Cheap and Easy Casserole...

[kellia]

Subscribing!

LOL about unhealthy! Well, I always try to substitute the fat free mush. soup, 2% cheese, lean meats, extra veggies, etc. Moderation is definately key, as has been said, but I'd still bet that even the greasiest casserole on here is healthier than a trip through the drive-through!

Oh, as for healthier Crock Pot meals, the book Fix it and Forget it Lightly is pretty good!

 

[cancer_survivor_06]

This is long but really not long to make at all and I actually prepared it the night before and we heated it and ate the next day.

I wanted to post the recipe that I made last week or so. I loved the cottage pie that I had at Rose & Crown last year and when I saw the recipe it was so simple I decide to make it. The recipe posted simply called for meat and potatoes I changed it some.

~1 1/2 pounds of ground meat (I used more than this amount and I think next time I will try ground turkey, I use ground sirlion but thats the only type of ground meat I buy so use what you prefer)

~1 cup of gravy (I used a 10 oz can of campbell's brown gravy w/ onions)

~1/4 cup of butter (It does call for additional butter but I think I maybe used the quarter cup.)

~1 cup diced onions (We like a lot of onions so this with the brown gravy was plenty. If you don't want alot of onions and use the brown gravy above you may not want to add as much onions)

~2 teaspoons minced garlic (we like garlic so this is optional)

~2 cups mashed potatoes (I used two packets of Idahoan Yukon Gold potatoes. They don't come in a box they are sold in individual 4.1 oz packages and make 2 cups each. You just ad them to boiling water and they done and you can add things if you want I add 1 tablespoon of butter so they dont dry out.)

~1/4 teaspoon ground savory (I didn't use this because my local stores didn't have it so since it is used to season the meat I just seasoned it the way I would normally season my ground meat. salt and pepper, tonys or zatarains season, a little garlic powder, and probably about 2 pinches of mrs dash original season blend(thats all that was left in the container),


salt and pepper to taste

1) In a 9inch skillet coat with butter and cook onions and gar until brown and soft. (The recipe called for the whole quarter cup but I didn't use that much just enough to cover the bottom and keep the onions from drying out. If you cook onions like this often do it the way you would.)

2) add meat and ground savory or seasonings. brown ground meat once meat is browned add gravy and cook till bubbling. After cooking this mixture I added a can of mixed veggies b/c I didn't have any frozen veggies.

3) spoon meat mixture into an buttered 8 cup flat casserole dish top with mashed potatoes. (It said to dot with butter but since I mixed in the mashed potatoes I didn't but I did top mine with cheese the last 5 minutes it was baking)

4) bake for 15-20 minutes at 400

The mixed veggies I used had carrots peas lima beans corn and green beans. We eat all of those the only thing I picked out of it was the celery the pieces were to big for me. with this you can add the veggies in while cooking or cook them seperate.

This is the recipe according to allearsnet and rose n crown
http://allearsnet.com/din/rec_cot.htm

 

[Darcy03231]

I haven't read the whole thread so I'm sorry if these are repeats:

Wicked Chicken (my kids love this)

1 box stuffing mix
1 can or package of peas
2 small cans mushrooms
1 can cream of chicken soup
2/3 of soup can of milk
3 cups of cooked chunked chicken

Grease a 2 qt casserolle. Layer in dry stuffing mix - just enough to cover the bottom. Layer in peas (if frozen I defrost them first, if canned I drain them), mushrooms and then chicken. Mix the soup with the milk and pour over the top. Fix the remainder of the stuffing according to the directors and layer on top. Cook for 30 min at 350°. I serve it with cranberry sauce. I've used different vegetables, different cream soups and leftover turkey and it still comes out good every time.

Mexican Shepards Pie

1 lb of ground beef
1 pkg taco seasoning
1 cup shredded cheese
1 package or can of corn
1 package instant potatoes

Brown beef and drain. Mix in taco seasoning with about 1/2 cup of water. Layer in the bottom of a 2 qt casserole. Layer in shredded cheese, corn (if frozen I defrost it and if canned I drain it). Make potatoes according to the directions and layer on top. Bake at 350° for 30 min. If making mashed potatoes I use 4-5 large potatoes.

Pork Chops & Scalloped Potatoes & Gravy

6-8 chops
4-6 large potatoes
1 large onion
1.5 -2 cups of boiling water.

Peel and slice potatoes and layer in the bottom of a casserole dish. Slice onion and layer on top of potatoes. Brown pork chops and place on top. Pour in boiling water. Cover and bake at 350° for 30 minutes (or until done depending on the thickness of your chops). Uncover and drain "juice". Thicken juice with cornstarch and water and pour back over casserole.

 

[cancer_survivor_06]

Darcy03231 I love the pork chop casserole I haven't had it in so long I forgot about it. That is definitely a winner in my house.

 

[bettyann29]

This is a crockpot recipe, so not exactly a casserole, but it's cheap and easy.

Crockpot Chicken & Dumplings

4 chicken breasts, cut into pieces
2 cans cream of chicken soup, condensed -- (10.75 ounce)
1 onion -- finely diced
1 package refrigerated biscuits -- (10 ounce) torn into pieces
baby carrots, optional

Place the chicken, soup, and onion in a slow cooker, and fill with enough water to cover ( I use about 2-21/2 cups). Cover the slow cooker, and cook for 5 to 6 hours on High.
Tear each biscuit into 8 pieces or so. ABout 60 minutes before serving, put in baby carrots. About 30 minutes before serving, place the torn biscuit dough in the slow cooker. Cook until the dough is no longer raw in the center.

This is one of those recipes you can "tweak". Prefer whole chicken breasts? That's fine. Don't like onions? Leave them out. I like the carrots added in, but it's fine without.

I chop the chicken, add the soup and onion, and freeze in a ziplock bag. Then I take out when I want to have it, add the water and cook all day. It's great for busy days.

My kids LOVE it

Julia

Im doing this one today.. I'll report back on how its liked..

 

[mom2my3kids]

My kids LOVE this one, and it really is VERY easy....

1lb ground beef
2 pkgs of Mr. Noodles (chicken flavour is our fave)
2cups veggies (your choice)

Use the seasoning of one of your Mr.Noodles, and cook your meat.

When your meat is done, add dry noodles (crushed up), 2cups water and veggies (frozen or fresh)

Bring to a boil, cover, and wait 5min.


PS I think in the states, you all call these Ramen noodles???

I will have to try this, I was thinking what is Mr Noodles...

 

[#1hockeymom]

Im doing this one today.. I'll report back on how its liked..

I'm doing it today. I just added in the carrots. It smells YUMMY!!!

I didn't add in the onions due to the fact I was brain dead while throwing stuff in the crock pot at 6am. I also added in a jar of chicken country gravy, whatever that is. LOL

Can't wait to report back on a great chicken and dumplings recipe!

 

[I loveStitchnippyjon]

This is one of my family's favorites. Mix 1 lb. ground turkey or chicken (you can use ground beef, but I have found that the poultry doesn't have any grease to drain off) with some chopped onion, a good splash of worsteshire sauce, two eggs (or egg beaters), 1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs, some dried Italian seasoning and 1/3 can condensed cream of mushroom soup. Put it into a glass pie plate and smooth it out and up the sides to make a crust. Microwave about 10-12 minutes until the meat is no longer pink. Drain off any grease. Fill meat crust with (usually leftover) mashed potatoes, the layer on top the rest of the mushroom soup. Sprinkle with grated cheddar cheese. Microwave 5 minutes to heat everything through. There are never any leftovers at our house!

 

[Snoopygirl]

Bump!

 

[bettyann29]

Im doing this one today.. I'll report back on how its liked..

forgot to check back in..

This one was also a hit!! super easy..

 

[thelionqueen]

Smothered Burrito Casserole

1-2 lbs ground beef, cooked and drained
1-2 cans of refried beans
2 cans Stokes Green Chile Sauce (or Hatch is what I prefer)
1-2 lbs colby (or mild cheddar) cheese, grated
1 chopped onion (may omit to taste)
toppings
sour cream
lettuce & tomato


Preheat oven to 375. Spray large glass casserole dish with non-stick spray. Ladle just enough of the green chile sauce to coat bottom of dish. Layer flour tortillas across bottom of dish (I layer just on top of each other so there are no spaces in between).

Spread refried beans over tortillas. Sprinkle ground beef over beans. Ladle just enough green chile sauce to cover completely. Sprinkle with cheese.
Repeat for 2-3 layers depending on depth of dish. I usually end top layer with tortillas topped lightly with Green chile sauce and cheese.

Cover and bake for 30 mins. Uncover and bake an additonal 10-20 minutes or until bubbly.

Let cool for at least 10 minutes. Top w/ sour cream, lettuce and tomato to taste. Serves 6-8

 

[momx2]

Here is my easy way to make enchilladas.

Enchillada Casserole:

1 lbs. ground turkey (or beef)
2 cloves garlic (optional: I put minced garlic in about all ground meat dishes)
2 cans red enchillads sauce
12 corn tortillas
1 can corn (drained)
1/2 onion (optional)
1 1/2 cup 2% mexican cheese shredded

Brown ground turkey, minced garlic and chopped onion in skillet. In separate bowl, mix drained can corn, 2 cans red enchillada sauce and cooked turkey and onion. Spray 13x9 casserole pan with non-stick spray. Layer 6 corn tortillas, they will overlap some, pour 1/2 the turkey mixture over tortillas, sprinkle 1/2 c. shredded mexican cheese. Layer last 6 corn totillas, overlapping some, then remaining turkey mixture. Top with about a cup of shredded mexican cheese. Cover with foil and bake at about 425 for 30 minutes.

My kids love this, both of them!

 

[decaff38]

I found this in a magazine.

1 pkg frozen tortillini(boiled according to directions)
1 pkg of frozen veggies (steamed)
1 pkg of frozen peppers(steamed)
1 jar of 5 cheese alfredo
1 package of kilbasa or sausage(sliced and browned in fry pan)

Put all items in casserole and bake for 45 minutes (covered)

sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

Served this to my family and they raved!!!!!

Whole meal for 4 and 2 leftover lunches cost about $10.00-Good deal and it can sitt in your freezer until you need a quick meal. Probably took 1 full hour to cook.

Another thing my family loves is the Gyros in the box in the freezer section. Cooks up in 30 minutes and tastes great. You add lettuce and chopped tomatoes. Costs about $8.00 for 6-8 Gyros.

 

[Smydovro]

Great ideas! Keep 'em coming!

 

[hallie615]

You guys are making me hungry..

 

[IDoDis]

Here's a good lowfat version of Green chile chicken enchiladas:

1 1/4 pound of chicken breast boiled and shredded or cut into small pieces
3/4 chopped onion
1 large container of low-fat sour cream
2 cans of cream of chicken healthy request soup
3/4 package of shredded kraft mexican cheese mixed with 1/2 package of fat-free cheddar cheese
12 corn tortillas
2 cans of green chiles or 1 1/2 cups of fresh peeled green chiles

Directions:
Mix cut-up chicken with the sour cream, onion, 1/2 of the shredded cheese, all of the chile, and simmer on stove top until cheese is melted and mixture is warm.

Spray 11X13 pan with Pam Run corn tortillas under water just enough to get them moist. Line the bottom of the pan with 6 tortillas.

Pour 1/2 of the mixture onto the tortillas. Then, place the remaining corn tortillas on top to cover the mixture (like a layer). Next, add the remaining mixture spread all over on top. Sprinkle the remaining shredded cheese on top and bake for 30 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Serve with pinto beans and Spanish rice.

If you don't have green chile where you live, you can substitute a can of rotel tomatoes.

This dish is a mainstay in our neck of the woods.

 

[lttlmc3]

bump!

 

[Plantlady]

I thought I would add this one. It's not one for the healthy book.

1 can french style green beans, drained
1 can corn, drained
1 can water chestnuts, drained
1/2 cup diced onions
1 cup sour cream
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 roll of ritz crackers, smashed
1/4 cup of butter, melted

Layer the first four ingredients in a casserole dish (I use a 9" square dish)
Mix sour cream and cream of mushroom soup, spread on top.
layer cheese on top.
Mix cracker crumbs and butter, sprinkle on top.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

----
my alterations. The amount of crackers and butter has been halved from the original recipe. I find it is more than enough.. I use real butter, so the calories are a killer here.

I omit the onions and water chestnuts as well. My kids just don't like water chestnuts, and the onions are hard to hide (I sneak them into other dishes frequently).

We just love this dish though. It is a fine comfort food, but the calories just blow me away. I don't have them with me, but it is not healthy.

enjoy.!

 

[disneycjm]

Great Thread!

This is not a casserole but it is super easy and one of my family's favorites...It can be a low fat/low calorie meal too.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

4 - 6 boneless skinless chicken breast
1 bottle catalina or red french dressing (the regular size bottle) I use fat free
1 jar apricot preserve (regular size) I use All Fruit
1 package dry onion soup mix

preheat oven to 350.

Place chicken in a baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes. Drain off juice.

Mix dressing, preserve and soup mix and pour over chicken. Bake another 30 minutes.

Serve with rice...I also serve it with broccoli...the sauce is great...we would drink the stuff!

Can this be done in the crockpot?

 

[2thfairy]

subscribing...i've got a ton of these written down and now i'm going to make my shopping list.