Casserole Season

Casseroles are easy to make but can be boring. Try these tips to increase your casserole repertoire.

Q: It's casserole season. Got any new ideas?

A: It's all about getting rid of the goo. Out, creamy tuna-noodle concoction! Instead, bring on tough cuts of meat (shanks, shoulders, ribs, pot roasts, rump steaks). Add seasoned vegetables and broth, cover, and cook slowly, letting the meat thicken the broth to that soul-warming richness that makes you pray for snow. Keep the heat low, says Molly Stevens, author of All About Braising, the bible of brothy casseroles. If the broth boils, the meat toughens. "Long, slow heat is the only way to develop lip-smacking flavor." Get Stevens's dinner-party-worthy pot roast recipe.

From Reader's Digest - January 2007

 

• Family Dinner
• • Cooking Tips
• • Beef Recipes

• Molly Stevens's Zinfandel Pot Roast for Company
• An inexpensive cut of meat is braised in red wine until meltingly tender.
• 
• Choose the Best Beef
• Here's a handy chart of beef cuts and their common retail names.
• 
• Traditional Dishes for Slow Cookers
• Try these ethnic dishes that cook perfectly in a crock pot.
• 
• Venison and Chestnut Casserole
• Full of flavor but low in saturated fat, venison makes a wonderful alternative to beef in a casserole.
• 
• Best Broccoli Casserole
• Make your best casserole ever with this all-vegetable recipe for broccoli casserole.
• 
• Chicken Artichoke Casserole
• Chicken breast and artichoke hearts are combined to make this great-tasting casserole.
• 
• Mashed Potato Beef Casserole
• Cook up this delicious casserole with ground beef and fluffy mashed potatoes.
• 

“ A thin coating of Vaseline on exposed skin -- particularly your cheeks, nose, chin, ears, and neck -- will help prevent windburn. ”

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