Cozy Cooking = Clever Casseroles

There is nothing quite as welcoming when the winds howl and the temperature drops as a bubbling casserole straight from the oven. Bonus: the oven warms up the kitchen too!

We’ve pulled together ‘clever casseroles’ – a collection of bakes that are new twists on old fav’s, with punchy ingredients like salsa, olives, and feta cheese, new ingredient combo’s like beans & beef, and tips for make-ahead that help make casseroles more convenient.

Florentine Stuffed Shells: Making stuffed shells may seem a bit tedious, but it gives you lots of options for making ahead and tucking in the freezer. For example, you can freeze in individual meal portions (2 shells per meal), or make up 1 pan to eat, and a second smaller sized casserole (tucked in a pie plate) for the freezer.

Make Ahead Mexican Lasagna: This casserole is mucho easier than lasagna made with pasta noodles and has the same kid-appeal as the nacho platter. Keep this recipe up your sleeve for those holiday- season pot lucks or Superbowl celebrations. Oh so yummy!

Beef ‘n Cheese Stuffed Potatoes: Make a Big Batch of cooked ground beef ahead and freeze so making dinner becomes a simple assembly. This recipe shows you how to do it!  If you’d rather make the recipe with just a pound of fresh ground beef instead of a Big Batch, brown 1 lb (500 g) Lean Ground Beef with some onions before completing the recipe.

Cowboy Casseroles: Yeehaw! Who wouldn’t love a mini casserole that can bake up in 20 minutes!! Gooey cheesiness makes these a hit! The crust is made from ready-made wonton wrappers – who’da thought??

Beef Gratin: This Gratin is way better than traditional Shepherd’s Pie, yet still so simple to make since it uses ingredients you have in your pantry. The aged Cheddar and Worcestershire make the difference. This recipe is a great way to incorporate some of the new frozen veggie blends into meals.