Frugal Feeds | The Basics of Casseroles Made Easy with Eleven Recipes to Start With

Easy One Dish Meals

One dish meals make the dish cook with less hassle and create fewer dishes to clean up. The reason casseroles exist is to use up little bits of food that would likely otherwise get thrown out. Not only can they use up lots of odds and ends, they can taste really excellent. A few days after a taco meal you might find that you have scraps of meat, beans, cheese, tortillas and salsa--mix them into a casserole. After the third day of turkey around the holidays you might have turkey, sweet potatoes, corn, gravy and stuffing. Layer the turkey, potatoes and corn, pour the gravy over and use the stuffing to top it. It will be much more palatable than another plate of dried out leftovers. First let’s look at what proportions you use to make four servings.

Protein (2 Cups)        Starch (2 Cups)          Vegetable (2 Cups) 

(cooked)  

Chicken                         Brown Rice             Frozen Mixed Veggies

Turkey                          Potatoes                                         Carrots

Lean Beef                     Whole Wheat Pasta                            Peas

Pork                             Whole Wheat Bread               Green Beans

Fish                              Corn                         Frozen Asian Veggies

Clams                           Beans                                                 Kale

Oysters                        Peas                                               Spinach

Eggs                            Tortilla chips                            Bell Peppers

Low Fat Cheese          Quinoa                              Onions (Sauteed)

Ham                            Kamut                                          Tomatoes

Sausage                       Whole Grain Crackers        Celery (Sauteed)

Nuts                            Couscous                                  Green Peas 

Beans                           Corn Meal                     Edamame (Cooked)

Lamb                            Millet                                  Squash (Cooked)

Tofu                              Wild Rice                          Eggplant (Cooked)

Ground Meats                Sweet Potatoes             Mushrooms (Sauteed)

Buffalo                           Pumpkin                                            Zucchini 

Binder (2 Cups)                              Topping (1-2 Cups)

White Sauce #1                                        Bread Crumbs

White Sauce #2                                   Crushed Crackers

Brown Sauce                                              Ground Nuts

Mushroom Sauce                                  Low Fat Cheese

Cheese Sauce                                                  Parmesan

Mock Hollandaise                                             Croutons

Cream Gravy                                   French Fried Onions

Egg Sauce                                                  Potato Sticks

Veloute Sauce                                              Lean Bacon

Chaud-Froid Sauce                                     Raw Biscuits

Poulette Sauce                                       Raw Puff Pastry

Bechamel Sauce                                         Tortilla Chips

Onion Sauce                                                 Hasbrowns

Sauce Supreme                                              Tater Tots

Nut Sauce                                              Herbs and Nuts

Tomato Sauce                                   Herbs and Crumbs

               Pesto                                             Crumbs and Nuts               

You will want to take one item from each category, except the topping, add herbs and spices and layer in a medium-sized casserole dish. Cover with aluminum foil or a fitted lid. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove from oven, remove cover, and add the topping. Return to the oven without its cover for 10-20 minutes, or until the topping is lightly browned and crispy.

Now, here is the fun and challenging part. Not everything is going to taste right if you put them together so start off with things you are familiar with combining. I'll get you started:

Pizza Casserole: Browned and drained lean Sausage, Whole Wheat Pasta, 1/2 cup Onion, 1 cup Bell Peppers, 1/2 cup Mushrooms, Tomato Sauce, 1 cup low fat Mozzarella, 1/2 cup Parmesan. Add garlic, thyme, marjoram, pepper and salt. Add the mozzarella and Parmesan in the last 10-20 minutes. Serve with garlic bread.

Chicken and Dumpling Casserole: Cooked Chicken, Whole Wheat Pasta, 1 cup Peas, 1 cup Carrots, White Sauce #2 made with Low Sodium Chicken Broth, Raw Whole Grain Biscuits. Add 2 Tablespoons Dried Parsley, black pepper and salt. Add the raw biscuits in the last 10 minutes. Serve with corn.

Mexi-Casserole: 1 cup browned and drained lean Ground Beef, 1 cup Beans, Tortilla Chips or torn leftover tortilla shells, 1/2 cup Tomatoes, 1/2 cup Onions, 1 cup Bell Peppers, Tomato Sauce, Low Fat Cheese. Add garlic, 1 teaspoon cumin, oregano, chili powder, black pepper and salt. Add the cheese in the last 10-20 minutes. Serve with salad.

Noodle Bake: Browned and drained lean Ground Turkey, Whole Wheat Pasta, Mixed Vegetables, Low Fat  Cheese Sauce and Herbed Crumbs. Add garlic, onion powder, thyme, salt and pepper. Add the herbed crumbs in the last 10 minutes. Serve with steamed carrots.

Ham and Potatoes: Cooked lean Ham, Sliced potatoes, Peas, Cheese Sauce and Potato Sticks (like PikNik brand). Add pepper. Add the potato sticks in the last 10 minutes. Serve with broccoli.

Green Bean: Diced browned lean Pork, Wild Rice, 1 1/2 cups Green Beans, 1/2 cup minced Bell Peppers, White Sauce #2, French's Fried Onions. Add salt. Add fried onions in the last ten minutes. Serve with potatoes.

Lasagne: Browned and drained lean Italian Sausage, Whole Wheat Lasagne noodles boiled and drained, 1/2 cup Spinach, 1/2 cup mushrooms, 1/2 cup onions, 1/2 cup sliced, sauteed eggplant, Tomato sauce, Mozzarella cheese. Add thyme, oregano, marjoram, garlic, onion powder, pepper and fennel seed. Add Mozzarella in the last 20 minutes. Serve with salad.


Stroganoff Casserole:  Sliced, browned lean Beef, Whole Wheat Noodles, 1 cup Mushrooms, 1 cup Onions, White Sauce #1, Parsley Herbed Bread Crumbs. Add garlic and salt. Add herbed bread crumbs in the last ten minutes. Serve with green beans.

Eggs Benedict Casserole: Boiled Sliced Eggs, Toasted, Sliced, Lightly Buttered, Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread, Tomatoes, Mock Hollandaise Sauce, Lean Crumbled Bacon. Layer toast on bottom, top with layered tomatoes and eggs, add sauce. Add bacon in last five minutes.

Pilaf: 1/3 cup browned and drained Ground Lamb, 1/3 cup Almonds and 1/3 cup Pistachio Nuts, Couscous, 2 cups peas, 1 cup Spinach, 1 cup Carrots, Onion Sauce, Herbed Pine Nuts. Add 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice, 1/2 cup raisins. Add herbed pine nuts in the last ten minutes.

Chicken Pot Pie: Cooked lean Chicken, Brown Rice or Barley, Mixed Vegetables, White Sauce #2 made with Chicken Broth, Raw Puff Pastry. Add dried parsley, onion powder, salt and pepper. Line the bottom of the casserole with puff pastry, making sure that it comes up the sides of the casserole and drapes slightly over the edge. Fill with mixture. Top with puff pastry. Roll edges inward to seal the top puff pastry. Make a small rectangular cut into center of puff pastry top.

Okay, so now you have some casseroles to play with. Try each as they are and then the next time change it up. If it calls for ham, try fish. If it calls for chicken, try tofu. Mix it up however sounds good. The first few times you do this it will probably just taste okay. As you get used to making casseroles you will start to find some combinations that are really good. Play away!

Frugal Feeds | List of Recipes and Guides Posted So Far

Here is the complete list of recipes and ingredient guides posted so far. If you want to find a specific recipe type the name into the search field in the upper left-hand column. Many of them are also hyperlinked in the Recipes section.

Croutons
Stuffing
Bread Crumbs
Crispy Topping
Bread Pudding
French Toast Batter
French Toast
Custard Dip
Green Apple French Toast
Maple Banana Pecan French Toast
Berry French Toast
Cinnamon Raisin French Toast
Monte Cristo Sandwiches
Croque-Monsieur Sandwiches
Bread Crumbs
Meat Extenders
Mexican Style Meat Extender
Stroganoff Style Meat Extender
Italian Style Meat Extender
American Style Meat Extender
SOS Style Meat Extender
Casserole Style Meat Extender
Sloppy Joes Style Meat Extender
Lean Meat Solution
Meat Cakes
Pan Cakes
Fridge Pudding
Pie Crusts--Sweet Version
Pie Crusts--Savory Version
Crumb Topping for Desserts
Chilaquiles
Tortilla Strip Casserole
Biscuits and Gravy
SOS
Chicken and Biscuits
Biscuit Shortcake
Chicken and Dumplings, Biscuit Style
Personal Pizzas
Tortas
Sloppy Joes
Sauces
White Sauce #1
White Sauce #2
Thin White Sauce for Chicken
Cream of Something Soup
Cream of Veggie Soup
Cream of Broccoli Soup with Cheese
Cream of Mushroom Soup
Cream of Tomato Soup
Cream of Potato Soup
Creamy Wine Sauce
Creamy Bechamel Sauce
Brown Sauce
Mushroom Sauce 1
Mushroom Sauce 2
Cheese Sauce
Mock Hollandaise Sauce
Chowder
Creamed Dishes
Au Gratin Dishes
Cream Gravy
Foamy Egg Sauce
Veloute Sauce
Chaud-Froid Sauce
Poulette Sauce
Bechamel Sauce
Onion Sauce
Sauce Supreme
Amaranth Flour
Atole
Blue Corn Flour
Barley Flour
Brown Rice Flour
Buckwheat Flour
Cake Flour
Corn Flour
Gluten Flour
Graham Flour
Kamut Flour
Millet Flour
Oat Flour
Quinoa Flour
Rye Flour
Semolina Flour
Sorghum Flour
Spelt Flour
Teff Flour
White Whole Wheat Flour
Whole Wheat Flour
Bean Flour
Cassava Flour
Tapioca Flour
Yuca Flour
Manioc Flour
Chestnut Flour
Nut Flours
Pea Flour
Potato Flour
Chuno Flour
Seed Flour
Hummus
Almost Instant Pea Soup
Nut Butter Bean Spread
Quick and Easy Bean Soup
Pea Soup
Refried Beans
Budget Guacamole
Breakfast Parfait
Breakfast Pudding
Breakfast Burritos
Breakfast Burritos for a Crowd

Frugal Feeds | Breezy Breakfasts You Can Make Ahead and You'll Just Need A Few Minutes to Serve

These breakfasts look complicated but once you get the hang of them you will see that they are quick, easy and hearty--not to mention a healthy way to start your day!


Breakfast Parfait

Looks like you are serving a sundae and the kids love it.

You will need:
4 wine or parfait glasses ( I also use martini glasses or regular drink glasses)
1 cup rolled whole oats
1/2 cup nuts

2 cups low fat plain yogurt
1/2 cup raw honey
1 cup fruit
4 Tablespoons chocolate chips


In a small saute pan, over medium heat, add your oats. Toast them until they start to show lightly browned. Remove from pan immediately and place in a bowl.
Return pan to hot burner and add nuts. Toast them until they start to show lightly browned. Remove from pan and place in the bowl.
Return pan to hot burner and warm the fruit you are using.
In a separate bowl whisk the honey and yogurt. If you are using fully raw, creamed or solid honey you will want to warm it until it melts before whisking with the yogurt.
Remove pan from burner and turn off stovetop.
In each glass place 1/4 cup honey yogurt, 1/3 cup oat/nut mixture, 1/4 cup fruit and 1 tablespoon chocolate chips.
Serve.


Breakfast Pudding
This is similar to an English pudding. It is a quick and easy way to use up your left over fruits. But you need to make it the night before.

You will need:

1/4 cup raw honey
4 c. bread crumbs
2 cups mashed or pureed fruit

1 cup low fat yogurt
4 Tablespoons raw honey

Warm raw honey over low heat. Stir 1/4 cup honey, bread crumbs and fruit in a large bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and top with an inverted (upside down) dinner plate. Refrigerate overnight. The next morning remove from refrigerator. Remove plastic wrap. Place plate back onto bowl and, holding the bowl and plate together turn the bowl upside down and let it sit this way on the counter for a few minutes. While the pudding is coming out of the bowl mold get a second bowl and whisk your warmed honey and yogurt. You can use maple syrup, agave syrup or stevia for sweetener, instead of honey, to taste. Remove bowl from pudding. It should have released from the bowl by now. If it hasn't turn it back to right-side-up and use a butter knife to loosen the edges. Place the plate back on it and invert it again. Let it sit for a few minutes. Slice into eight pieces. Top with sweetened plain low fat yogurt. Two slices are a serving.



Breakfast Burritos

You'll need:
2 cups water
1/2 cup Black Bean Flour
Garlic Powder
Chili Powder
Cumin
Salt
4 Whole Wheat Burrito Tortillas
4 ounces Low Fat Cheese, shredded
2 Tablespoons low sodium Broth
4 Eggs or egg alternative or tofu



2 cups shredded Lettuce
4 Tablespoons Salsa

In a small pot bring water to a boil and whisk in the black bean flour. Add about 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder, chili powder, cumin and salt to taste. Bring to a boil and then turn down heat to low, cover it, and let it simmer.


Warm your tortillas. If you have a microwave place them on a plate and cover with an inverted plate or plastic wrap or use a food safe plastic bag. Warm for 20 seconds and let it stay in the microwave until you are ready to use them. If you don't have a microwave you will want to remove them from their plastic bag and place in a stack on a cookie sheet. Cover the tortillas thoroughly with aluminum foil or a large oven safe pot or pan lid. Let it warm at 250 degrees until you are ready to use them.

Shred your cheese.

Whisk the eggs until they are foamy and fully mixed together. In a skillet, over medium heat, bring the broth to simmer. Add the whisked eggs. Using a silicon spatula, every 30 seconds or so, scrape the eggs from the bottom of the skillet into the center. Allow the runny, uncooked eggs to flow into the area that you have just scraped and then leave it alone for another 30 seconds. Repeat until the eggs are all cooked and not runny at all.

Shred your lettuce.

Assemble the burritos:

Remove tortillas from oven and place on a plate. Remove beans from stove top. Remove eggs from stove top. Arrange the plates/pans/bowls in this order:
Tortillas, Black Beans, Eggs, Shredded Cheese, Shredded Lettuce, Salsa.
Spread 3 Tablespoons black beans on each tortilla. Top with 1/4 cup of scrambled egg. Top with 2 Tablespoons Shredded Cheese. Top with 1/2 cup shredded lettuce. Top with 1 Tablespoon Salsa.

You want to do this quickly because you don't want your tortillas to begin to cool or they will not fold well.

How to fold the burrito. Fold bottom quarter of tortilla toward the center, over the filling. Fold top quarter of tortilla toward the center, over the filling. Pull left third of tortilla over the filling and tuck it or crease it where the edge of the filling is. Lastly roll the entire burrito over so that the left third is now wrapped into the right third and the seams are all on the bottom touching the plate. Let them sit for twenty seconds or so to have the tortilla cool and mold itself to the filling before picking it up.

If you make these burritos without the lettuce you can freeze them by wrapping in plastic wrap and placing in a freezer bag. When you have the time you can make 16 of them and freeze 12 for those days when you don't have time.

Breakfast Burritos for a Crowd

Half a gallon (8 cups) water
2 cups Black Bean Flour
1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 teaspoon Chili Powder
1 teaspoon Cumin
1/4 teaspoon Salt
16 Whole Wheat Burrito Tortillas
1 pound Low Fat Cheese, shredded
1/2 cups low sodium Broth

16 Eggs, egg alternatives  or crumbled tofu

16 Tablespoons Salsa
2 cups lettuce, shredded

Prepare as in standard recipe except do not add the lettuce to the ones you will freeze.

Reheat in the microwave in its plastic wrap. For reheating int the oven remove all of the plastic and place on a cookie sheet. Cover with aluminum foil. Reheat in the oven at 350 degrees for 20 minutes-or until thoroughly heated.


Next time we will recap the immense number of recipes you can create from this blog so far.

Frugal Feeds | Seven Simple Almost-Instant Non-Grain Recipes--last minute cooking has never been easier!

Bean flours must be cooked for a few minutes prior to consuming. So, if you are going to use bean flour in a recipe that is served cold you will want to have enough time between cooking the bean flour and mixing it into your recipe so that it can cool sufficiently.

We'll start today by making a quick and easy hummus. Hummus can be used as either a dip or a spread.


Basic Hummus
 
You will need:

1 cup Water

1/2 cup Garbanzo Bean Flour

2 teaspoons Garlic Powder

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

Salt to taste

That is all you need for your most basic hummus. Place the water into a small pot over medium heat. With a fork, or a whisk, add your garbanzo bean flour a little at a time and stir in thoroughly. By doing it this way you will eliminate lumps. Bring to a steady simmer. Simmer for several minutes. The dip will thicken upon cooling. If you want it thicker, add a little more garbanzo bean flour or simmer it longer while constantly stirring. If you want it less thick add some more water or some low sodium broth. When the consistency is still somewhat thinner than you want (remember that it will thicken more while cooling) add your garlic powder.  Remove from heat. Let cool. Whisk in your olive oil a little at a time. Add salt to taste. Chill and serve. Goes great with chips, vegetable strips, spread on a pita, a bagel or a slice of bread. One serving of Basic Hummus gives you 165 calories and 20% of your daily fiber. Adding tahini or more olive oil will greatly increase the calories. Adding lemon juice, peppers or vegetables will increase the nutrients.

Now make it your own. Start off by only adding one or two optional ingredients until you know how they taste in the recipe and how they taste together. You can stir in a number of items before chilling that will really add to the flavor.

A few Tablespoons of any of the following:
Lemon Juice
Low sodium Broth
Olive oil
Nut Butter--tahini (sesame seed paste), almond butter, cashew butter, peanut butter, soy nut butter
Hot sauce or roasted chiles and peppers like chipoltes
Sweet Paprika
Parsley
Roasted Peppers
Roasted Tomatoes
Sun Dried Tomatoes
Olives



Almost Instant Split Pea Soup

3 1/4 cups low sodium Chicken Broth
3/4 cup Green Pea Flour
Salt and Pepper to taste

This is all you need for your most basic split pea soup. Bring broth to boil in a medium pot. Reduce heat to medium. Whisk in the Green Pea Flour. Simmer for several minutes until thoroughly hot and it is as thick as you like it. If it is already thicker than you like it you can add water or broth to thin it. Unless you used low sodium or salt free broth be sure to taste the soup before you season it with salt. Season to taste and serve. One serving of Almost Instant Split Pea soup gives you 60 calories and 16% of your daily fiber. Adding meats will increase the calories. Adding vegetables will increase the nutrients.

Now make it your own. Just add one or two optional ingredients at first until you know how they taste with the soup and how they taste together.

Stir in any of the following while simmering the soup:

1 cup minced or diced lean ham, lean bacon or lean sausage
1/2 cup minced carrots (if you are using green split pea flour the carrots will make it turn a brownish color, use yellow split pea flour instead)
1/4 cup minced celery
1/4 cup minced onion, green onion or chives
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon dried mint
1/2 Tablespoon curry powder
1 cup diced, cooked, potato
1/2 teaspoon summer savory
1 cup mixed frozen vegetables


Dollar Stretching


Nut butters are expensive but beans are not. White beans have a very light flavor that blends well with stronger flavors or stays mild for sauces. In this one we are going to make a spread that will allow you to turn that jar of nut butter into the equivalent of four jars of nut butter spread.

Nut Butter Bean Spread

You will need:

1 cup water
1/2 cup White Bean Flour
1/2 cup nut butter--peanut, almond, cashew, soynut etc...

Bring water to boil in a small pot. Whisk in the white bean flour. Bring back to boil then reduce heat. Let simmer for several minutes. Remove from heat. Let it cool. Whisk in the nut butter. If too thick add a little more water. If too thin add a little more nut butter. Chill. Makes two cups, or 16 servings. One serving of Nut Butter Bean Spread made with Almond Butter gives you 105 calories and 17% of your daily fiber. Made with cashew butter it is slightly lower calories and fiber. With sesame butter (tahini) it is 95 calories and 16% of your daily fiber. Peanut butter has almost the same number or calories and fiber as tahini.

Quick and Easy Bean Soup

1/3 cup bean flour--whichever kind or blend them
4 cups liquid--low sodium broth (chicken or beef), water, wine or milk

Optional Vegetable: 2 teaspoons dried vegetable flakes, carrot, spinach, onion, leek, mushroom, etc.. or 3 tablespoons of minced fresh vegetables. (onions, carrots, celery, mushrooms, chives etc.)

Optional Garlic: 1/2 teaspoon garlic flakes or a 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder or 1 small garlic clove, minced

Optional Herb: A pinch (1/8 teaspoon) of any herb (thyme, marjoram, oregano, basil, mint, parsley, etc.)

Optional Spice: A touch of spices--black or white pepper, cumin, red pepper, ground chiles, etc.

Whisk bean flour into cold liquid until smooth. Pour into a medium pot. Add optional ingredients. Bring to a simmer on the stove top. Simmer three minutes. Serve. Makes 4 one cup servings.

Above are the components to make a different bean soup, very quickly, every day. Here is a starter:

Pea Soup

1/3 cup pea flour--use either yellow or green
4 cups chicken broth
2 teaspoons onion flakes
1 Tablespoon carrots, minced
1/4 cup bacon bits--or imitation bacon bits
A pinch of thyme
White pepper to taste

Whisk pea flour into cold liquid until smooth. Pour into a medium pot. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a simmer on the stove top. Simmer three minutes. Serve. Makes 4 one cup servings.


Here are some more budget savers:

Refried Beans

1/3 cup pinto bean flour or black bean flour
1-2 1/2 cups low sodium beef broth
1 teaspoon corn oil

For thicker refried beans use less water, for thinner use more water. The amount of liquid you use will determine how much refried beans you end up with. So using 2 cups of liquid will give you 2 cups of medium thick refried beans. Whisk bean flour into cold beef broth until smooth. Heat a small pan over medium. Add oil to pan and pour bean mixture in. Bring to a simmer on the stove top stirring constantly. Simmer three minutes. Serve. Makes between 1 and 2 1/2, half-cup servings.

Budget Guacamole 1/2 cup white bean flour, 2 cups water, 1 tablespoon garlic powder. 1/4 cup onions, 1 minced pepper, 1/4 cup cilantro, juice of 1 lime, 1 large avocado, 1 cup canned tomatoes.
Stir white bean flour, garlic and water until smooth. Bring to boil and simmer a few minutes. Remove from heat. Dice your onions, peppers and cilantro. Mash your avocado and add lime, tomatoes, peppers, onions, cilantro and cooled bean flour mixture. Chill briefly before serving.


Now that you have tried each of these simple recipes, mix them up.

Instead of using garbanzo bean flour in the hummus, use the green pea flour, or the white bean flour.

Instead of using the green pea flour in the split pea soup, use the garbanzo flour or the white bean flour.

Instead of using the white bean flour in the spread, use the garbanzo flour or green pea flour.

Instead of using nut butter as the oil in the spread, use olive oil or avocado or cheese or cooked, diced ham or bacon.

Instead of using meat in the soup, use a nut butter.


The recipes are yours, mix them up and make them your signature dish. Also, if you don't have bean flour available you can use canned beans or peas, just drain and mash them up--but it will taste different, and not as good. Alternately, you can make the cooked beans from scratch which will take a lot longer but will also taste a lot more flavorful.



Next up quick and simple breakfast dishes...