When it comes to the classic casserole, almost everyone remembers the one served in kindergarten. And it will always be the cottage cheese kind. Or, at the very least, rice. We all know, of course, that casseroles — even the most classic ones — aren't limited to these ingredients. They can be made with mushrooms, vegetables, meat, pasta, legumes, or in dough. Italian lasagna is a casserole too. And who's to say it isn't a classic?))
The five most commonly used ingredients in classic casserole recipes:
| Product | Calories per 100g | Protein g per 100g | Fats g per 100g | Carbohydrates g per 100g |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Butter | 734 | 0.5 | 82.5 | 0.8 |
| Potatoes | 80 | 2 | 0.4 | 18.1 |
| Eggs | 157 | 12.7 | 10.9 | 0.7 |
| Sour cream | 210 | 2.8 | 20 | 3.2 |
| Milk | 68 | 3.2 | 3.6 | 4.8 |
What makes a casserole "classic"
Whichever casserole recipe you choose, how classic it is will depend on the ingredients and the cooking technique.
As for the ingredients, they should all:
a) be common and easy to find
b) follow the generally accepted rules of the recipe
That's because the very recipe made by everyone, everywhere, is what turns into a classic.
Cottage cheese — a hello from childhood
When it comes to cottage cheese casserole, the classic is made from cottage cheese, sugar, semolina, eggs, sour cream, butter, and salt. And the result comes out very tender, airy, and fluffy — the one from childhood. You can also add raisins to it.
It's baked in the oven, on a baking sheet or in a mold. After all, back in the day — as anyone who remembers will tell you — there were no slow cookers here. But having one in the kitchen doesn't rule out baking the dish in it — the classics won't mind))
The five fastest classic casserole recipes:
| Name of the dish | Cooking time | Calories per 100g | User Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Classic curd casserole with cherries | 40 min | 193 | +127 |
| Classic zucchini casserole | 1 hour | 105 | +131 |
| Classic casserole in a slow cooker | 1 h | 178 | +29 |
| Classic zucchini casserole with melted cheese | 1 hour | 122 | +130 |
| Classic semolina casserole without cottage cheese | 1 hour | 258 | +45 |
The vegetable classic. Potatoes are everything!
This one is trickier because of the wide choice of vegetables. But potatoes and cabbage are considered the most "classic." The first comes in the form of a puree for the "dough"; the second more often as a filling. The mashed-potato casserole with different fillings — meat, mushrooms, fried vegetables, fish — has always been very popular and remains so today.
Casseroles with meat and fish. West meets East
Don't forget the dishes from countries to the west and further east. They have their own classics too, which have spread widely abroad. Fish, seafood, and all kinds of pasta are popular in the Mediterranean region. After the movie "Ratatouille" came out, the whole world learned about the dish of the same name, which is nothing other than a classic casserole.