How Do I Choose the Best Holiday Casserole?

For many people, casseroles are a staple of the holiday season. They are enjoyed by many, and are also a great option for taking to holiday dinners and potlucks. They are fairly easy to make, and can be refrigerated or frozen, and then simply reheated later, making them convenient as well. To choose the best holiday casserole, consider the tastes of the people who will be eating it, as well as the preparation time and ingredients it will require. For some people, the way a casserole smells while it is cooking is also an important consideration for the holiday season, when guests are frequently dropping by!

Some of the easiest and most popular holiday casserole options are made with vegetables and mixed cheeses. These are not only less expensive to prepare, as a general rule, but can be eaten by virtually everyone at a holiday party, even those following vegetarian diets. A broccoli and cheese casserole is a favorite dish, as well as a green bean casserole that is found at many holiday dinners. In the fall, butternut squash can be turned into a great holiday casserole. Of course, it is not necessary to limit the recipe to just one vegetable; mixed vegetable casseroles can be tasty and filling as well,, especially if starchy ingredients like beans or potatoes are added.

As many people eat fish around the holiday season, a holiday casserole that incorporates whitefish is often a good option. These casseroles tend to break the "smells good when cooking" rule, but they still make an easy dinner, or a great addition to a potluck. For a more filling holiday casserole option, incorporating ground meat or sausage into a dish is another option. Keep in mind that for most casserole recipes, it is necessary to cook the meat before combining it with all the other ingredients and baking it; this is important for food safety purposes.

There are thousands of holiday casserole recipes to be found online, and it can be difficult to narrow it down when you are trying to make a decision. In addition to considering the food preferences of the people who will be eating it, as well as the other types of dishes that will be found at the dinner to coordinate, you might also consider tradition. For instance, if someone in your family frequently made a certain type of casserole throughout the holiday, you might look for a way to make an updated recipe today.