Jim's Cafe - Monday, June 2, 2025 - casseroles!

Hello SF family, I hope today finds you well as can be.

Today I'd like your help! I'm working on doing some simple and hopefully healthier cooking and I'd like to see what sort of one pot/pan meals you have in your cookbooks. It is nice to learn what people all over the world eat for dinner!

What is your favorite casserole/one pot meal?

I make a lot of casseroles because I live alone, and I can eat the same casserole for days on end.

One that I really love is New Orleans Beans - you can find the recipe online.

but I mostly just make them from whatever is in the house. A favourite for the whole family is a cassrole that starts with a mirepoix + garlic and turnips, then lemon juice, white wine, bone-in chicken thighs with the skin on, chickpeas, and sliced olives, green or black, plus the usual herbs like bay and oregano.

I don't get tired of eating the same thing day after day.

Hey Angie, thanks for opening a cafe for today. I’m ok overall I guess, hope you’re good too.

A casserole we sometimes have that we like a lot is tuna casserole. I’m sure you probably already know about that one, maybe it’s one you like and enjoy a lot. Not sure how “healthy” it is, it has some good/healthy things in it though. Carrots and tuna, along with macaroni, a cheese sauce and cracker crumb topping.

There’s all kinds of recipes for different variations of it online. It’s pretty quick and easy to make though. Hope you find lotsa great recipes for ones you like and enjoy, I’m sure you will

Some tags: @Witty_Sarcasm @Lisa the Goatgirl @puffymilk @Kiwi2016 @Baywasp @FFurry @KM76710 @cymbele

I haven't made a casserole in ages. Thanks Angie for the reminder to create one. I used to make oyster casserole years ago when the oysters were still affordable, lol. I'm looking forward to the ideas shared here to get one going.....
Is homemade Mac and cheese considered a casserole?

I haven't cooked a cabbage casserole in ages, kind of funny that my ex h insisted on cooking certain things, then an ex boyfriend also wanted to be the ''cook''... I think it's a hint my cooking isn't great lol. Thanks for opening the cafe @Angie
I have made tuna casserole many times, simple and easy. With celery and green onions, miracle whip and tuna and whatever kind of pasta you like.

Thanks for opening the cafe @Angie. I tend to cook a large pot of something and have it over a few days. I like cooking a white bean casserole, kind of like a homemade baked beans. I put in onions, mushrooms, garlic, chilli, cumin, toms and white beans.

Thanks for opening @Angie and for the tag @JMG !

If you've got a slow cooker/crockpot...this is really really good!!!

SLOW COOKER- Poultry - Chicken
Slow Cooker Alpine Chicken
(internet, Sarah Olson, themagicalslowcooker.com)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup sliced or slivered almonds, divided
6-8 slices Swiss cheese
6 oz. box chicken Stove-top stuffing
10.5 oz. can cream of chicken soup
1/3 cup salted butter melted
1/2 cup milk
Spices we added: 2 tsp. garlic powder, 1 tsp. onion herb spice mix, 3 tsp. minced onion

Preparation:
1 Mix together the milk and cream of chicken soup in a small bowl, set aside.
2 Lay down the chicken in the slow cooker, then then the cheese, soup mixture, 1/2 of the almonds, stuffing mix, drizzle over butter over the stuffing. Then sprinkle over remaining almonds.
3 Cover and cook on LOW for 5-6 hours without opening the lid during the cooking time.
4 Serve and enjoy!

Cooking Notes:
1 Chicken thighs can be used instead of chicken breasts, be sure to trim the fat off them well.
2 Seasonings can be added to the chicken such as garlic powder, onion powder or oregano. DO NOT add any additional salt for the soup and stuffing contain enough salt.
3 Cheese variations – you can use are pepper-jack, gruyere, cheddar or even mozzarella. Use what you have on hand.
4 Don’t like almonds? You can use toasted pecans instead or skip them entirely.

Servings 5

tagging @Shadowlands @Bergerac @may71 @Innocent Forever @Witty_Sarcasm @Lane @nobodyknows71 @1964dodge

Nowadays I don't do casseroles - I hate eating the same thing for days! I made a breakfast casserole for brunch once - it was pretty good but filling and I didn't have to eat all as I had guests (It was a FRench toast casserole). I used to make them all the time for gatherings but now that I'm pretty much alone I don't.

I love casseroles, but have one problem with them. Once I make one I keep eating it and eating it and eating it. Have multiple servings the same day. Wind up eating way too much.

Some casseroles I think are quite good. I don't mind the repetitive eating and it can be good and consistent on reheating up, but I do like simpler foods without too many ingredients mixed up.

I don't cook much, but a lasagna casserole is always good -- no need to worry about the intricate layering or anything, just stuff the pasta, meat and cheese all together 👍

my kind of approach for lasagna!