Every Casserole Needs These 5 Basic Ingredients - Mashed (2024)

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What are the 5 parts needed for a casserole? ›

Not every single casserole has all of them, but as a rule of thumb, here's what to look for: a starch, a binding agent or sauce, and a protein or vegetable. Many casseroles also have both vegetables and proteins, as well as a crunchy element to give some textural contrast, and cheese.

According to food blog High Heeled Homemaker, your basic casserole requires five ingredients: a protein, starch, vegetable, sauce, and cheese. If you have those five ingredients in your casserole dish, congratulations; you just made a casserole, whether it's a beloved recipe or a concoction of your own creation.

In the United States, a casserole or hot dish is typically a baked food with three main components: pieces of meat (such as chicken or ground meat) or fish (such as tuna) or other protein (such as beans or tofu), various chopped or canned vegetables (such as green beans or peas), and a starchy binder (such as flour, ...

There are 3 main parts that make up a casserole: the starchy base, the filling, and the sauce. The base: The starchy base is the foundation of the casserole. It isn't going to be the most flavorful part of the dish, but it is what will make the casserole filling and satisfying.

Basic Casserole Recipe

A perfect casserole needs one or more binders: cheese, eggs, condensed soup, Greek yogurt or noodles, for example. Next up are good seasonings; you need herbs and spices to make it all sing.

Apparently, casseroles originated as communal pots that people shared for meals. The oldest recipe for a casserole, around 1250, consisted of pasta sheets cooked in water, layered with grated cheese and spices. In 1787, returning from Italy, Thomas Jefferson brought home a pasta machine.

"The standard size of a casserole dish is 9 by 13 inches. However, due to varying shapes, they are often measured by volume, with three quarts being average,” says Contrino. “It is important to note that if a recipe calls only for a 'casserole dish,' it is most likely asking for a 9- by 13-inch rectangular size.

Casseroles Are Largely Defined by Their Baking Dish

agrees, telling us that "a casserole is baked in a casserole dish—a deep baking dish. The word casserole comes from a French word meaning 'saucepan. '"

What is the best definition of casserole? ›

casserole. noun [ C ] /ˈkæs·əˌroʊl/ Add to word list Add to word list. a dish made by cooking meat, vegetables, or other foods inside a heavy container at low heat, or the heavy, deep container with a lid used in cooking such dishes.

A casserole dish is always oven-safe and can be ceramic, enameled cast iron or simply a 9 x 13-inch glass baking pan. It should be deep enough and wide enough to hold a good quantity of food; 3-quart sizes are popular but not the only option.

"They can come in various shapes, with the most common being rectangular, oval, or square. They're most often used for pasta bakes, lasagna, gratins, bread puddings, and cobblers." These dishes have thick walls that transfer heat slowly but very evenly.

The binder is the sauce, which holds ingredients together.