Southern Plate’s Handy Dandy Casserole Chart
I created this chart for you all to use as inspiration. It is meant as a handy helper, giving you ideas and a formula to create your own casseroles. My Country Casserole and Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli Casserole both follow this charts guidelines.
Simply choose an ingredient from each column in the amounts specified, prepare according to directions and POOF! Dinner!
There are many ways to personalize this. Note that the toppings column is optional and any of these would be great as a meatless dish as well. I often double the vegetables and leave out the meat for a great side dish at family reunions and potlucks.
This is just a starting point to help get you going with your own casserole creations. Add your own favorite ingredients to the list and get creative! The possibilities are endless!
Casseroles are a quick, easy, and economical way to feed your family. I very rarely make just one casserole. Oftentimes it costs only slightly more to make two meals out of one effort. Casseroles are easily stored in the freezer when spooned into gallon sized ziploc bags. Simply flatten the bag to take up less room and freeze! Thaw casserole in bag overnight in the fridge before pouring into your casserole dish and baking up a fresh, hot dinner!
Please keep your own family’s personal taste in mind when creating your casseroles and HAVE FUN! Let me know what you come up with!
Very handy! Now there is no excuse not to have any idea what to cook!
Its funny how something so simple can help so much.
Keep up the great info.
I just love your blog.
Joan
April Hehe, any comment that starts with a sentence including the word “ain’t” is gonna be a good comment! LOL I am with you on the cooking blogs! Although I am still an avid cookbook reader, I just love the personal touch of finding recipes on blogs and having the folks actually tell you about it with a more personal touch.
Recipe binder? You sound organized!! Come to my house!!!
Brook I LOVE YOU!! LOL
Just the thought of being anyone’s “go to” site thrills me to death!!!!!! I have stars, too?
Good lord, this is so awesome. Y’all just have no idea how much I love doing Southern Plate!!!
Stephanie Oh now you got me thinking about yeast breads! I love playing with dough! I think I’ll do a bread recipe this weekend! Thanks for the inspiration!
JBaker Thank you!! Wheel of Casseroles! Hehe, sounds like a fun game show to visit!!!!
Anonymous WOOHOO!!! I have fans?????? I know one of these days y’all are going to get tired of me acting like I won the lottery every time I get a great comment but hey, I can’t help it!!
I’ve used that same method before as well and it is AWFUL handy!! You are so right!!!! My problem is, I am sooooooooooooooooooooooooooo unorganized, I often forget to get the casserole out of the dish and it ends up getting buried and I completely forget the next week when I am trying to find where I could have POSSIBLY put my 9×13 inch pan! I am telling y’all, you have no idea how unorganized I am! This is IDEAL for normal people though. It makes for such a quick and easy casserole, and no thawing is necessary in order to get it to fit in your dish (unlike the Ziploc bag method). Y’all, read this gal’s comment, she knows what she’s talking about!!
Thank you, Anonymous, for the great idea and for reading Southern Plate!!!
Deanna Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!!!!
I will do my best to keep you coming back and happy!!
Nico Thanks, Nico! Let me know how they turn out!
Connie Thank you!! I sure do hope you get your cookbook soon! Be sure and let me know! I am honestly flattered and honored to have so many loyal readers. I really just don’t know how I got so lucky!
Donna LOL!! Glad I’m not alone with the name of that cake! I hope the chart comes in handy for all of y’all! I love coming up with my own recipes and also being able to come up with something on the fly with what I have on hand, I hope this helps us all a bit in doing that!!!!
I try to keep up with and respond to all of my comments. It means a lot that people take the time to talk back to me after I post something. I get behind sometimes but I’m always reading them! I actually have an iphone that I keep on my nightstand and first thing in the morning (around 5:00 AM) I grab that and check to see if I have comments! I don’t get to respond to them until later on in the day but it just starts my day off right getting to hear from everyone!!!
I am so grateful to each and every one of you, thank you so much!
ChRiStY
Wow! I go out-of-pocket for a few days and I’ve had to spend hours catching up. I’m sorry I missed your contest. I grew up on that cake too and was always uncomfortable with its name.
Oh – and I love the chart! I just printed it out. It’s awesome! Great job.
I’m back now and don’t plan on disappearing again anytime soon. I’ll be back! You are on my daily hit list! heehee
Christy you have also become a daily blog for me. I love your site and your tips, recipes,ect…I also love how you always acknowledge your readers posts. Also you have awesome customer service! Can’t wait to recieve my cookbook. This chart is awesome and I will definitely use it alot.
This is such a great chart! I can’t wait to give these tasty casserole dishes a try 🙂
Oh, girl, you have been my blog roll for a long time. I consider you a daily recipe “fix”.
ANOTHER great bit of kitchen help!
I’ve only been aware of your blog for a short time but it has become an every day thing. I always find such helpful (and DELICIOUS) posts here. Please count me among your fans.
You mentioned making more than one casserole at a time – when I do that I go ahead and freeze the one I’ll be saving in the baking dish where it will cook but before I put it into the dish I line the dish with plastic wrap or foil (depending on whether there are ingredients that might interact). Once the casserole is frozen I slip it out of the dish and finish wrapping it for the freezer. In the meantime my casserole baker is still available for use.
When I get ready to fix the frozen casserole I remove the wrapping and it fits right back into the dish where it will cook even before it is completely thawed. Also, I can use my vacuum sealer to really protect the frozen casserole. That is difficult with “runny” foods but no problem once the casserole is frozen solid.
Now why didn’t I think of that?????? Great idea!