Pasta casserole

When I hear or see the word casserole, I think pasta. There are plenty of other kinds, but by far the most common around here is pasta. Even more than with chili, there is no one recipe for casserole. In our family, it is often a way to make something of interest from leftovers: pasta, vegis, and/or meat. Alternatively, it is sometimes a way to make a low-fuss meal that makes a nice presentation, such as for a birthday or last-minute company. It can be served as a whole meal; as a main dish accompanied by more vegetables or salad or fruit dishes; or as a side to a meat dish. Fresh vegetables can be used and theoretically the whole thing can be done using uncooked pasta and meat with more liquid, but like baking uncooked lasagna noodles, results are less predictable and require closer watching to ensure the pasta doesn't dry out, the meat gets fully cooked, and the sauce thickens sufficiently.

I do casserole with pre-cooked pasta, browned, canned, or leftover meat; and or canned, leftover, or fresh vegetables, and a few other ingredients, often including cheese. More meat and vegetables and less pasta will typically make a healthier casserole. Rice can be used in place of pasta if a little more liquid is added to keep the rice from drying out.

Since the ingredients can vary greatly, this is more instructions than recipe, but so long as the baking time is watched a little and varied as needed, it's fairly foolproof.

Prepare pasta according to package directions Or:
Bring a large pot of water (about 2/3 full) to a boil, add pasta, stir briefly to prevent sticking, reduce heat to simmer, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until pasta can be cut with a wooden or plastic spoon (typically 5 to 7 minutes for small pasta up to 15 minutes for larger pasta. Slowly pour pasta into a strainer to remove water.

To brown ground beef or turkey or cubed chicken, put a little oil in the bottom of a large skillet, heat oil at medium to high temperature, break up meat and spread loosely in pan. Cook until bottom begins to brown. turn over and brown the other side. Larger pieces may need to be cooked on three or four sides. The meat need not be cooked through to the center, especially if the casserole will include larger fresh vegis such as broccoli.

Sliced polish sausage, cut up cooked bacon, sliced hotdogs, or canned meats such as chicken, tuna, or shrimp can also be used.

My favorite vegis are: broccoli, peas, green beans, spinach, sliced mushrooms, diced onions, diced or sliced celery, canned or pre-cooked carrots diced or sliced, or frozen soup vegetable mix (usually not all of the above...)

Other optional ingredients: shredded cheese (reserve some for the top), herbs (Italian blend, classic American blend, or other favorites that are associated with the meat or leftovers being used), chopped fresh parsley. To moisten leftover pasta and/or vegetables, add fresh onion or about 1/4 c. milk and a little butter or oil.

Toppings: four to six crushed crackers, butter, cheese, paprika

Spray the bottom of a cassarole dish with oil. Layer ingredients. (For a large casserole I'll use three layers of pasta and two layers of each in the sequence pasta, vegis, meat, cheese, repeat, top with a thin layer of pasta. For a smaller casserole I'll use three layers of pasta, one with meat and cheese on top, one with vegetables and cheese on top, and a last layer of pasta.

If meats are very lean or any of the leftovers are dry, add about 1/4 c. milk or broth and then add desired toppings. My favorite is a sprinkling of cheese then the crushed crackers with possibly a dribble of melted butter to help brown the crackers or soften harder types. For a fancier presentation, use a thicker layer of cheese and saltine crackers and sprinkle the center with paprika and the outer circle with parsley flakes.

Cover casserole with lid or foil for all but the last 10-15 minutes or so of cooking.
Cook at 375 or 400 degrees. If all ingredients are pre-cooked, 20-30 covered and 10 min. uncovered should be plenty. For a casserole with raw vegetables, cook about 45 min. After 30 min, make sure the top layer of pasta is not drying out. If it is, add liquid. To know when casserole is ready for serving, watch for any liquid to bubble around the edges of the dish, for the top layer of cheese to melt thoroughly, and/or for topping to brown.