Sitting down to a hearty and delicious casserole is one of the best things about winter. This classic meal is perfect for busy families because it’s time-friendly and budget-friendly, too, as the slow-cooking process makes cheaper cuts of meat beautifully tender. Preparing a casserole is easy – all you need to do is brown the meat on the stovetop, combine all the ingredients in the casserole dish then cover and pop it in the oven. There’s no stirring required either, so you have more time to relax. What’s more, once it’s ready to serve, you can even bring the dish to the table, making it the ultimate one-pot family meal.
“Casserole” refers to both the meal itself and the deep ovenproof dish with a tight-fitting lid that it’s cooked in. The indirect heat of the oven circulates around the dish rather than just heating the base. The best and most convenient casserole dishes are flameproof, meaning you can use them on the stovetop and in the oven, so there’s less washing up. If you don’t have a flameproof casserole, simply brown the meat in a frying pan first then transfer it to an ovenproof dish to finish cooking in the oven. To get the most from your casserole dish, follow the handy hints in our foolproof guide.
Casserole basics
Follow these helpful tricks for casserole cooking success.
Batch work
Brown the meat in batches to avoid cooking it in its own juices. If this happens, the meat will stew and become tough.
Burn alert
Be careful not to burn the bottom of the pan when you brown the meat, or your casserole will have a burnt taste.
Liquid loving
After browning meat and vegies, add a little liquid (such as wine or stock) and cook, scraping the pan with a flat-edged wooden spoon to lift any bits that have cooked onto the base. This adds flavour to the sauce.
Size it up
Fill your casserole dish with all the ingredients so it’s about three-quarters full. This ensures the liquid doesn’t overflow, but there’s still enough liquid so food doesn’t dry out.
Vegie rules
Add vegetables that have a quick cooking time, such as peas or beans, towards the end of the cooking time so they don’t lose their flavour.
Thick tricks
For a thick sauce, coat the meat in flour before browning or add flour at the start of cooking.
Make it ahead
To develop the flavours, make your casserole a day ahead and store in an airtight container in the fridge.
Meat
| Cut and Cooking time* |
Beef | - Diced beef, chuck steak, boneless shin (gravy beef), (cut into 3cm pieces) – 2-2 1/2 hours
- Topside, round steak, blade steak (cut into 3cm pieces) – 1 – 1 1/2 hours
- Ribs – 2 1/2 – 3 hours
|
Chicken | |
Veal | - Osso bucco (shin slices) – 2 1/2 hours
|
Lamb | - Forequarter, chump and neck chops – 2 hours
Shanks – 2 – 2 1/2 hours
Shoulder, leg (cut into 3cm pieces) – 1 1/2 – 2 hours
|
Pork | - Belly (spare ribs) – 2 hours
Boneless shoulder, leg, scotch (3cm pieces) – 1 1/2 hours
|
*Cooked in preheated oven at 160C-180C.
FAQs
Regardless of where the word came from or what specifically you put into your casserole, the theory that a casserole intrinsically must contain those five ingredients — a protein, starch, vegetable, sauce, and cheese, per High Heeled Homemaker — holds up when you look at the most popular casseroles in the United States ...
What is the key to making a good casserole? ›
- Choose the right baking dish. If you're all about the crunchy topping, use a shallow dish. ...
- Undercook your pasta. ...
- Drain your meat. ...
- Beware of mushy vegetables. ...
- Know your cheeses. ...
- Master the art of casserole assembly. ...
- Don't skip the topping. ...
- Make it now, but bake it later.
Generally, casseroles with grains, rice or pasta that will cook during the baking process are usually covered, for at least part of the time. Casseroles made of cooked ingredients are usually baked uncovered. If you like a crisper, browner top, be sure the casserole is uncovered for at least part of the bake time.
Should you put tin foil over casserole? ›
It's always a great idea to cover your dishes with aluminum foil while cooking at high temperatures in the oven. 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.
What are three guidelines to follow when preparing casseroles? ›
Top tips for casseroles
Cut your ingredients, such as meat, potatoes and parsnips, into similar-sized pieces to ensure they cook evenly. Add any ingredients that cook quickly, such as broad beans, towards the end of cooking. To save time – and washing up – use a flameproof, ovenproof casserole dish.
What is the main ingredient in a casserole? ›
In the United States, a casserole or hot dish is typically a baked food with three main components: pieces of meat (such as chicken or ground meat) or fish (such as tuna) or other protein (such as beans or tofu), various chopped or canned vegetables (such as green beans or peas), and a starchy binder (such as flour, ...
How to make a casserole taste better? ›
Fresh herbs or citrus zest can also punch up flavors with a bit of welcome brightness for a long-cooked dish, as can adding some heat in the form of a dash of hot sauce, a generous pinch of minced or sliced fresh chili pepper, or a shake of red pepper flakes.
What is the binder in a casserole? ›
Basic Casserole Recipe
A perfect casserole needs one or more binders: cheese, eggs, condensed soup, Greek yogurt or noodles, for example. Next up are good seasonings; you need herbs and spices to make it all sing.
How long should a casserole be in the oven? ›
The time a casserole takes to cook will vary from 2-2½ hours for chuck, blade and thick flank, up to 4 hours for shin, leg and neck. Pork cuts for braising and casseroling normally take 1½ hours, and lamb much the same.
Do casseroles cook faster in glass or metal? ›
Bakes more slowly than glass: Interestingly enough, however, metal pans bake things more slowly than glass pans do. Because of this, if a recipe calls for a glass pan and you decide to use a metal pan instead, be sure to add a few minutes to the baking time.
It's important to heat a casserole thoroughly before eating it; use an instant-read thermometer to make sure the casserole is at 165 degrees F for safe consumption. Just don't try to speed things up by cranking up the heat or you can end up with a casserole that's cooked on the outside but uncooked on the inside.
Can you put raw meat in a casserole? ›
Can you put raw chicken in a casserole? Yes! The cook time on this chicken and rice bake recipe in all the liquid will ensure your raw chicken is fully cooked by the time your oven timer dings.
What makes a good casserole dish? ›
Factors to Consider
Ceramic dishes can handle very high heat and distribute heat quite evenly. Glazed ceramic is often nonporous and naturally nonstick, making it easy to clean. There are also enameled cast-iron casserole dishes with a heavy metal interior to transmit heat and a glassy glaze to prevent sticking.
How long does it take for a refrigerated casserole to come to room temperature? ›
How long does it take a refrigerated casserole to come to room temp? Depending on the size of the dish and the density of its contents, it takes about an hour for to come up to room temperature. Add more time for a larger pan or one with dense contents.
Why does my egg casserole fall? ›
Runny Casserole – Baked egg dishes often fall victim to excess liquid build up at the bottom of the baking dish after they're baked. The reason is due to high water content in some vegetables and dense meats that are used in these dishes.
What classifies a dish as a casserole? ›
A casserole is a one-dish meal that's baked and served from a sturdy baking dish that's itself known as a casserole. Casseroles can be main courses or side dishes like gratins or the famous Thanksgiving green bean casserole.
What are the characteristics of a casserole? ›
A casserole can have layers, as in the case of an Italian lasagna or a deep-dish pizza, or composed of some evenly distributed combination of veggies, a protein, and a starchy binder. A casserole is often a one-pot meal that involves combining the ingredients in an oven-safe dish and baking them.
What are 5 advantages to making a casserole? ›
Learn why the meal-in-one is making a comeback, and why you should probably be cooking one right now.
- They're versatile. For every set of tastebuds, there's a casserole to match. ...
- They can be nutritious. ...
- They're easy, from prep through cleanup. ...
- They feed a crowd. ...
- They're transportable and gift-able.
