Casseroles and Beyond: A Midwest Tradition
As a Midwesterner, it is hard to think of any funeral, potluck, or holiday meal that does not include a casserole; whether it be green bean, tuna noodle, fried bologna, or tater tot casserole, it is always there. The Midwest families needed food that would fill them up after a long day of hard work, but that would save time in the kitchen [1]. Casseroles, aka hot dishes, checked both those boxes. Plus, very little culinary skills are needed to make them. Diversity in the settlers helped the Midwest casserole evolve as well. Germans, French, and English settlers mixed their traditional starches and veggies with the canned soups from Campbells to ensure endless amounts of possible casseroles [1,2]. They learned and shared to make sure their family never got bored with dinner time.
An American Comfort Food
Prior to the 1870’s, casseroles were savory and sweet usually made with some form of a crust. America saw an explosion of the more modern casseroles during the late 19th and early 20th centuries [3]. This can be attributed to World War I, the Great Depression, and Campbells soup inventing the condensed soup [1,2]. Casseroles were an inexpensive way to feed many people with what was available. Leftovers could easily be reused and upcycled into a brilliant casserole. Neighbors could come together, each bringing one ingredient, and provide a meal that would feed the neighborhood. This is also why casseroles are known for bringing people together [1].
Unmatched Versatility
This traditional meal is not only versatile in ingredients, but also cooking methods. Crockpots, ovens, microwaves, or even open fires are just some of the ways humanity has cooked their casseroles throughout the past hundred years [2]. Casseroles are superb options for revamping leftovers or using up canned food from the cabinet. Because of the recipe being more of a math equation (1 protein +1 starch+1vegetable+1sauce) [1], a casserole can be transformed to meet any dietary restrictions or appease picky eaters.
Creamy Chicken Casserole
A simple take on a timeless tradition:
Ingredients
- 3 cups of dry noodles
- 2 10.5oz cans of Cream of Chicken soup
- 2 15 oz cans of vegetables (Variety is based on preference.)
- 7 Cups of water
Utensils Needed
- Mixing spoon
- 9 by 13 Casserole dish
- 1 cup measuring cup
- Pot
Steps
- Gather all ingredients and utensils.
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Boil 6 cups of water.
- Add 3 cups of noodles. Allow to cook for 7-10 minutes stirring every 3 minutes.
- Mix both cans of soup and 1 cup of water into the casserole dish.
- Drain vegetables and add to the casserole dish.
- Drain noodles and add to the casserole dish.
- Stir until evenly mixed
- Bake for 30 minutes at 350°F.
Cheese, breadcrumbs, frosted flakes, or chips are just some of the options that could be added for a crunch on top. Simply crush the topping of your choice and spread it evenly across the top. Cover with foil and bake. Remove the foil for the last 10 minutes of baking.
Canned or cooked poultry, seafood, beef can be added to this recipe. Just add a half cup of milk with step five and add the protein with steps six and seven.
This recipe can easily be prepped and frozen for weekly convenience. Simply allow the casserole to cook 15-20 minutes longer.
Casseroles are a rich part of American heritage that help bring people together. They are also a great way to make a food budget stretch. So, make up this casserole and invite friends and family over to share a meal.
Works Cited:
[1] L. Long, “Green Bean Casserole and Midwestern Identity: A Regional Foodways Aesthetic and Ethos,” in MIDWESTERN FOLKLORE, vol.33, no.1, pp 29-45, Spring, 2007.
[2] L. Martinez, “The Flavorful Story Behind the Origin of Casserole,” HomeDiningKitchen.com, Sept. 17, 2024. [Online]. Available: The Flavorful Story Behind the Origin of Casserole – HomeDiningKitchen [Accessed: Oct. 25, 2024].
[3] L. Olver, “Food Timeline–FAQ: Casseroles,” The Food Timeline, 2000. [Online]. Available: https://www.foodtimeline.org/foodfaq.html#casseroles. [Accessed: 25-Oct-2024].
This page was very well put together! I like how clear the instructions were as well as the organization of the additional information. Casseroles in general are fantastic. The length of time that they have been around is not something I ever consciously paid attention to, so it’s interesting to read that information. Do you have a favorite casserole? Mine is a breakfast casserole with a hashbrown patty base, ground breakfast sausage, scrambled eggs, cheese, and gravy. Most of the time I make a sausage gravy, though, so those two ingredients are combined instead of separate.
Both of my grandmothers and my mom used to make this when I was a kid. We started to switch out the noodles for rice because they were more durable when reheated in the microwave. The outside edges with crispy shredded cheese were the best. You also nailed the other Midwest recipe references for fried bologna and tater tots!
This was amazingly done. You were able to draw in the reader with your introduciton and history of the dish. Your steps were extremely easy to follow and it was easy to tell why you kept raving about how easy the dish is to make. I like the modifiers you have at the end as you point out ways to up the dish or to save it for later. This was done extremely well and now I am tempted to try creamy chicken casserole.
I really loved your writing style for this! You do have really good skills when it comes to putting words together. I love how you mentioned that casseroles seem to be a midwestern staple and this is true. I can’t go to any holiday, family event, baby shower, or sometimes even weddings in Wisconsin without seeing a casserole.
My mom would make this for my family as a kid! I think it’s an easy and great recipe to follow. All of these ingredients are easily found at a pantry and easy to make. Great job!