my two casseroles...

if it ain't broke, don't fix it. that's how i feel about these two dishes, which are really my only go-to casseroles. these are really simple, traditional sides without any fancy twist or expensive ingredients, and my husband would probably like for me to cook them at least once a week. growing up, my family never made casseroles, so i wasn't used to them beyond church dinners, and i must admit that i usually didn't care for many of the gooky "cream-of-this-or-that" concoctions that awaited us. in fact, i must admit, i still stereotype most recipes that involve the very word "casserole". my husband's family, however, makes both a squash casserole and a broccoli casserole that i really like. no funny hidden ingredients, not overly gooky, very simple to make, and very yummy. great to double or triple and freeze. they aren't fancy, and they aren't extremely healthy, but here they are. there are no pictures, because, let's face it-casseroles usually aren't considered pretty in appearance, no matter how good they taste!

broccoli casserole:

I N G R E D I E N T S :

2 bags frozen chopped broccoli
3/4 stick butter (i use less...just 3 or so tablespoons)
4-5 (or more, depending on how cheesy you like it) slices of kraft american cheese (or cheese of choice, and you can even use an 8 ounce block of american cheese if you want it really cheesy)
1 roll ritz crackers

D I R E C T I O N S :

preheat oven to 350 degrees.

cook two packs of broccoli in a small amount of water (1/2 cup or so) for about 7 minutes, or until tender, and drain. you can also steam the broccoli for 10 minutes, which better retains the nutrients.

for ritz crumbs, you may either crush the crackers and use them, or if you really want to make it tasty (and fatty!), melt a few Tbsp. butter in a pan and stir crumbs into it.

mash broccoli with a fork or beaters until pureed. add the butter and cheese, and stir while broccoli is still hot.

spray dish with cooking spray and pour 1/2 of the broccoli mixture into the dish. cover with half the crumbs. repeat broccoli and crumbs.

bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees, or until crumbs are a golden brown.


squash casserole

I N G R E D I E N T S :

3 lbs squash, sliced or diced
1 Tbsp, butter
2 Tbsp. diced onion, optional
1 can cream of mushroom soup ( i usually don't use the entire can...more like 1/2-3/4 of it)
1 bag shredded cheddar cheese
1 roll ritz crackers

D I R E C T I O N S :

preheat oven to 350 degrees.

boil sliced squash (and onion, if using) in butter and a small amount of water (1/2 cup or so) until tender, or steam for about 10 minutes or until easily mashed with a fork. drain water and mash or beat squash until pureed.

crush roll of ritz crackers. if you want, you can mix with some melted butter. i don't do this, but i am sure it would taste good.

spray dish with cooking spray. add 1/3-1/2 of squash mixture to dish. spread a small layer of mushroom soup over the squash, then top with a layer of cheese and a layer of ritz crumbs. repeat other third or remaining half of squash, then soup, cheddar, and crumbs, ending with crumbs (you'll have 2 or 3 layers, depending on how you divided up the squash).

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, or until crumbs are a golden brown.

if you want to freeze these, assemble and then freeze prior to baking. to bake after they are frozen, i usually just cook them at 350 for 1 1/2 or 2 hours and i tent them with foil until the last 30 minutes. you could also thaw them and then bake for the regular amount of time.