One Dish Warm Winter Meal

Sometimes you find yourself asking " What exactly are one-dish meals?". But believe it or not, you probably already have a pretty good idea. Essentially, one-dish meals are prepared in one dish. 

AMAZED!..... I know

While soups, stews and some stir fries also fit this loose definition, they may or may not be complete meals. One-dish meals usually include meat, vegetables and starches such as pasta or potatoes, prepared in a single cooking utensil. 

The three basic types of one-dish recipes are casseroles, skillet meals, and slow cooker meals. Each one is incredibly convenient for us home cooks and offers a memorable blend of flavors for family-pleasing meals.

While many casseroles feature just a starch and a meat, others are complete meals with vegetables. This eliminates having to coordinate the cooking of vegetable side dishes. Another added benefit is that leftover one-dish casseroles are just as delicious to eat as they are easy to reheat and clean-up. 

Over the years, one-dish meals have evolved from a rough concept to a more refined technique with casseroles and skillet meals predating the slow cooker by centuries. The word " casserole" dates back to the ancient Greek and Roman languages. Crude metal pots in use as early as the seventh century were the predecessors of the modern skillet.

One-dish meals, particularly casseroles, initially became popular cooking methods out of necessity. Most every culture's history includes lean periods when meat was scarce. For that reason, many people became skilled at making small amounts of meat stretch to feed many mouths. 

I would say, Casseroles were the perfect solution!, an entire meal in one container go figure. 

Some early examples of " casserole" dishes include Italian lasagna, Spanish paella, and Irish shepherd's pie. 

Eventually, necessity gave way to busier times. Us home cooks needed to make meal preparation easier and faster to fit our busy schedules. 

So skillet meals were the answer!, Using skillets to cook entire meals saved both time and energy. 

Finally, technological innovation drove the invention of a new kind of one-dish meal preparation, the slow cooker. Introduced in the 1970's, this revolutionary kitchen appliance had an immediate impact on how meals were prepared. Ingredients could be assembled in minutes and cooked unattended for hours. Suddenly us home cooks were freed from our kitchens.

In our modern and fast-paced world, these one-dish meals have found new life. It's not merely a case of history repeating itself, rather it's more like history being applied to the present. 

The Casserole

The first known casserole recipe was published in England around 1705. Ever since then nothing can really match a bubbling casserole fresh out the oven. Cooking for parties or just weekday family meals, the convenience of preparing a casserole takes the stress out of meal preparation and makes clean up easy. The warm comfort of casserole cooking extends far beyond satisfying appetites; it also leaves a lasting impression  in everyone's hearts and memories. 

Ole Fashion Shepherd's Pie On a Warm Winter Night 

Prep and Cook Time: 28 minutes

1 1/3 cup instant mashed potato buds                               1 2/3 cup of milk

2 tablespoon of margarine or butter                                  1 teaspoon of salt, divided 

1 pound of ground beef                                                    1/4 teaspoon of black pepper 

1 jar ( 12 ounces) of beef gravy                                       3/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese

1 package ( 10 ounces) frozen mixed vegetable, thawed and drained .

1. Preheat broiler. Prepare 4 servings of mashed potatoes according to package directions using milk, margarine and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

2.While mashed potatoes are cooking, brown meat in medium broiler proof skillet over medium high heat, stirring to separate meat. Drain drippings. Sprinkle meat with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Add gravy and vegetables; mix well. Cook over medium low heat 5 minutes or until hot.

3. Spoon prepared potatoes around outside edge of skillet, leaving 3 inch circle in center. Sprinkle cheese evenly over potatoes. Broil 4 to 5 inches from heat 3 minutes or until cheese is golden brown and meat mixture is bubbly. 

Makes 4 servings