Southern Casseroles

December 2, 2013
The homey, plain-spoken appeal of the casserole is timeless, and this warm and cozy cookbook celebrates those heaving dishes that have graced church supper tables for decades. Former Southern Living editor Gee (Sweet on Texas) makes it a personal affair, sharing all of her guilty pleasure in condensed soup favorites, from Skillet Catfish-Pecan Bake to King Ranch Chicken. By her definition a “southern casserole” is anything with five ingredients, baked for at least 30 minutes with regional ingredients and a good story. She lays the groundwork with freezing tips, pantry staples, conversions for popular-sized pans and dishes and base recipes, such as creamy stone-ground grits and classic white sauce. The dishes that follow represent New Orleans (Oysters Rockefeller and Savannah (Country Captain Chicken), old school (chicken and herb dumplings) and new (Sweet Onion Pudding). There are even a few that will inspire a double-take—who knew that spaghetti and croque monsieurs could be layered into a baking dish? Only a true casserole lover who unabashedly serves up Frito pie with a smile. Photos.