Not Your Mother's Casseroles

by Faith Durand

Simple, fresh, wholesome, and delicious, these one-dish meals fit the way we eat and live today. Author Faith Durand opens up a whole new world of casserole cookery, with more than 200 recipes to suit every taste and lifestyle. Generations of home cooks have turned to the casserole when in need of a quick and easy dinner. These assemble-and-bake meals recall memories of canned vegetables, boxed cheese, and condensed soups. No more! In Faith Durand's new book, you will find more than 200 recipes that bring together the simplicity of the one-pot meal with fresh and healthy ingredients to create casseroles that are decidedly "not your mother's." Not Your Mother's Casseroles is organized into chapters including Breakfast, Starters and Spreads, Vegetarian Casseroles, Pastas and Grains, and Desserts. In addition to inspired recipes such as Lemon Brioche French Toast, Spicy Butternut Squash, and Strata with Bacon, Durand has included modern interpretations of classics like Green Bean Casserole and Hearty Lasagna with Sausage. Also featuring vegan recipes and gluten-free offerings, Not Your Mother's Casseroles will suit any dietary preference.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Nonfiction, Food, Culinary

336 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2011

Reviews

[Lindsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have only tried one thing so far in here, but I want to buy it. The recipes are easy and sound delicious. I wasn't expecting so many breakfast dishes but I'm excited for them! One reviewer I saw was complaining about pancakes being included...I say - if you can show me how to make pancakes without making a huge mess on a griddle, you can put the recipe in the middle of a romance novel and I will be happy.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've tried several recipes and this is a solid 3.5 so far and might bump up to a 4 with some tinkering. The sweet potato chard casserole was an unexpected awesome win.

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Any cookbook that has an easy recipe for a "Cinnamon Roll Breakfast Bake" is tops in my eye. I didn't even get past the recipe for Leek and Lemon Frittata on page 55 and I was sold. I'm buying a copy.

[Shelby Pine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am SO impressed with this book! The recipes are so easy to follow and they all have ingredients that are easy to find in your normal kitchen. I, as a young cook, was able to look at 99% of this book and know exactly what I would need without having to ask what that ingredient is. This book tells you the degrees to set your oven to right away which is always a plus to me and I love the pictures that go along with its respective section. I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway and am SO excited to try each and every recipe and keep this in my collection for years to come. The only downside for me with this book is I wish the sections were marked in different colors so they were easier to find exactly what food I want.

[CloudsJen · Rating 2 out of 5]

In my quest to find true love in a cookbook, this one and I simply didn't click. I make casseroles for ease of use, and the first one I made in this cookbook "Bubble and Squeak" was about an hour of prep before the oven. With 2 toddlers. At witching hour.

I am going to try a few of the berry cobblers this week, but this book is not love.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this cookbook in a Goodreads giveaway and received it the other day. I have not had time to actually use any of the recipes yet, but have looked through them and am excited about the prospect of making them. The casserole recipes in this cookbook cover a wide variety and I believe something can be found for anyone. I am excited to try some of these casseroles out and see how they go!

[Denise Schwahn · Rating 5 out of 5]

So pleased to have found this cookbook! I love the broad definition of casserole, and all 8-10 recipes I've tried have been terrific (and freeze well). A new favorite for me!

[May · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not going to rate the book quite yet because I haven't made any of the recipes out of it BUT from what I have seen, many of the recipes look delicious and wholesome, which is exactly what i'm looking for out of a cookbook like this: things I can make for dinner, not a special occasion.
One of my favorite things about the recipes so far is that the author happens to be like me and not feel that meat is ABSOLUTELY VITAL IN EVERYTHING EVER (a great frustration because not only do i dislike eating meat every day, but it gets expensive to eat the amount of protein many Americans expect in a meal...especially in a household of two fairly picky eaters) so a lot of the recipes are either already vegetarian (without relying heavily on soy products) or very easily turned vegetarian. That being said, she does have a pretty awesome-sounding section filled with meat recipes, so it's not a vegetarian cookbook either.
This is the second casserole cookbook I have bought recently and it's definitely far superior to the other one, which I will review when I've had a chance to look through the recipes more thoroughly.

[Marya Kowal · Rating 1 out of 5]

Certainly these weren't MY mother's casseroles...my Mom's were delicious. These were disappointing to say the least. I made the updated tuna casserole, as it looked jazzed up with artichokes and seemed from the ingredients to be lighter on the salt and fat than my mother's recipe.

Well. it was lighter. It was also drier, oddly sour, and downright unpleasant.

So I decided to make a chicken casserole, as our family tastes may have run away from tuna since the last time I cooked it. You never know. I picked a delicious looking italian style casserole, only to discover that it, too, had a dry texture, and the flavors while they sounded good, didn't taste the same.

I'm a good cook, and my kids are sophisticated foodies who love sushi, kim chee, pad thai, sauerbraten, pierogies, curries, and all kinds of fruits, veggies, and ethnic food...but these were a disaster. I'm going back to coq au vin in the crockpot, and returning this cookbook to the library. I didn't find a single recipe worth making again. So disappointing.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I took this book out from the library recently and didn’t really find any recipes that I could work with. There were some great options if you are into more adventurous cooking, and to the book’s credit there were relatively few “weird” ingredients needed. But I didn’t find anything that I would have liked to try, save one recipe of Ham and Potatoes.

[Liz De Coster · Rating 3 out of 5]

None of these recipes were "blow-my-socks-off" amazing, but there was a solid selection and array of recipes provided. The recipes weren't completely reliant on canned soups and Velveeta, but still adhered to the casserole tradition of mix and bake.

[Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

tons of recipes I would make, and I never like cookbooks without pictures! yum!...mushroom casserole with cheese and onions, creamy cabbage casserole, and spinach, broccoli and goat cheese casserole...

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

We know how much I like casseroles, but still... this was great. Would totally buy a copy. A lot of interesting-and-new-without-being-weird-and-unmakeable recipes, which is hard to do when you're talking abut casseroles.

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book!
Only wish there were pictures of each wonderful dish.
Lots of spices.Can't wait to start cooking!

[Genevieve · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pics would be awfully nice, but I like her writing (here and on The Kitchn). Also, how are baked pancakes a casserole? Sheesh.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

After I checked it out from the library I bought it-it's that wonderful. I've made about 10 recipes from it and love all of them.

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great cookbook with lots of delicious recipes. I love Faith Durand, and this is a great addition to my cookbooks.

[Lupine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I only made two recipes from it before I had to return it but both were delicious! There were at least 10 others I want to try so it's a candidate for purchase. Lots of vegetarian recipes as well!

[Rachel Maxwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of great recipes in this one!

[Mrs. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Except for the boring mac and cheese recipe, this book is loaded with tasty casserole recipes. Fantastic for cooking ahead and freezing. No photos.

[Donna Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Favorite Recipe ~ Denver Omelet Casserole! My kids LOVED it!

[Terri · Rating 2 out of 5]

A few recipes seem worth trying.