A Little Here, and a Little There

Posted by: Mother Hen on Wednesday, October 22nd, 2008

Hi, Mother Hen here, from Ship Full O' Pirates.  Read all the way to the end after the pictures for info about my giveaway!

OK, week #4 of my Create-a-Casserole series is Add-Ons.

Here are the casserole categories again.

  1. Framework
  2. Sauce
  3. Meat
  4. Add-Ons
  5. Toppings

Add-Ons are merely an effort to jam a little more nutrition, flavor and visual interest into your casserole.  This is an area where your own personal taste will dictate what and how much of any ingredient you will use.  Some casseroles don't need ANY add-ons at all.  I make a chicken and rice casserole that is very delicious, and is only chicken, rice and broth with a few seasonings, not even a topping!

You need to approach your add-ons with a sense of creativity and adventure.  How will you know if chopped pimento is good in your Tamale Pie if you never give it a shot.  It's not rocket science, it's one dinner.

This is where keeping a meal journal will serve you well.  I have very concrete memories of whether or not I like a meal I have made, but I never can remember what the rest of the family thought of it unless I write it down.  My husband also is very handy with creative ideas for the next time I make a dish.  As he's eating, he will say, "You know what would be good with this?"   So, I must keep track.  This helps in developing a variety of meals that the whole family will enjoy.

When choosing what to try as add-ons in your casseroles, always look in the fridge for leftovers of vegetables, bits of ingredients that were left after making another meal, and condiment type items.

Here's a short list to get you thinking:

  1. Green Olives
  2. Black Olives
  3. Mushrooms, fresh or canned
  4. Onions
  5. Corn or Hominy
  6. Chiles, canned
  7. Bell Peppers
  8. Chopped Pimento
  9. Green Beans
  10. Beans, canned or home cooked (too many varieties to list)
  11. Peas
  12. Peanuts
  13. Celery
  14. Carrots

This week's recipe uses lots of add-ons, and it's one of my husband's favorite dinners.

Enchilada de Pollo Cazuela

Mix the enchilada sauce and the tomato sauce together.  Now you get lots of options.  You can layer this dish or you can stir it all together.  You can cook this in a dutch oven at 375° for about 45 minutes.  Or you can put it in your crock pot on high for an hour and turn it down to low for 4 - 6 hours.  I will say, it's very yummy if you save some cheese to spread over the top for the last few minutes in the oven or the last 45 minutes in the crockpot.

Come on over to Ship Full O' Pirates and get to know me better.  Leave a comment so I can get to know you better.

Would you like to read the book Passionate Housewives Desperate for God?  I'm giving away 2 copies on Saturday, come on over and enter!

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Topics: Recipes

2 Responses to “A Little Here, and a Little There”

Lynette355 Says:
October 22nd, 2008 at 9:04 am

oh my that looks so wonderful. me and nessa have to try this as one of our combined meals. thanks for the suggestion.

Movies Says:
October 29th, 2008 at 7:11 am

Looks great… i want it!

 

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