Chicken, Rice and Green Bean Casserole

Ingredients:
10 3/4 ounces cream of mushroom soup
2 cups milk
1 cup white rice, uncooked (do not use instant rice)
2 cups chicken, cooked and cut into bite sized pieces
1 pound frozen green beans, slightly thawed
4 ounces mushrooms, drained
2 tablespoons pimentos,(chili pepper) chopped
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 (2.8 oz. container) French fried onion rings

Method:
Preheat oven to 350ºF, and prepare a large casserole dish or 9 x 13 inch pan by coating with nonstick cooking spray.
In a large sauce pan, combine milk, cream soup, and rice. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and add chicken, green beans, mushrooms, and pimentos.
Stir to combine.
Remove from heat and pour into the prepared casserole dish. Spread shredded cheese on top of the mixture. Sprinkle the onion rings on top of the cheese. Bake casserole uncovered for about 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven and cover the casserole loosely with foil to prevent over-browning. Bake an additional 20 minutes.

From the Rhodesian Cookbook

Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli Casserole

Ingredients:
4 boneless and skinless chicken breasts, cooked and chopped
300g broccoli florets
250ml grated cheddar cheese
80ml mayonnaise
1 can cream of chicken soup
15ml lemon juice
30g butter
80-100ml dried breadcrumbs

Method:
Preheat the oven to 180˚C. 

In a large bowl, stir all the ingredients together except the butter and breadcrumbs. Spread in a greased 9x9 inch baking dish and set aside.

Melt the butter in a small dish in the microwave and stir in the breadcrumbs until they are all coated. Sprinkle over the casserole, ensuring an even spread.

Bake uncovered for 30-35 minutes.

Serve with rice, couscous or mash potato.

Italian Chicken Casserole

Italian Chicken Casserole

Ingredients:

1Kg chicken thighs and drumsticks

30ml olive oil

125g bacon bits

500g jar tomato pasta sauce

1kg potatoes, peeled and diced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

15ml fresh rosemary, chopped

1 red onion, peeled and roughly chopped

Method:

Preheat the oven to 200˚C.

Heat 15ml oil in a flameproof casserole, add the chicken and brown for 3-4 minute. Remove the chicken and set aside. Add the bacon and fry for 3 minutes.

Return the chicken to the casserole, pour in the pasta sauce plus 100ml water and bring to the boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes, until the chicken is cooked.

Meanwhile, boil the diced potatoes in salted water for 5 minutes. Drain and toss with 15ml of oil and season. Spread out on a baking tray and roast for 25 minutes, turning half way.

Toss the rosemary and red onion through the potatoes and roast for 5 minutes. Serve the casserole with the sautéed potatoes.

Corn Casserole

Ingredients:
1 (426g) large tin whole kernel corn, drained
1 (426g) large tin cream-style corn
250g muffin mix
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese 

Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Mix all ingredients, minus the cheese, together and pour into a greased baking dish. 

After the casserole has baked for 45 minutes, or is set in the middle and golden brown, sprinkle with cheddar and put it back in the oven. Let the cheese melt, take the casserole out and enjoy this ridiculously buttery dish.

Italian Chicken Casserole

Ingredients:

8 chicken thighs

3 large potatoes, cut in thick slices

1 small onion, thinly sliced

250ml canned tomatoes, drained and chopped

5ml dried basil

2ml salt

2ml freshly ground black pepper

20ml olive oil

Flour

Butter to oil casserole dish

Chopped parsley to garnish

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180˚C.

Remove skin from the chicken, wash and pat dry. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and dredge with flour.

Lay the chicken in a single layer in a casserole dish oiled with butter. Arrange the potatoes in between the chicken so that they can soak up the juices. Cover with slices of onion and spoon the tomatoes over the top of the onions. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with dried basil. Drizzle the whole mixture with olive oil.

Cover the dish and bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and stir the casserole. Return to the oven for another 30 minutes or until the potatoes and chicken are cooked through, basting regularly to keep everything moist.

Transfer the chicken to a serving dish, pouring all the vegetable gravy over the top. Garnish with parsley and serve.  

Beef Pasta and Cheese Casserole

Ingredients:

1 large onion, diced

1 tablespoon olive oil

salt to taste

2 garlic cloves, chopped

5ml dried basil

5ml dried marjoram or oregano

5ml paprika

2ml freshly ground black pepper

1 tin tomato purée

500g beef mince

500g macaroni or other pasta pieces

250ml grated cheddar cheese

250ml grated mozzarella cheese

Method:

Sweat the onions in the oil with a pinch of salt. Add the beef mince and cook it, breaking it up as it browns.

Add the garlic, another pinch of salt or two, along with the herbs, paprika, black pepper and half the tomato purée and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and cook for an hour.

Cook the macaroni in boiling water till it’s half done; drain it and add it to the remaining tomato purée. Taste for seasoning and correct if necessary. Cover and allow to cool.

When the pasta has absorbed the tomato juices, transfer it to a large baking dish (or two smaller dishes if you have a smaller family and want to make it stretch to two meals; the second dish can be kept in the fridge for up to 2 days or frozen for a couple of weeks).

Cover with foil and bake in a 200 C oven for 40-45 minutes. Just before you’re ready to eat, remove the foil, cover macaroni with the cheese and return it to the oven under the grill until the cheese is bubbling and starts to brown.

This could also be made with minced chicken, lamb or pork or with canned tuna chunks.

Spanish Chicken Casserole

Ingredients:
750 g chicken cut up
1/2-1 chorizo sausage 
olive oil (for frying) 
1 red bell pepper, diced 
1 green bell pepper, diced 
1 -2 medium onion, diced 
1 -2 medium carrot, diced 
2 tablespoons tomato paste 
440 g crushed tomatoes 
2 garlic cloves 
2 cups chicken stock (to cover) 
1 bay leaf 
2 teaspoons paprika 
1 cup red wine 
Black pitted olives - about 20
Fresh parsley chopped - a couple sprigs

Method:
In a wok brown the chicken in the olive oil and remove.
Add the chorizo, garlic, capsicum, carrot and onion to the wok and stir-fry about 5 minutes (until softened).
Add the paprika and fry until fragrant (about 1 min), add the red wine and fry until the alcohol (but not the liquid) has evaporated.
Then add the tomato paste, tomatoes, bay leaf and stock and cook a further 5 minutes, adding only enough liquid to almost cover the other ingredients.
Add cooked chicken and heat through.
Transfer into a really large casserole dish, add the parsley and pitted black olives and bake at 180C for 1 hour.
Delicious served with rice.

Oriental Oxtail

Warm spices, soy sauce and a hint of orange add fragrance and flavour to slow-cooked oxtail.

Ingredients:

2-2.5 kg oxtail pieces

50ml flour

5ml “Steak and Chop Seasoning”

500ml tomato juice

500ml beef stock, or 2 beef stock cubes and 500ml boiling water

15ml muscovardo sugar

30ml white wine vinegar

80-90ml soy sauce

4 whole star anise

4 dried chillies

3-4 inches of ginger, thinly sliced

Zest and juice of 1 orange

1 head of garlic, cloves peeled, trimmed and halved

3-4 sprigs of Thai Basil, roughly chopped

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper for seasoning

Method:

Preheat the oven to 220C. Season the oxtails by shaking with flour and seasoning in a plastic bag to coat all the pieces. Place in a single layer in a lidded casserole dish, making sure all the pieces are separate from one another. Roast for 30 minutes until well browned.

In a mixing bowl, combine the tomato juice, stock, sugar, vinegar and soy sauce with 500ml water. Scatter in the star anise, chillies, sliced ginger, garlic cloves and orange juice and zest. Pour the spiced liquid over the browned meat.

Cover with a cartouche of baking paper to stop any exposed meat from drying out. Top with the casserole lid. Turn the oven temperature down to 180C and cook for 2½ hours. Check the meat from time to time, turning the pieces over to ensure even cooking. When the meat is beginning to look tender, add the chopped basil and stir through the sauce. If the sauce is a little thick, add a dash more boiling water until a suitable consistency is achieved. Check the seasoning and add further sea salt and freshly ground black pepper if required. Return to the oven and cook for a further 10-15 minutes to complete the cooking and blend the flavours of the basil and adjusted sauce. The oxtail is ready when the meat is very tender and coming away from the bones.