Community Cookbook: Make your weeknights simpler with casseroles aplenty

Presenting Macaroni and Cheese with Tomatoes so soon after Coeur d’Alene’s Mac and Cheese Festival may be risky. This dish could be deemed ordinary, except for possibly one thing. It’s the most mellow macaroni and cheese I’ve ever eaten. The tomato does that. If stressed at the end of the day, eat this, and you’ll likely feel much more relaxed and secure.

When I picture the diner that might serve this dish, I see a small, hole-in-the-wall place, complete with swiveling stools along the counter and tables with bench seating for four. The lighting and background music are comfortably vintage. The service is friendly and relaxed; the customers, casual and loyal. It’s a place you want to return to.

Stinky Pete’s Chili Casserole instantly shatters that image. Describing it as mellow would be deceptive. Like Stinky Pete, the “Toy Story 2” character himself, this casserole has a prickly side. It’s unabashedly robust. If you’re a Tex-Mex fan, you may like this casserole as much as I do.

When are enchiladas considered a casserole? A dozen stuffed into a single pan seems to be one form. I could crowd Busy Day Enchiladas into one pan, but I prefer to spread them out for easier serving and presentation. Since I’m writing this and getting hungrier for these enchiladas as I write, I’m claiming, here and now, that they are a casserole, maybe even two.

Busy-Day Enchiladas aren’t just for busy days. Enjoy them any day. Mexican stores and taquerias will have the essential fillings and other ingredients. Mexican restaurants may also offer fillings for takeout.

Macaroni and Cheese with Tomatoes

A hearty macaroni and cheese casserole is classic American comfort food at its best. The good people at Cook’s Country created the dish that inspired this diner-style macaroni and cheese.

12 ounces dried macaroni (about 3 cups)

2 teaspoons flavorless cooking oil

¾ cup finely chopped onion

3 tablespoons butter or margarine

¼ cup flour

1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk

1 cup chicken broth

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon onion powder

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

¼ teaspoon black pepper

⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper

8 ounces shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese (about 2 cups)

1 (14½-ounce) can petite diced tomatoes

¼ cup mayonnaise

Cook the macaroni in salted, boiling water until tender but still slightly firm; drain well. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until crisp-tender, stirring occasionally. Add the butter or margarine and heat until melted. Add the flour and cook for 2 minutes, whisking constantly. Add the next 8 ingredients (through cayenne pepper) and increase the heat to medium-high. Cook until the sauce is thickened and bubbly, whisking constantly. Slowly add the cheese, stirring until melted. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Pour into a 13-by-9-by-2-inch baking pan. Place on a rack in the middle-low position of an oven preheated to 400 degrees. Bake until the top starts to brown and the edge is bubbly, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Notes: Cubed ham and thawed frozen peas can be added to the dish before baking. A topping, such as a mix of breadcrumbs and cheese, can be added before baking.

Yield : About eight main-dish servings

Stinky Pete’s Chili Casserole

If the crusty ol’ prospector from “Toy Story 2” had a favorite casserole, I’d bet it would be very similar to this one. It’s nothing fancy, replete with frilly edges and all. Instead, it’s hearty and filling “dump grub.” Most of the preparation is dumping everything into a casserole dish and baking it.

1 pound lean ground beef

2 cups chopped onion

1 cup chopped bell or jalapeño pepper

2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained

3 (8-ounce) cans tomato sauce (about 2½ cups)

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

¾ cup whole kernel corn

1 packet chili or taco seasoning

Prepared cornbread/muffin batter

Cook the ground beef and onion in a medium skillet over medium-high heat, stirring frequently to break up the clumps. When the meat is broken up and sizzling, add the pepper. Cook until the vegetables are tender but still slightly firm, stirring occasionally. Drain and discard the fat. Combine all ingredients, except the batter, in a 3-quart baking dish (an 11-by-9-by-3-inch baking dish works perfectly). Evenly spread the batter over the top. Bake on a rack in the middle-low position of an oven preheated to 375 degrees until the batter is browned on top and fully cooked, about 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10-15 minutes before serving. Serve with plenty of salsa or hot pepper sauce, if preferred.

Notes: Ground turkey can substitute for beef. Other bean varieties can substitute for some or all of the black beans.

Yield: 10 to 12 main-dish servings

Busy-Day Enchiladas

Here’s a generic recipe for those who’d like enchiladas for dinner but have considerable time and energy demands or, otherwise, don’t want to go to the trouble of making enchiladas from scratch. This recipe takes advantage of the many excellent meats available at Mexican grocery stores and taquerias, which have become popular. The use of canned enchilada sauce and pre-shredded cheese seals the deal. Combine the enchiladas with Mexican rice and refried beans for a classic Mexican combination dinner.

4 cups shredded beef, pork or chicken in sauce

12 (6-inch) corn tortillas

2½-3 cups enchilada sauce

6-8 ounces shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese

Minced cilantro leaves or green onion tops for garnish

Remove the excess sauce from the meat, leaving just enough to keep the meat moist and flavorful, reserving the extra for serving. Warm 6 tortillas until pliable (a microwave oven works well). Place a warmed tortilla on a dinner plate and spoon a scant ⅓ cup of the filling along and just below the centerline of the tortilla. Roll the closest edge up, then over the filling, rolling tightly enough to squeeze the filling to just short of the ends of the tortilla. Place the filled tortilla, seam-side down, into a 13-by-9-by-2-inch baking pan. Repeat with the remaining tortillas, leaving a little space between each. Using a second pan, repeat with the remaining ingredients. Bake, uncovered, on the middle-low rack of an oven preheated to 350 degrees for 8 minutes. Pour the desired amount of sauce over the enchiladas (I like to leave about a ½ inch of the ends clear) and sprinkle the cheese over the top. Continue to bake, uncovered, until the cheese melts and the enchiladas are hot, about 8 minutes more. Remove from the oven and sprinkle cilantro or green onion over the top. Let rest for 10 minutes. Serve hot with shredded lettuce, the reserved sauce, and salsa, if preferred.

Notes: Good choices for the meat include carne, carnitas and meats in adobo or chipotle sauce. A cup or two of cooked chopped vegetables, such as onion and sweet or hot peppers or chilies, can substitute for an equal amount of meat.

Yield: 12 enchiladas

Dick Sellers is a freelance writer. Contact him at dickskitchencorner@outlook.com