Quick'¬ ;what do you think of when you hear the word casserole? Simple, fresh, one-dish meals that are budget-friendly and popular on any dinner table? No? Do you think instead of canned onion rings and cream-of-something soup? Think again. It'¬"s time for fresh thinking on the casserole. The more than 200 one-dish meals in these pages are fresh, tasty, budget-friendly, and nutritious. They use wholesome, seasonal ingredients and streamlined techniques to get meals on the table with a minimum of fuss, and they take advantage of the full range of flavors available in today'¬"s supermarkets. Yes, they'¬"re still called casseroles, but prepare to think fresh. Author Faith Durand has brought the casserole into the 21st century, and these one-dish wonders are most decidedly Not Your Mother'¬"s Casseroles. Did your mother head into the kitchen to whip up Spiced Lamb Biryani, Asian Cabbage Rolls with Spicy Pork, or Slow- Baked Cioppino? Did she serve up one-dish breakfasts like Plum Spice Clafouti, Lemon Brioche French Toast, or Gruyère and Spinach Egg Puff? Or top off a meal with casserole-style desserts such as Salted Caramel and Walnut Slice or Baked Custard with Port Wine Sauce? Durand does all this and more, with seven chapters of fabulous casserole magic and a bonus chapter of salads, breads, and soups that complement the casseroles beautifully. Start your day with a breakfast bake (many of which are conveniently prepared the night before, so they'¬"re perfect for entertaining), then move on through vegetable tians, gratins, and braises; rice- and potato-based dishes; grains and pastas; hearty meat, poultry, and seafood casseroles; and sweet treats from the oven.

There are vegetarian main dishes, vegan dishes, gluten-free dishes, ethnic dishes, and clever makeovers of favorite classics (the iconic green bean bake, for instance, gets reinvented as a Green Bean and Wild Mushroom Casserole with Shallot Topping). Durand pushes the boundaries of casserole cookery, redefining the dish while staying true to its essential character. Convenience hasn'¬"t been eliminated; it'¬"s been updated (think frozen vegetables, not canned). Durand describes all the necessary equipment for casserole success and reviews the essentials of ingredients and techniques. You'¬"ll also find complete information on storing and freezing casseroles, making these convenient dishes even handier, since a casserole in the freezer is like money in the bank on a busy day. This book redefines casseroles, and so will you: You'¬"ll call them delightful, delectable, and definitely Not Your Mother'¬"s.