Kitchen Euphoria: Casseroles

Best Casserole Recipe: Wonderful Wild Rice Casserole, by Donna Monday
Wild rice is healthy and delicious, but sometimes it gets boring. Well, here's a wild rice recipe that will spice things up a bit.

1 cup uncooked wild rice, rinsed 3 cups water 6 slices bacon, cut into ½-inch pieces 1 cup chopped onions ½ cup chopped celery ½ cup chopped carrot 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms 1 (10 ½ oz.) can condensed chicken and rice soup

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In medium saucepan, combine wild rice and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 50 to 60 minutes or until rice is tender and water is absorbed.

Meanwhile, grease a 1 ½-quart casserole dish.

In large skillet over medium heat, cook bacon until crisp. Remove bacon from skillet; drain on paper towels.

Discard all but 1 tablespoon drippings in skillet. Add onions, celery, and carrot; cook and stir 3 to 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in mushrooms; cook and stir 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in soup and bacon.

Add cooked rice to skillet; mix well. Spoon into greased casserole; cover. Bake 30-35 minutes.

Best Casserole Recipe: Easy Tex Mex Hash, by Donna Monday
Here's a great Tex Mex recipe if you love cheesy hash browns with a little extra kick.

1 pound lean ground beef 1 tablespoon oil 3 cups (24 oz.) package frozen potatoes O'Brien with onions and peppers 1 cup thick and chunky salsa 2 teaspoons chili powder, optional 1 cup shredded Colby Monterey Jack cheese blend

Directions

In a large nonstick skillet, brown ground beef. Remove beef from skillet; cover to keep warm. Discard drippings.

In the same skillet, heat oil over medium heat until hot. Add potatoes; cook and stir 8 to 10 minutes or until browned. Stir in salsa, chili powder, and ground beef. Cook 5 to 8 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stir occasionally.

Sprinkle with cheese. Cover and cook 2 to 4 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Best Casserole Recipe: Vegetable and Bean Polenta Pie, by Donna Monday
Here's a great meatless polenta recipe for those who enjoy this traditional Italian staple.

Polenta

1 ½ cups yellow cornmeal 2 ½ cups chicken broth 2 tablespoons margarine or butter 1 egg, slightly beaten ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Filling

1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil 1 cup coarsely chopped onions 1 cup coarsely chopped green bell pepper 1 small zucchini, cut into ½-inch cubes 1 (15.5 oz.) can dark red kidney beans, drained 1 (14.5 oz.) can tomato paste 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease a 9 or 10-inch deep-dish glass pie pan.

In medium saucepan, combine cornmeal and broth. Cook over medium heat until mixture begins to boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in margarine, egg and Parmesan cheese. Set aside.

Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add onions and bell pepper; cook and stir until tender. Stir in zucchini, beans, tomatoes and tomato paste. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook 5 minutes.

Spread cornmeal mixture in bottom and up sides of greased pie pan. Spoon vegetable mixture over top. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.

Bake 30-35 minutes or until set. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Best Casserole Recipe: Reuben Casserole, by Donna Monday
If you enjoy a hot, delicious, Reuben sandwich, you'll love this Reuben casserole recipe. Instead of bread, it features garlic mashed potatoes - yum!

3 cups hot water 1 cup milk ¼ cup margarine or butter 1 tablespoon mustard 1 package roasted garlic mashed potatoes 1 (6 oz.) package sliced corned beef, cut into ½-inch pieces 1 (14 ½ oz.) can sauerkraut, rinsed well and drained 2 cups shredded Swiss cheese 1 tablespoon caraway seed, optional

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease an 8x8-inch square baking dish.

Heat water, milk, and margarine to rapid boil in 3-quart saucepan; remove from heat. Stir in mustard. Stir in both packets of potatoes and seasoning just until moistened.

Let stand about 1 minute or until liquid is absorbed. Whip with fork until smooth.

Spread 1 ½ cups of the potatoes into baking dish. Top with corned beef. Spoon remaining potatoes over top; spread gently. Sprinkle with cheese and caraway seeds.

Bake 20 minutes.