What is a casserole? From the name it follows that this dish is baked in the oven, multivark. But the fish, baked before a ruddy crust, can not be called a casserole. But if you chop the fish, add more and bake, then the result will be a casserole.
Many of the casseroles collided in the kindergarten. Often at breakfast offered baked cottage cheese mass with raisins, which not everyone wanted to eat. But over time, girls, becoming housewives, appreciated the benefits of this dish. Even if there are no products in the house, then collecting the leftovers, mixing them and filling the egg, you can get a wonderful fresh food. To prepare this dish, both cottage cheese and the remaining pasta will work.
Tasty and practical
History does not know the name of the creator of the first casserole. Most likely, it was not a court cook, but a thrifty mistress. She did not have enough food, and she needs to feed her family. And she found an outlet: mixed the remnants of food, added greens, filled everything with eggs, milk and cheese. Some sources claim that this hostess is from America, some believe that she is from Italy. Still others say that such an idea came to a Russian woman.
Each country has its own special recipes for casseroles:
- Russia is famous for its noodles with cottage cheese or krupenik;
- Italians prepare lasagna;
- in Greece and the Balkans will offer a moussaka with eggplant;
- in Sweden and France - potato gratin;
- the English consider the national dish a pudding;
- and in Israel the boom is popular.
For many years the hostesses and professional chefs showed their imagination and experimented on this topic. Therefore, in the world of cooking, a huge number of recipes for this dish. You can cook and potato, and meat, and fish, and vegetable casseroles. Everything depends on the available products, imagination and circumstances. If a woman is on a diet, then you can cook a vegetable casserole. And if you need to feed your husband a hearty meal, you can mix meat with potatoes and sprinkle with cheese. And now the yummy is ready.
Secrets and rules for making a delicious baked pudding
The casserole is very good because all of its ingredients are easy to replace. For example, instead of meat, you can put sausages, instead of hard cheese - processed cheese. Fish can easily be replaced with canned food. Even milk and cream can be replaced with a sauce made from butter, flour and boiling water.
But there are rules that, in no case should not be violated:
- The basis of any casserole should be a product containing starch: flour, cereals, bread, cereal, potatoes. When using cottage cheese, a manga is sometimes used. Of the groats, rice is most often used. True, it should be boiled until half cooked. For sweet dishes, rice is cooked in milk, and for unsweetened ones in water.
- Eggs are used to fasten all elements.
- Basically, casseroles use ready-made or semi-finished products.
- The shapes are taken with high walls, which are oiled.
- Casseroles are served in different ways: in cold or hot form, with garnish or independently.
Following these simple rules, even an inexperienced mistress can cook a delicious and healthy casserole.