Southern Lady Magazine

Make-Ahead Casserole Meals

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Supreme Hash Brown Bake make-ahead-meals

You’ll always have home-cooked love at the ready with these dishes that are easy to prepare, freeze, and share. Now or later these recipes allow you to cook and serve immediately, but we’ve also included instructions for make-ahead versions that can be prepped and frozen to bake later.

Turkey and Squash Casserole
Makes 10 to 12 servings
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Ingredients
  1. 2 pounds yellow squash, sliced and divided
  2. 2 red bell peppers, chopped and divided
  3. 1 cup finely chopped yellow onion
  4. 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  5. 1 tablespoon salt
  6. 4 cups cooked turkey, chopped
  7. 2 cups shredded white Cheddar cheese,
  8. divided
  9. 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese,
  10. divided
  11. 1 1/2 cups crushed baked cheese crackers*
  12. 1 cup sour cream
  13. 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  14. 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
  15. 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  16. 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  17. Garnish: fresh thyme leaves
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a 13x9-inch or 3-quart baking dish with cooking spray.
  2. In a large stockpot, combine squash (reserving 1/2 cup), bell peppers (reserving 1/2 cup), onion, garlic, and salt; add water to cover. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce heat, and simmer until done, 5 to 6 minutes. Drain well.
  3. In a large bowl, combine squash mixture, turkey, 1 1/2 cups Cheddar cheese, 1 1/2 cups Monterey Jack cheese, crushed crackers, sour cream, egg, thyme, and pepper. Spoon into prepared baking dish; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup white Cheddar cheese and remaining 1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese. Bake until hot and bubbly, 25 to 30 minutes.
  4. In a medium skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add remaining 1/2 cup squash and remaining 1/2 cup bell pepper. Cook until tender and lightly browned, 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  5. Top baked casserole with sautéed squash and bell peppers. Garnish with thyme, if desired.
  6. Serve immediately.
Notes
  1. *We used Cheez-It crackers.
Southern Lady Magazine https://southernladymagazine.com/
MAKE-AHEAD INFO: Spray a 13×9-inch or 3-quart freezer-safe baking dish with cooking spray. Follow steps 2 and 3. Spray a piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil with cooking spray. Cover baking dish, sprayed side down, and freeze. To cook, preheat oven to 300°. Bake, still covered in foil, for 2 hours. Increase oven temperature to 350°, remove foil, and follow step 4.

 

Supreme Hash Brown Bake
Make 10 TO 12 Servings
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Ingredients
  1. 1 large tomato, cored, seeded, and diced (about ¾ cup)
  2. 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
  3. 2 cups shredded smoked Gouda cheese, divided
  4. 6 ounces yellow American cheese, cubed
  5. 1/2 (8-ounce) package cream cheese
  6. 3/4 cup milk
  7. 2 (20-ounce) bags refrigerated shredded hash brown potatoes*
  8. 1 (16-ounce) package small diced ham
  9. 1 (10.75-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
  10. 1 cup chopped green onions
  11. 1/2 cup sour cream
  12. 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  13. 4 slices (about 1/3 pound) thick-cut bacon, cooked and chopped
  14. Garnish: chopped green onions, sliced grape tomatoes
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a 13x9-inch or 3-quart baking dish with cooking spray.
  2. Line a platter with a double layer of paper towels. Place tomatoes in a single layer on prepared
  3. platter. Sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon salt. Allow 30 minutes to drain.
  4. In a medium saucepan, combine 1 1/4 cups Gouda cheese, American cheese, cream cheese, and milk over medium-low heat. Stir occasionally until cheese mixture is mostly melted. Whisk until sauce is smooth, and remove from heat.
  5. In a large bowl, combine potatoes, ham, soup, onions, sour cream, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Stir in cheese sauce and tomatoes. Spoon into prepared baking dish; sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup Gouda cheese and bacon.
  6. Bake until heated through, 45 to 60 minutes. Garnish with green onions and tomatoes, if desired.
Notes
  1. *We used Simply Potatoes.
Southern Lady Magazine https://southernladymagazine.com/
MAKE-AHEAD INFO: Spray a 13×9-inch or 3-quart freezer-safe baking dish with cooking spray. Follow steps 2 through 4. Spray a piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil with cooking spray. Cover baking dish, sprayed side down, and freeze. To cook, preheat oven to 300°. Bake, still covered in foil, for 2 hours. Increase oven temperature to 350°, remove foil, and follow step 5.

Smoked Sausage Gumbo Casserole
MAKES 12 TO 14 SERVINGS
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Ingredients
  1. 3/4 cup vegetable oil, divided
  2. 2 cups chopped yellow onion
  3. 1 cup chopped celery
  4. 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
  5. 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
  6. 2 cups rice
  7. 1 quart chicken broth
  8. 2 (14.5-ounce) cans fire roasted diced tomatoes
  9. 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  10. 1 (16-ounce) package smoked sausage, sliced and cooked
  11. 2 cups frozen sliced okra
  12. 2 tablespoons hot sauce
  13. 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  14. 2 teaspoons Creole seasoning
  15. 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  16. Garnish: chopped green onions, fresh oregano leaves
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a 4-quart baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
  2. In a large Dutch oven, heat 1/4 cup vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, celery, and
  3. bell peppers. Cook, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes. Add rice; cook for 2 minutes, stirring
  4. constantly. Add broth and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and cook,
  5. covered, until rice is tender, approximately 20 minutes. Remove from heat.
  6. In a medium skillet, combine remaining 1/2 cup vegetable oil and flour; cook over medium heat,
  7. stirring constantly, until roux is a caramel color, about 10 minutes. Transfer roux to
  8. Dutch oven.
  9. Add sausage, okra, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, Creole seasoning, and garlic powder to
  10. Dutch oven, stirring to combine. Spoon mixture into
  11. prepared pan.
  12. Cover with heavy-duty foil, and bake until heated through, 30 to 45 minutes. Uncover, and
  13. garnish with green onions and oregano, if desired.
Southern Lady Magazine https://southernladymagazine.com/
MAKE-AHEAD INFO: Spray a 4-quart freezer-safe baking dish with cooking spray. Follow steps 2 through 4. Spray a piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil with cooking spray. Cover baking dish, sprayed side down, and freeze. To cook, preheat oven to 300°. Bake, still covered in foil, for 2 hours. Increase oven temperature to 350°, and follow step 5.
TWIST ON TRADITION: Loaded with okra, tomatoes, rice, and smoked sausage, this recipe brings the favorite flavors of gumbo to a convenient all-in-one dish. Vary the hot sauce to suit the preference of the recipient, and craft a pretty presentation with a tea towel, handwritten card, and notes for baking.
From Southern Lady, September 2016

 

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