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Need a quick and healthy casserole recipe….

jebfour

jebfour

Turbo Monkey
Jun 19, 2003
2,076
1,426
CLT, NC
The title pretty much says it all….by the time the wife and I get home from our respective offices, we are often too beat to put together a healthy dinner, therefore we end up eating junk.

Looking for something that will last a few days in the fridge so that I could spread it out over a few nights. I’m looking for more vegetables in my diet (no onions please :looney: )….perhaps some kind of casserole that has veggies and some kind of lean meat?

Anyone have anything or perhaps a link?

Thanks!

Jeb4
 
TreeSaw

TreeSaw

Mama Monkey
Oct 30, 2003
17,691
1,910
Dancin' over rocks n' roots!
Are you open to ideas other than a casserole? I tend to plan my weekly dinners ahead as much as possible that way I can cook once and use parts of what I cook for 2-3 days. For example, when I grill chicken, I always grill some extra to be used in something different the next day. A few ideas for you: On Sunday, grill up twice as much chicken as you will need for dinner. Monday, make up some quick and easy grilled chicken salad (you can even buy the pre-made bags of salad). I also tend to throw a pot roast in the crock pot on low and let it cook all day while I am at work. When I get home, I slice up some potatos and veggies and steam them quickly in the microwave for a couple of minutes and then toss them in and let them cook for about a half hour while I get other things done. Then, use leftovers to make shredded beef BBQ sandwiches the next day or just have more pot roast. Homemade Mac-N-Cheese gets better as it sits. Also, scalloped potatos with ham & topped with a little cheese gets better as it sits too so that would work for a couple of nights.

Another quick dinner idea: Short-cut Chicken Pot Pie

1. reheat or cook about 1/2 lb. chicken (I usually use leftover chicken)
2. In a 2Qt. casserole dish or pyrex baking dish mix in heated chicken with 1 can each of cream of chicken soup and cream of broccoli or celery or mushroom soup.
3. Add 1 1/2 cups of milk, and to taste fresh or dried tyme, rosemary, ground pepper & salt and stir until will mixed
4. Add frozen mixed vegetables of choice (corn, peas, beans, carrots, broccoli, etc.)
5. Bake in oven at 375 for about 15 minutes (until heated thoroughly);
6. Top with Grands and bake until Grands are done.

Takes about 30 minutes to cook and about 5 minutes of prep.
 
TreeSaw

TreeSaw

Mama Monkey
Oct 30, 2003
17,691
1,910
Dancin' over rocks n' roots!
Some other thoughts that might help you out. Chop up and roast a whole bunch of fresh veggies and use them throughout the week in a variety of dishes. I tend to store mine in tupperware containers in the amounts that I need for additional meals. That way, you only have to devote one night to chopping and preparing all the veggies. I have a couple of good recipes that I have gotten from the foodnetwork that I use. I'll look for them and post or link them.
 
TreeSaw

TreeSaw

Mama Monkey
Oct 30, 2003
17,691
1,910
Dancin' over rocks n' roots!
Baked Penne with Roasted Vegetables Recipe (from Giada De Laurentiis)

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Yield: 6 servings

2 red peppers, cored and cut into 1-inch wide strips
2 zucchini, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 summer squash, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1-inch cubes
4 cremini mushrooms, halved
1 yellow onion, peeled and sliced into 1-inch strips
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 tablespoon dried Italian herb mix or herbs de Provence
1 pound penne pasta
3 cups marinara sauce (store bought or homemade)
1 cup grated fontina cheese
1/2 cup grated smoked mozzarella
1 1/2 cups frozen peas, thawed
1/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus 1/3 cup for topping
2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces


Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
On a baking sheet, toss the peppers, zucchini, squash, mushrooms, and onions with olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and dried herbs. Roast until tender, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook for about 6 minutes. Since you will be cooking the pasta a second time in the oven, you want to make sure the inside is still hard. Drain in a colander.

In a large bowl, toss the drained pasta with the roasted vegetables, marinara sauce, cheeses, peas, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Using a wooden spoon, gently mix, until all the pasta is coated with the sauce and the ingredients are combined.

Pour the pasta into a greased 9 by 13-inch pan. Top with the remaining 1/3 cup Parmesan and butter pieces. Bake until top is golden and cheese melts, about 25 minutes.

***I have also added other veggies to this like eggplant, it works great too.

Another roasted veggie recipe that's tasty:

Saffron Roasted Vegetable Couscous (Bobby Flay)

Yield: 4 servings

2 red peppers, cut into 1-inch dice
1 yellow squash, cut into 1-inch dice
1 zucchini, cut into 1-inch dice
1/4 pound haricots verts, cut on the bias into 1-inch pieces
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3 cups vegetable stock
Pinch saffron
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups couscous
1/4 cup coarsely chopped flat leaf parsley

SAFFRON ROASTED VEGETABLE COUSCOUS Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place the vegetables in a medium baking dish, toss with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 8 to 10 minutes until vegetables are just cooked through. Bring vegetable stock, saffron and 1 teaspoon of salt to a boil in a medium saucepan, let boil for 5 minutes, until saffron blooms and colors the stock. Add the couscous, stir, cover and reduce heat to low. Cook until all liquid is absorbed, 8 to 10 minutes. Place couscous in a large bowl, add the roasted vegetables and parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with salmon and ancho chile-ginger sauce. Garnish with diced red pepper and cilantro.


Again, you can roast twice the veggies in either recipe on the first night and use the leftovers for the other the next night.
 
TreeSaw

TreeSaw

Mama Monkey
Oct 30, 2003
17,691
1,910
Dancin' over rocks n' roots!
One more idea: Meatloaf (can be made with ground turkey). Buy a 2 lb. package and make meatloaf with 1lb (to be eaten 1 night as meatloaf and the next as meatloaf sandwiches) and then make the other pound into burgers that can be eaten for 2 nights.
 
Qman

Qman

Monkey
Feb 7, 2005
633
0
TreeSaw said:
Are you open to ideas other than a casserole? I tend to plan my weekly dinners ahead as much as possible that way I can cook once and use parts of what I cook for 2-3 days. For example, when I grill chicken, I always grill some extra to be used in something different the next day. A few ideas for you: On Sunday, grill up twice as much chicken as you will need for dinner. Monday, make up some quick and easy grilled chicken salad (you can even buy the pre-made bags of salad). I also tend to throw a pot roast in the crock pot on low and let it cook all day while I am at work. When I get home, I slice up some potatos and veggies and steam them quickly in the microwave for a couple of minutes and then toss them in and let them cook for about a half hour while I get other things done. Then, use leftovers to make shredded beef BBQ sandwiches the next day or just have more pot roast. Homemade Mac-N-Cheese gets better as it sits. Also, scalloped potatos with ham & topped with a little cheese gets better as it sits too so that would work for a couple of nights.

Another quick dinner idea: Short-cut Chicken Pot Pie

1. reheat or cook about 1/2 lb. chicken (I usually use leftover chicken)
2. In a 2Qt. casserole dish or pyrex baking dish mix in heated chicken with 1 can each of cream of chicken soup and cream of broccoli or celery or mushroom soup.
3. Add 1 1/2 cups of milk, and to taste fresh or dried tyme, rosemary, ground pepper & salt and stir until will mixed
4. Add frozen mixed vegetables of choice (corn, peas, beans, carrots, broccoli, etc.)
5. Bake in oven at 375 for about 15 minutes (until heated thoroughly);
6. Top with Grands and bake until Grands are done.

Takes about 30 minutes to cook and about 5 minutes of prep.
Click to expand...

DEAR LORD......where were women like this when I was single??!!
 
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