OMG! This easy casserole recipe guides you through using the ingredients you have to make your own dinner casserole even if you haven’t been to the grocery store in awhile. This simple casserole idea is the ultimate pantry recipe and gives you the solution of what to make for dinner. Create a quick and tasty casserole customized for your family even if you aren’t a great cook!

Empty Your Pantry Casserole Recipe

When I am falling short on groceries the first thing I think to make is an easy casserole. I love this mix & match ingredients casserole recipe. It is so versatile. You can make it with almost anything from the fridge and pantry.

This is a great way to use your leftovers and a great easy dinner recipe for beginners!

What’s A Casserole?

If you’ve never made a casserole you’re in for a treat. A casserole is a meal cooked in a deep dish that is usually hearty and a saucy, creamy, or cheesy dish. A lot of times there is also a meat and carb ingredient, though you have exceptions like sweet potato casserole.

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Casserole Ingredients Needed for Base

• 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 one option from each category below:

1. Sauce: Pick a Sauce For Your Casserole

• 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

2. Vegetables: Pick a Vegetable to Add

You will need 2-3 cups of veggies. Choose from Green beans, sweet peas or corn, Asparagus tips, chopped spinach, frozen veggies, even kale or cabbage will work.

3. Protein: Pick a Meat or Protein Source

Use 1-2 cups of meat or protein. Some of our favorite easy meat/protein ideas are:

• 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
• Lentils
• Beans
• Tofu — I will often cut into cubes and brown it first

4. Starch: Add a starch of your choice

• 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, hash browns, biscuits, or a pie crust for a meat pie variation.

Related: Make your own egg noodles

Optional Ingredients to Make Your Casserole Recipe Even Yummier

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

Choose a Topping for Your Casserole Recipe

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

How to Make a Casserole

1. Combine sour cream, milk, water, salt and pepper with your sauce choice (omit sour cream and milk when using tomatoes).
2. Stir in vegetable, starch, protein, and, if desired, extras.
3. Spoon into a lightly greased 13 x 9 inch baking dish.
4. Bake, covered, at 350 degrees F for 1 hour and 10 minutes.
5. Uncover and sprinkle with toppings; bake 10 more minutes.

Empty-Your-Pantry Casserole

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This recipe is adapted from the Mix and Match Casserole from CDKitchen

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 20 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients

Sauce Starter:

• 8 ounces sour cream
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper

Choose 1 Sauce:

• can of cream of mushroom soup, condensed -- undiluted
• can of cream of celery soup, condensed -- undiluted
• can of cream of chicken soup, condensed -- undiluted
• can of cheddar cheese soup -- undiluted
• can of diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano -- undrained
• caramelized onions or mushrooms in beef broth

Choose Vegetable (2-3 cups worth):

• green beans
• sweet peas
• corn
• asparagus tips
• chopped spinach
• frozen veggies
• kale or cabbage

Choose a Protein

• 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

Choose a Starch (skip if choosing a starch-based topping):

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

Choose 1 or 2 Extras:

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

Choose a Topping:

• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup herb-seasoned stuffing mix
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese
• 1 cup round buttery crackers -- crushed
• 1/2 cup fine dry breadcrumbs
• gravy
• mashed potatoes
• hash browns
• biscuits
• pie crust

Instructions

1. Combine sour cream, milk, water, salt and pepper with your sauce choice (omit sour cream and milk when using tomatoes).
2. Stir in vegetable, starch, protein, and, if desired, extras.
3. Spoon into a lightly greased 13 x 9 inch baking dish. If using a starch-based topping, add it now.
4. Bake, covered, at 350 degrees F for 1 hour and 10 minutes.
5. Uncover and sprinkle with toppings; bake 10 more minutes.

This recipe was originally inspired from  Mix and Match Casserole Recipe via CDKitchen.

More Easy Casserole Recipes from Kids Activities Blog

• One of my family’s favorite casserole recipes is King Ranch chicken casserole…mmmmm!
• Try our easy chicken enchilada casserole recipe next time you want something new to try!
• Try our Mexican chicken casserole with rotel!
• Another family favorite meal is tortilla bake casserole.
• Classic tater tot casserole is hard to beat for comfort food or try my family’s favorite Taco tater tot casserole! <–can y’all tell we live in Texas?
• Grandma’s green bean casserole recipe is a must even if it isn’t a holiday meal.
• Need an easy solution? Check out our easy no bake tuna noodle casserole recipe!
• This easy breakfast casserole works later in the day too.
• Mmmmm…let’s make chicken noodle casserole!
• Here is a collection of 35 family casserole recipes that you will love.
• Check out all the casseroles in our easy dinner ideas for kids!
• check out these great chicken casseroles!

How did your empty the pantry casserole recipe turn out? What did you add to your casserole recipe?