Moscow Food Co-op Recipes

Arranging polenta slices in pan for Instant Tamale Pie

by Jyotsna “Jo” Sreenivasan, from the January 2007 newsletter

I like to make casseroles because they are convenient: they can be assembled in advance and baked later, and they often make enough food for leftovers.

But my kids often don’t like casseroles. There are too many things in there “together.” Here are some kid-friendly casseroles. Perhaps you can persuade your children to try one of these.

Cheese and Carrot Casserole
(adapted from Better Food for Kids by Joanne Saab and Daina Kalnins)

2 1/2 c. shredded cheese (we used mozzarella and cheddar)
1 c. shredded carrots
6 eggs
1 c. milk
2 Tbsp. flour (many kinds would work – whole wheat, unbleached white, spelt, etc)
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. salt
Paprika

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease a square 9-inch baking pan. Scatter half the cheese to cover the bottom of the pan. Arrange carrots over cheese and cover with another layer of cheese. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, flour, chili powder and salt. (We use a hand-held egg-beater for this. My kids love working a hand-held egg-beater). Pour the egg mixture over the cheese mixture. Sprinkle top lightly with paprika. Bake for 25 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let stand five minutes before cutting.

Note: You can use other vegetables in place of the carrots, such as shredded potato, zucchini or chopped broccoli.

Instant Tamale Pie
(adapted from Moosewood Restaurant New Classics, by the Moosewood Collective)
My husband thought this dish was fantastic. My older son declared it to be “pretty good, except for the green stuff” (the cilantro). Polenta is Italian-style cornmeal mush. You can get firm rolls of polenta wrapped in plastic in the pasta aisle of the Co-op. Last time I looked, they were on the very bottom shelf.

1 3/4 c. pinto beans with some juice (15-oz. can)
1/2 c. fresh or frozen corn kernels
1/2 c. prepared tomato salsa (we are partial to Salpica Mango Peach salsa)
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. salt
12 oz. prepared polenta
2 to 3 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
1 c. grated sharp cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Oil a 10-inch cast-iron skillet or an 11-inch baking dish. Drain the beans, saving the liquid. Put drained beans in a bowl and mash them with a potato masher. Add just enough liquid to moisten them. Add corn, salsa, cumin, oregano and salt, and mix. Set aside. Slice 12 oz. of the polenta into 1/4-inch thick rounds. Refrigerate the rest of the polenta for another use. Arrange polenta slices in the skillet or baking dish, slightly overlapping each other. Spread the bean mixture over the polenta. Sprinkle on the cilantro and grated cheese. Bake uncovered for about 15 minutes. You can stick a fork into the middle to make sure the entire casserole is hot enough. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Note: You can shallow-fry slices of leftover polenta and top them with cheese or tomato sauce.

Broccoli-Rice-Cheese Casserole
(adapted from 1,000 Vegetarian Recipes by Carol Gelles)
This is a delicious-smelling and delicious-tasting casserole.

1 1/2 Tbsp. butter
4 c. chopped broccoli
1 c. sliced leeks (white and light green parts only)
3 to 3 1/2 c. cooked brown rice (we like short-grain rice for this recipe)
1/3 c. grated parmesan cheese
1 1/2 c. shredded cheddar or jack cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a 9-inch square baking pan. Melt butter in a large skillet and saute leeks and broccoli. Add a bit of water, turn the heat down low, cover the pan and steam until the broccoli is tender-crisp (maybe 5 minutes). In the baking pan, stir together the cooked rice and Parmesan cheese. Top the rice with the broccoli mixture, then sprinkle with the cheddar or jack cheese. Bake 25 minutes or until the casserole is heated through.

Note: About 1 c. raw rice will make enough cooked rice for this recipe. Leeks often hide dirt between their leaves. I like to clean them by slicing off the bottom root part, and then slicing the whole leek lengthwise and rinsing in between the leaves. You can substitute zucchini for the broccoli.

Copyright: Copyright on articles, recipes, and images are jointly held by the Moscow Food Co-op and the respective authors, except were otherwise noted.

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