Casserole Recipes (great to freeze)

Here are several casserole recipes, typically when I prepare a casserole I automatically make two of them. RECIPES ARE AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST.

Then I freeze one and bake one. Then when I need to take a meal to someone or if I don't want to cook that night I can take it out, pop it in the oven, voila dinner is served.
** You can also freeze enchiladas very easy.
** Many crockpot recipes can freeze well too. I have other blog posts with those recipes.

To freeze I use the aluminum disposable 9x13 dishes (by the gladware/tupperware in the store). Cover very well with foil (not the clear plastic lids it sometimes comes with). Then label with the title and cooking directions. When ready to eat thaw overnight in the fridge then put in the oven and bake. If you forget to thaw it, you can still bake it that night but you will have to cook it much longer.

Here is a link about casseroles.
Here is another link about casseroles.

Working Womens Casserole
2 lb hamburger meat
1 can enchilada sauce
1 can ranch style beans
1 can mushroom soup
6 flour tortilla shells
-- shredded cheese
Brown meat & drain. Add enchilada sauce, beans and soup. Cut shells into 1/8’s. Layer tortilla’s, cheese and meat mixture. Microwave for 15 minutes.

6-Layer Dinner
2-3 med potatoes, sliced thin
2-3 cups sliced carrots
1/4 tsp pepper, salt and garlic powder
1/2 sliced onion
1 lb browned ground beef
1 1/2 cups green beans (1 can)
1 can tomato soup
1 can tomato sauce
1 cup shredded cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Grease 9x13 dish, layer ingredients (except cheese) in order given and cover. Bake 60-75 minutes (until potatoes are tender). Uncover, add cheese and bake 15-20 more minutes.

Chicken Spaghetti
1 pkg spaghetti noodles
¾ can milk
1 ¾ can cream chicken
4 oz velveta
1 onion
3 chicken breasts, cooked
1 c celery
1 c cheddar cheese, shredded
* pimento’s optional

Cook spaghetti as instructed on package. Layer baking dish ½ full with noodles. Cover spaghetti with bite size pieces of chicken. In sauce pan sauté onion and celery with butter. Add 1 ½ can of cream of chicken soup, ¾ can of milk, 2 inch piece of velveeta, salt and pepper to taste. Pour over chicken and spaghetti. Cover with grated cheese and pimentos on top for color if desired. Heat at 350 degrees for approximately 20 minutes or until cheese is melted.


Mexican Meatloaf
2 lbs ground beef, browned and drained
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
1 can of chicken and rice soup
1 sm can of green pepper
1 med jar of picante sauce
1 bag of plain doritos
1/2 lb shredded cheese

Add soups, peppers, and picante sauce to browned and drained hamburger meat. Mix well. Salt to taste. In 9x13 inch pan, alternate layers doritos and meat. Sprinkle with shredded cheese. Bake at 350 for 15-30 minutes, until cheese is melted and meat is bubbly.

Chicken Potato Casserole
10 oz. can condensed reduced fat and sodium cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup milk
2 cups cubed cooked chicken
1-1/4 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
3-1/2 cups frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed
1-1/2 cups frozen peppers and onions, thawed
1-1/4 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1-1/2 cups crushed potato chips

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine soup, sour cream, milk, chicken and 1-1/4 cups cheese. Spread three-quarters of this mixture in a greased 2-quart baking dish.
Sprinkle hash browns and peppers and onions over the top of the casserole and press down lightly, then top vegetables with remaining soup mixture. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and potato chips.

Bake casserole, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes or until bubbly. Let stand for 5-10 minutes before serving. 8 servings

To freeze, assemble casserole as directed, except do not thaw potatoes, peppers, or onions and do not sprinkle with potato chips. Wrap casserole in freezer wrap or heavy duty foil and freeze. Reserve potato chips in pantry. To thaw and bake, let thaw overnight in refrigerator. Uncover and bake at 350 degrees F for 60-70 minutes until bubbly. Then top with crushed potato chips and bake 5-10 minutes longer.

Vegetable Chicken Casserole
8 oz. medium egg noodles
1 cup water
1-1/2 cups chicken broth
16 oz. pkg. frozen broccoli, cauliflower and red peppers, thawed
1 onion, chopped
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese

Preparation:
In 3 quart microwave safe casserole dish, mix noodles, water and chicken broth. Cover with lid and microwave on high for 6 minutes, stirring once during cooking. Add vegetables, onion, chicken and seasonings. Cover and microwave on high for 7-9 minutes, stirring once during cooking, until vegetables are hot and crisp tender and noodles are tender.
Stir in half of cheese and mix well. Sprinkle casserole with remaining cheese. Cook, uncovered, on high for 2-3 minutes until cheese is melted.

To freeze casserole, do not thaw vegetables. Cook noodles as directed above and then cool in refrigerator until cold. Add vegetables, onion, chicken, seasonings, and half of cheese; sprinkle with remaining cheese, wrap well, label, and freeze up to 3 months. To thaw and reheat, thaw casserole overnight in refrigerator. Microwave on medium for 3-5 minutes, stirring once. Then microwave on high for 1-3 minutes until noodles and vegetables are tender and casserole is thoroughly heated. 4-6 servings

**I made this in the oven not the microwave. I boiled noodles on the stove, put them in the pan and followed the directions. Except I took the can of Chicken Broth and poured into the casserole after putting noodles in the pan. Then layered everything.

Pizza Spaghetti
1 lb. ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
8 oz. pkg. button mushrooms, sliced OR 2 more bell peppers, chopped
26 oz. jar pasta sauce
8 ounce can tomato sauce
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1 lb. spaghetti pasta, broken into 2" pieces
3/4 cup whole milk
2 eggs, beaten
1 (5 ounce) package sliced pepperoni
1-1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to boil for cooking spaghetti. Cook ground beef, onion, green pepper, and mushrooms in heavy skillet over medium heat until beef is browned, stirring to break up beef. Drain well and add pasta sauce, tomato sauce, and Italian seasoning; stir well and let simmer while preparing spaghetti.

Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Meanwhile, combine eggs and milk in large bowl and beat until blended. Drain spaghetti and toss with egg and milk mixture. Spread half of spaghetti/egg/milk mixture in a 13x9" glass baking dish. Top with half of sauce and beef mixture. Repeat layers.

To freeze, cool casserole in refrigerator at this point. When cold, wrap well, label, and freeze up to 3 months. To thaw and reheat, thaw casserole overnight in refrigerator. Bake, covered, at 350 degrees F for 40-50 minutes until thoroughly heated. Uncover, top with pepperoni and cheese, and bake 10-15 minutes longer until cheese melts and edges of casserole bubble.

Avocado Chicken Casserole
¼ c butter or margarine
¼ c all-purpose flour
½ t salt
¼ t thyme
¼ t garlic powder
¼ t onion powder
¼ t dried basil
¼ t marjoram
1 ½ c milk
1 c half-and-half cream
3 avocados, peeled, sliced
3 c chicken, cooked, cubed
2 c (8oz) cheddar cheese, shredded
8 oz med. Egg noodles, cooked & drained

Melt butter; stir in flour, seasonings until smooth. Add milk and cream. Brint to boil; cook and stir for 2 min. Remove from heat. In greased 13x9x2” dish, layer half of the noodles, avocados, chicken, white sauce and cheese. Repeat layers. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Uncover, bake for 5 minutes or until bubbly.

CHICKEN ENCHILASAGNA
This is as easy as making a throw-together lasagna. Plus, it's nice and lean with a great protein-to-carbohydrate ratio, and it tastes just as decadent as restaurant enchiladas.
2 teaspoons salt-free Mexican
OR Southwest seasoning (such as Mrs. Dash's Southwest Chipotle seasoning)
2 teaspoons lower-sodium burrito seasoning
OR taco seasoning
1 1/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, fat removed
Olive oil spray
1 1/4 cups canned traditional mild enchilada sauce
1 cup canned medium green chile enchilada sauce
4 ounces (about 2 cups) finely shredded Light Cheddar cheese
OR your favorite low-fat Cheddar ( i used Kraft 2% milk cheddar)
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup sliced drained black olives
3 tablespoons canned, drained and chopped green chiles
8 (6-inch) white OR yellow corn tortillas

Preheat a grill to high. Mix Mexican seasoning and burrito seasoning in a small bowl. Rub mixture evenly over chicken breasts to cover. Lightly mist both sides of breasts with olive oil spray. Let stand 10 minutes; then place breasts side by side on heated grill. Turn heat to medium, if possible, and grill 3 to 5 minutes per side, or until no longer pink inside. Let stand 5 minutes. Meanwhile, combine enchilada sauces in a medium bowl and mix until well combined. Set aside. Mix cheese, cilantro, olives and chiles in a second medium bowl. Set aside.Coarsely chop chicken breasts. Cut or tear each tortilla into about 9 even pieces. Spread 1/2 cup enchilada sauce in bottom of an 8x8-inch glass or ceramic baking dish. Cover evenly with about 1/3 of tortilla pieces. Then sprinkle about 1/2 of chicken over them.Pour about 2/3 cup of sauce evenly over chicken. Sprinkle evenly with 1/3 of cheese mixture. Repeat layering with 1/2 of remaining tortillas, remaining chicken, 2/3 cup of sauce, then 1/2 of remaining cheese mixture.Follow with another layer of remaining tortillas, remaining sauce and remaining cheese mixture. Cover with foil. Bake in a preheated 450-degree oven 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 5 minutes.Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes. Cut into 4 pieces and serve immediately. Makes 1 casserole, 4 servings.
Each serving (1/4 of casserole) has 401 calories, 9 grams fat, 46 grams protein, 32 grams carbohydrate, 1,063 milligrams sodium.

Beef Veggie Casserole
(not sure this one would freeze well)
¾ c water
2 c beef, cubed, cooked
2 c frozen mixed vegetables
2 med potatoes, peeled, cubed, cooked
1 tube (12oz) buttermilk biscuits separated into 10 biscuits
1 envelope mushroom gravy mix
Combine gravy mix and water until smooth. Bring to a boil, cook and stir for 1 min or until thickened. Stir in beef, vegetables and potatoes, heat through.
Transfer to a greased 8” baking dish. Top with biscuits. Bake uncovered at 400 degrees for 12-16 minutes or until bubbly and biscuits are golden brown.

Santa Fe Chicken Casserole
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp.
olive oil
9 oz. pkg. frozen fully cooked diced chicken
2 (15 oz.) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
24 oz. jar thick and chunky salsa
1 cup taco sauce
8 corn tortillas
1 cup sour cream
2 cups shredded Cojack cheese

Preparation:In medium microwave safe bowl, cook onion and garlic in olive oil on HIGH for 2-3 minutes until tender. Stir in frozen chicken, black beans and salsa. (If freezing, cool onion and garlic mixture before adding frozen chicken.)

In 2 quart glass baking dish, pour taco sauce. Lay four corn tortillas over sauce. Top with half of chicken mixture. Spoon on half of sour cream in small dollops. Sprinkle with half of cheese. Top with remaining tortillas, chicken mixture, sour cream and cheese. Cover with foil. At this point, you can wrap the casserole well and freeze up to 3 months.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25-35 minutes until bubbly. Uncover and bake 5-10 minutes longer until cheese is melted. If frozen, thaw casserole overnight in refrigerator, then bake covered at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes until bubbly; uncover and bake 5-10 minutes longer until cheese melts. Serves 6