#casserole

#casserole

When it comes to comfort food, few dishes deliver like a classic casserole - bubbling, cheesy, and filling enough to feed a crowd without breaking the bank. That's the idea behind poor man's casserole - an easy lasagna bake that blends egg noodles, ground beef, cream cheese, and tomato sauce that's topped with, you guessed it, cheese. It's hearty and endlessly flexible, and one of those meals that hits the spot every time.

Some retro dishes ( like Jell-O salad) firmly belong in the past. But, many culinary creations of yore - or, at least of the '60s and 70s - still totally hold up. Chicken Tetrazzini is one such dish. All hail the humble casserole: A cozy, one-pan meal built to please on a dime. Chicken Tetrazzini has the unique distinction of being economical and accessible, crowd-pleasing and crowd-filling, all while retaining the capacity to be elevated into an upscale comfort food.

If you find funeral potatoes too grim and a hash brown casserole too boring, it's time to bring a little Mississippi Mud into your kitchen. Mississippi Mud Pie, the dessert, is a rich and decadent chocolate treat, but Mississippi Mud Potatoes are entirely different, so don't let the name confuse you. This casserole is loaded with cheese, bacon, and green onions.

To assemble bright, custardy, and oh-so-simple scalloped corn, at its most basic, corn is mixed with milk, melted butter, and a few eggs and baked in a casserole dish. The mixture is usually topped with some type of crumbled cracker, often mixed with butter or a few spices. That's it. The result is a retro-yet-timeless comfort food that belongs on your dinner table, not in the past.

The Gluten-Free Enchilada Pasta Bake combines creamy, cheesy chicken filling with tangy red enchilada sauce, creating a flavor explosion that is hard to resist.

The cheesy jalapeño popper tater tot casserole brings together crispy tater tots, creamy cheeses, smoky bacon, and spicy jalapeños for an elevated comfort food experience.

While some may argue that shepherd's and cottage pie fit the description of pies due to their crust, they are fundamentally casseroles defined by their ingredients rather than structure.

One popular version of cowboy casserole tastes more like loaded Tex-Mex tater tots, sauced with sour cream and cheddar cheese, giving richness to ground beef and vegetables.