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Thursday, October 22, 2009

Casserole Queen


Ever since Simeon was born I have become the casserole queen. Not quite as much in the last few weeks, but without casseroles we may have starved. Now I'm sure we all know newborns are demanding, but I didn't have any idea of how demanding until I got my very own! For the first few months Simeon wanted to eat pretty much all day and usually in the time I used to prepare Daniel and me supper. Suppers prepared well ahead of time was a must. I'm very very fortunate to have a wonderful husband to help me out. I would have eaten mac and cheese for 2 and a half months if it wasn't for him (and everyone that brought us food of course).

The beauty of casseroles is they are great for preparing ahead and having meals for several nights. This is why my family ate so many of them growing up and why I have avoided them until now. If you have time to fix steamed veggies or a salad and an entree of some type every night you don't need the convenience of casseroles. And one day maybe I will prepare more fresh meals but I see far more casseroles in my future. I will try to post more ideas for healthier casseroles as I run across them.

Here are a few little tips for making casseroles "healthier" and tastier:

1. Use whole grain noodles, bread or cracker crumbs, or brown rice depending on the recipe
2. Use cage free eggs and high quality cheese (you are going to be stretching them out with whatever starches or veggies are in the casserole)
3. Don't be afraid to improvise and add some color (veggies): sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, zucchini, etc.