cheese, and I love pine nuts. Throw all of these together, and sprinkle the juice of 2 fresh lemons over the top. I suggest using shell pasta, as when you sprinkle the feta cheese in the dish, it melts into the shells and is absolutely delicious. The definition of a casserole is a dish that can be cooked and served, all ingredients together. That's exactly what we're doing! By placing all of the complimentary ingredients together- the possibilities are endless! Like sundried tomatoes? Throw some in there!

Another delicious casserole is a chicken tamale casserole. It incorporates the sweetness of cornbread and zesty enchilada sauce. It is quick, easy, and perfect for all audiences.

Ingredients:

-1 Cup mexican 4-cheese mexican blend
-1/3 cup fat free milk
-1/4 cup egg substitute
-1 tsp ground cumin
-1/8 tsp ground red pepper
-1 can cream corn
-1 box corn muffin mix
-2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast
-1 can red enchilada sauce-1/2 cup fat free sour cream

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Combine 1/4 cup of cheese and next 6 ingredients in a large bowl, stirring just until moist. Pour mixture into a 13x9 inch baking dish, coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or until set. Pierce entire surface liberally with fork; pour enchilada sauce over top. Top with chicken, sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake again at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, or until cheese melts. Remove from oven, let stand for 5 minutes. Cut into 8 pieces, and serve each with a dollop of sour cream on top.

Andale! Get to it!


Recipe courtesy of myrecipes.com

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