Empty-Your-Pantry Casserole

I love this casserole.  It is so versatile.  You can make it with almost anything.  This is a great way to use your leftovers.  This recipe is adapted from the CDKitchen.

pantry casserole

Ingredients:

1 cup milk
1 cup water
1-2 Tablespoons of oil (bacon grease, olive oil, or sour cream, etc.)
pinch of salt
pepper or spices to taste


Pick a Sauce:

Can of cream of mushroom soup, condensed — undiluted
Can of ounces cream of celery soup, condensed — undiluted
Can of ounces cream of chicken soup, condensed — undiluted
Can of ounces cheddar cheese soup — undiluted
Can of diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano — undrained
Caramelized onions or mushrooms in beef broth
1 Cup of Sour Cream

pantry casserole how-to
…and then your vegetable (2-3 cups worth):

Green beans, sweet peas or corn, Asparagus tips, chopped spinach, frozen veggies, even kale or cabbage work.


Pick a meat or protein source (about 2 cups worth):

Canned white tuna in spring water — drained and flaked
Chopped cooked chicken
Diced cooked ham
Chopped cooked turkey
1 pound ground beef — browned and drained


…Add a starch:

2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
1 cup uncooked regular rice
4 cups uncooked wide egg noodles
3 cups uncooked small pasta shells

Or… cover with mashed potatoes, hasbrowns, biscuits or a pie crust for a meat pie variation.


Extras:

3 ounces canned mushroom slices — drained
1/4 cup sliced black olives
1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper — or green
1/4 cup chopped onion or scallions
1/4 cup chopped celery
2 cloves garlic — minced
4 1/2 ounces chopped green chiles
1 1/4 ounce taco seasoning mix

Pantry casserole


Top it off:

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1/2 cup fine dry breadcrumbs
1 cup round buttery crackers — crushed
1 cup herb-seasoned stuffing mix
Gravy

 

 

http://www.cdkitchen.com/recipes/recs/90/Mix_and_Match_Casserole57681.shtml

Comments

  1. Erin says:

    This sounds so good! My husband is a vegetarian, has anyone tried it with black beans or chickpeas instead of the proteins listed? I think I’ll try it this week!

  2. Alicia says:

    This looks great for times when I think I have “nothing” to cook! :)
    .-= Alicia´s last blog ..Menu Plan Monday (3/22/10) =-.

  3. Crystal & Co says:

    It’s kinda like going to Genghis Grill, only comfort food style. :)

  4. Nichole says:

    I found you through WFMW :) This recipe looks delicious and is right up my alley! I have a tendency to find a recipe I love, be out of different ingredients and so I start replacing here and there so it’s nice to find a recipe that encourages that :)

  5. I love your formula… will definitely have to try it soon!

  6. Yum! Looks like a chicken ala king casserole! I love all of your different ideas. Perfect for when I haven’t made it to the grocery store in a while.

    Visiting from The Mommy Club linky.

  7. 'Becca says:

    My former housemate made casserole almost every time it was her turn to make dinner, yet they were all different. Now I understand how she did it! :-) It is possible to choose a bad combination of ingredients, but most of the time her creations were delicious…and she rarely had to go shopping to get dinner on the table; sneaky!

  8. Looks good. :) Here from TT&J

  9. That is so cool! How long do you cook it? I bet it can even work in the slow cooker too!

    • Rachel Rachel says:

      Cooking time varies according to what starch, veggie and meat you choose. Most cook at 350 degrees. Most are “done” in 40 min or so (some varieties only need 20min).

  10. Miz Helen says:

    My friend and I were looking at your recipe yesterday, it is an awesome recipe! My friend said ” if you can’t make a meal from this recipe then you just can’t cook”, I agree! Hope you are having a great week end and thanks so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday.
    Come Back Soon!
    Miz Helen

  11. Gina says:

    This sounds frugal, fun, and delish and is very similar to what I did last night. Fro the protein i used cut up chicken breasts, for the sauce I used a can of cream of broccoli soup and some milk, for the vveggie I used some thawed broccoli florets, and for the topping I used prepared stovetop stuffing. i also added about a cup of grated cheddar for an “extra” and baked it about an hour. So good!

  12. Debmom4ca says:

    This is the kind of recipe to put inside the cupboard door for the times you need to pull supper together quick.

  13. Jackie says:

    This is completely awesome! I skipped grocery shopping yesterday so guess what my family will be eating… for like the next week? :)

  14. Tiffany says:

    I love cooking for the ingredients you have on hand! Great “recipe”!

  15. What a great recipe…I imagine anyone could make this on any given day!!

  16. aira says:

    WOW!.. This is another deliciously-looking recipe. It’s more healthy because it’s veggie. Thanks for sharing it.

  17. Great Idea! We’re working on leftovers tomorrow. Love the idea of covering in mashed potatoes – we often have those leftover.

  18. 3 Trackbacks… please educate me how this works.

Trackbacks

  1. [...] 11. Linda @ Gluten-Free Homemaker (Mexican Lasagna)12. Plymouth Rock Ranch (Whole Wheat Pumpkin Spice Waffles)13. Betty-14. Alicia’s Homemaking–Bean and Sausage Stew15. Milehimama (Tips to stretch food and Swiss Steak)16. HoosierHomemade{Homemade Meatballs}17. Girls and sunflowers (dressing for the masses!)18. Gwen T19. Raising a Quiverfull (Shredded pork tacos)20. Empty the Pantry Casserole [...]

  2. [...] 11. Linda @ Gluten-Free Homemaker (Mexican Lasagna)12. Plymouth Rock Ranch (Whole Wheat Pumpkin Spice Waffles)13. Betty-14. Alicia's Homemaking–Bean and Sausage Stew15. Milehimama (Tips to stretch food and Swiss Steak)16. HoosierHomemade{Homemade Meatballs}17. Girls and sunflowers (dressing for the masses!)18. Gwen T19. Raising a Quiverfull (Shredded pork tacos)20. Empty the Pantry Casserole [...]

  3. [...] Empty-Your-Pantry-Casserole from Quirky Momma is a great, basic recipe that can be altered for whatever you have on [...]

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