These Aren't Your Grandma's Casserole Recipes (2024)

FAQs

Why is John Wayne casserole called that? ›

That's right, the iconic John Wayne Casserole is named after none other than the actor himself. Typically, you'll find that most recipes call for refrigerated biscuits or Bisquick, onions, red bell peppers, jalapeño peppers, sour cream, mayonnaise, ground beef, tomatoes, taco seasoning, and Cheddar cheese.

Macaroni and cheese is the oldest written casserole recipe found in 1250.

Anna brings a casserole to dinner at Neil and Emma's house, uses a casserole to lure murder details out of Neil's late wife's sister, distracts the police with casserole, and even brings a casserole to Elizabeth's grave (with her mysteriously changing headstone epitaphs) on what would have been her birthday.

The key to a good casserole is the sauce or broth that binds those ingredients together as they bubble in the oven, allowing the flavors to meld together into a harmonious, comforting meal. This can be something as simple as the McCormick Brown Gravy Mix used in this tasty Hamburger Casserole dish.

The man was unquestionably a fan of meat and potatoes, and one of his go-to side dishes was scalloped potatoes. With milk, cream, butter and cheese, John's version wasn't for the faint of heart.

Wayne's legal name apparently remained Marion Robert Morrison his entire life although to this day his original name is almost always referred to as Marion Michael Morrison.

The term “hot dish” first appeared in a cookbook in 1930 by a Mankato, Minnesota church group called Grace Lutheran Ladies Aid. Also, a fun fact, in the 1950s, Ore-Ida needed a way to use leftover potato scraps, and thus behold came the tator tot. They marketed them as a topping for casseroles and they really took off.

A hotdish or hot dish is a casserole dish that typically contains a starch, a meat, and a canned or frozen vegetable mixed with canned soup.

Casseroles and "Southern Hospitality" Go Hand-in-Hand

They are warm dishes rich with flavor, texture, and soul. Casseroles are a simple way to feed a big group and are great for leftovers the next day."

Why put foil on casserole dish? ›

It protects your food from drying out or burning and helps keep in the heat and moisture, ensuring a perfectly cooked meal. Loosely covering your dish with foil can prevent uneven browning while baking. However, tightly sealing your bakeware with foil is the way to go for more steam.

It also reminds me of the South, and though I'm not from there, Lisa Cericola, Deputy Editor at Southern Living agrees, "Southerners love casseroles because no gathering is complete without food, and they are the ultimate make-and-take dish.”

Meat know how

If you coat it too early, the moisture in the meat absorbs the flour and spoils the texture of the casserole. Begin by browning the meat or chicken, separately, before adding vegetables, liquids and herbs. This seals in the juices and adds flavour.

Liquid for casseroles

Bone stock is good for beef casseroles, but failing that plain hot water enriched with a few drops of Worcestershire sauce and mushroom ketchup makes a handy instant stock. Red or white wine will add extra flavour of its own, and its acidity will actually help to tenderise the meat as it cooks.

Hotdish is common terminology in western Wisconsin and Minnesota, while casserole is the preferred name everywhere else in the country.

[John Wayne n. ¹ ] (US) to act decisively, daringly, in an aggressive manner; often in ironic use.

John Wayne was born Marion Robert Morrison in Iowa, to Mary Alberta (Brown) and Clyde Leonard Morrison, a pharmacist. He was of English, Scottish, Ulster-Scots, and Irish ancestry.