Casseroles

I like to eat. No, change that, I love to eat!

The blending of ingredients to make a dish with flavor and eye appeal is truly an artform. I appreciate it all, every ingredient. Not just the taste, but the texture, appeal, allure to dig in and taste it.

From a very young age, I ate well. You see, my mother was a master maker of casseroles. I learned texture from such meals. Gushy, flavorful, steamy and very approachable. I dug in then and ate it all. I finished most casserole dishes, right down to the last scrape of cheesy something.

My wife cooked casseroles. Her mother did as well. Maybe it started during the Great Depression? I don’t know its history, but casseroles have been a part of my lineage, married or not.

I think my wife was surprised that I loved casseroles. I coached her on each one, together we improved on each recipe with great delight until it was perfect. In fact, after the divorce, I asked Ann for her recipes. They were all casseroles, oh and a few desserts. I constructed a cookbook just of her recipes.

I didn’t cook them all, but I did some. Reading the recipes, however, brought back memories of wonderful flavors. That motivated me to try making more of the casseroles.

Rocky was a great cook, but his specialties were all Italian. Terrific, but not an American casserole. Today, once again a bachelor, I buy preprepared meals by Factor. Those are quite good, the best being the sauces. Reminds me of casseroles.

 I have wondered why restaurants don’t build entire menus from casseroles. I would eat at each one. Always looking for the best casserole or pie. Such a worthy search and so rewarding! Even the disappointments are good.

An internet search did produce a list of restaurants that specialize in casseroles. I was stunned to learn this. I will soon find the closest one and see what they offer. A new search journey will soon be underway. I will tell you what I find.

Anyone else love casseroles?

November 17, 2025

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