Casseroles of the World
Britain tops lamb with mashed potato, Quebec hides a stripe of corn under it, Greece caps pasta with béchamel and Finland bakes macaroni in custard. America made the casserole a church-supper and weeknight institution: tot hotdish in Minnesota, tuna noodle everywhere, Johnny Marzetti in Ohio and funeral potatoes in Utah. Every one here feeds six or more for a few dollars a serving, step by step, baked to a safe 165°F.
Minnesota Tot Hotdish (Ground Beef, Green Beans and Potato Tots)
The Upper Midwest church-supper classic: browned ground beef and green beans folded into a from-scratch creamy sauce, covered edge to edge with frozen potato tots and baked hot until they crisp.
Tuna Noodle Casserole (From Scratch)
The canned-soup-era weeknight bake rebuilt from the pantry: egg noodles, canned tuna and peas in a quick mushroom and onion cream sauce, under a buttery crumb top.
Johnny Marzetti (Ohio Beef and Cheddar Pasta Bake)
Columbus, Ohio's signature casserole: corkscrew pasta, ground beef, mushrooms and hand-crushed tomatoes stirred with sharp cheddar and baked under more cheddar until browned and bubbling.
Chicken Divan (Chicken and Broccoli in Cheese Sauce)
A New York hotel restaurant's secret dish turned into a family casserole: poached chicken and broccoli under a cheddar and Parmesan cheese sauce made with the poaching broth, baked golden and served over rice.
Utah Funeral Potatoes (Cheesy Potato Casserole with Corn Flake Crust)
The Utah potluck and after-funeral classic: shredded potatoes in a creamy sour cream and cheddar sauce under a buttery corn flake crust, enough for a crowd of twelve.
British Shepherd's Pie (Lamb, with a Cottage Pie Option)
Britain's potato-roofed pie: ground lamb, onion and carrot simmered in beef broth with tomato paste and Worcestershire, topped with buttery mash raked with a fork and baked until the ridges brown.
Pâté Chinois (Quebec Beef, Corn and Potato Pie)
Quebec's three-layer supper pie, "steak, blé d'Inde, patates": seasoned ground beef, a stripe of kernel corn and cream-style corn, then buttery mashed potatoes dusted with paprika and baked golden.
Greek Pastitsio (Baked Pasta with Meat Sauce and Béchamel)
Greece's tall pasta bake: tube pasta and a cinnamon and clove-scented beef and tomato sauce in layers under a thick, cheese-enriched béchamel that bakes into a golden, custardy cap.
Finnish Makaronilaatikko (Macaroni and Beef Custard Bake)
Finland's everyday macaroni casserole: elbows and browned ground beef baked in a milk and egg custard under Swiss cheese until set and golden, served the Finnish way with ketchup or lingonberries.
Swedish Flying Jacob (Chicken, Banana and Peanut Casserole)
Sweden's famous 1976 party casserole: chicken and bananas baked under whipped cream mixed with ketchup-style chili sauce, then showered with crisp bacon and salted peanuts and served over rice.
Puerto Rican Pastelón (Sweet Plantain and Picadillo Bake)
Puerto Rico's "big cake": strips of very ripe plantain, oven-roasted until caramelized, layered like lasagna noodles with a beef picadillo of olives, capers and tomato, bound with beaten egg and melted mozzarella.
Valencian Arroz al Horno (Oven-Baked Rice with Pork, Chickpeas and Potatoes)
Valencia's Sunday-leftover rice: pork ribs, bacon, chorizo, chickpeas and potato slices browned, then baked with short rice and hot broth around a whole head of garlic and halved tomatoes until the top turns crisp.