This is a recipe I've made many times:

Baked Ziti

Ingredients:
1 pound dry ziti pasta
1 onion, chopped
1 pound lean ground beef
2 (26 ounce) jars spaghetti sauce
6 ounces provolone cheese, sliced
1 1/2 cups sour cream
6 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti pasta, and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes; drain.
2. In a large skillet, brown onion and ground beef over medium heat. Add spaghetti sauce, and simmer 15 minutes.
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish. Layer as follows: 1/2 of the ziti, Provolone cheese, sour cream, 1/2 sauce mixture, remaining ziti, mozzarella cheese and remaining sauce mixture. Top with grated Parmesan cheese.
4. Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheeses are melted.

About the simplest "hot dish" is one sometimes called "goulash" or Jo Marzotti...it's a flavorful tomato sauce, browned ground beef and lots of cheese.
She could get there by using something liked jarred spaghetti sauce and adding a can of diced tomatoes, cooking fusilli and browning a pound of hamburger and tossing it all together with a couple of cups of grated cheese.
Another easy thing is a chick roast....put into a roasting pan with a lid with small red potatoes and a sliced onion and some peeled carrots.
dump on a can of beef broth, cover and cook at 300 for 4 1/2 hours or at 425 for 2 hours or less.
Your daughter is "good people"...
Linda c

Thanks Teresa and Linda! I will pass these on. I am sure she will use them.

I wished she lived close by so I could cook with her.

Thanks again,

Adele

PORK & CARROT CASSEROLE

2 Tbs. salad oil
1 to 1 1/2 lbs. pork pieces, cut into 1 inch chunks
2 large carrots, peeled
1 medium onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup lightly packed chopped celery leaves
1 Tbs. brown sugar
3 Tbs. dry red wine
1 tsp. salt (or less to taste
1/4 tsp. pepper

In skillet over high heat, brown pork cubes in oil, stirring frequently. With slotted spoon, remove meat to 1 1/2 qt. casserole.

Meanwhile, cut each carrot crosswise into thirds, then lengthwise into thin slices. Cut onion in half crosswise, then lengthwise into thin slices.

Preheat over to 350. In drippings remaining in skillet over medium heat, cook carrots and onions until lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Add remaining ingredients and heat to boiling, stirring to loosen any brown bits from bottom of skillet. Pour sauce into casserole with meat, stirring to mix. Cover casserole and bake 45 minutes to one hour, or until meat is tender.

Good served with mashed potatoes or egg noodles.

"chick roast"...LOL!
That would be sort of like a piece from the front end of a stewing hen...
Gotta proof read....

This is super easy, can cook all day and she can even carry it over in the crock pot if needed.

Crockpot Chicken Tortilla Soup

Place in crockpot 2 or 3 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves.

Without draining anything, combine in bowl:

2 (15oz) cans black beans
1 (14.5 oz) can tomato sauce
2 (15 oz) cans Mexican stewed tomatoes (or Rotel)
1 (4 oz) can chopped green chilies
1 cup salsa, your preference as to strength

Pour over chicken and cook on low 8 hours.

Just before serving, remove chicken, shred it, and stir it back into the soup.

Stir in:
1 can Niblets corn

Heat just long enough to get corn and chicken hot.

Serve topped with cheese, sour cream, and crushed tortilla chips. Or put the chips in the bowl first and ladle soup on top. Either way, YUMMY and so easy!

ohh . . . she will be so happy.

And Linda . . . we understand typos!

Adele

Very sincere best wishes to the young mother. I love one pot meals or casseroles and stews - these recipes are all tried and true by my young granddaughters and myself. Linda's marzoti reminded me of a favorite of ours - my mom used to make something similar to this and added lima beans to it, something I seem to have forgotten about until right this minute! Thanks for the reminder and next time I'm adding limas to this recipe :)

MARILYN'S SAUSAGE NOODLES MARZETTI

5 oz. packaged noodles; cook & drain
1# bulk sausage (I use the kind with sage.)
1 medium onion chopped
2 stalks celery; chopped
1 (15 oz.) can crushed tomatoes (Italian seasoned are good.)
¼ cup dry white wine (optional)
¼ cup water
2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar (donÂt leave this out!)
salt & pepper to taste

In a large skillet, combine sausage, onion and celery. Cook until sausage is no longer pink and vegetables are tender. Add tomatoes, wine, water, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, salt and pepper; stir well. Simmer 15 minutes. Add noodles; heat and serve. (Mix all together with noodles and reheat in oven.

Another favorite of mine that will appeal to kids (don't know the ages of her family). Its an oven dish, but you do need mashed potatoes to go with it. If your daughter feels a little more inspired she can make a make-ahead mashed potato casserole to heat in the oven along with this.

GINGER'S PORCUPINE MEATBALLS

(note from Woodie - I double the sauce and serve with mashed potatoes)

1 1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 cup raw rice
1 cup chopped onion
2/3 cup milk
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 can tomato soup
3/4 cup water

Mix well the beef, rice, onion, milk, salt & pepper. Drop by tablespoonfuls in 9x13" pan. Set aside. Combine soup & water. Pour sauce over meatballs. Cover pan tightly with foil. Bake in a preheated 350° oven for 1 hour.

MEAT AND POTATOES

Easy meatloaf and potatoes in one dish

4 cups thinly sliced peeled raw potatoes,
1/4 cup chopped onion,
Salt and Pepper to taste

1 lb. ground beef,
5 oz. can evaporated milk,
1/2 cup breadcrumbs,
1/4 cup chili sauce (or catsup),
1/4 cup chopped onion,
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce,
Salt and Pepper to taste

1. Mix potato slices, salt and pepper to taste and 1/4 cup chopped onion together and place in greased 2 quart square baking dish.
2. Mix remaining ingredients together and spread over potatoes.
3. Decorate top with more chili sauce or catsup (if desired).
4. Bake at 350* for 1 hour.

Oh, Geez, Adele! First and foremost let me send my best wishes and healing thoughts to your daughter's colleague. Praying the chemo gets all the bad stuff and she will be healthy in no time!

I actually like casseroles LOL, ("hotdish"), but do not have a lot of recipes for them because I rarely make them. (Yeah, I know...BAD midwesterner...BAD!). But here is one from my aunt that I have made on occasion and it's good.

Alpine Chicken Casserole

(Aunt Gerie)

3 c cooked, diced chicken
2 c chopped celery
3 c plain croutons
3/4c mayonnaise
1/4 c finely chopped onion
3/4c milk
8oz grated white cheese (jack, mozzarella or swiss)
Salt & pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. Transfer to casserole dish and bake 35-40 minutes at 350F

My note: I prefer jack cheese in this. For extra tang, Miracle Whip can be subbed for the mayo

Linda

Madolyn's Ham and Broccoli Casserole

1 cup uncooked regular white rice
1 stick butter or margarine
2 cups fresh bread crumbs
2 large onions, chopped
1 1/4 lb ham, (chopped - 4 cups)
3 Tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon pepper
3 cups milk
2 (10 oz) packages broccoli spears or florets, cooked
8 oz sliced Swiss cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook rice according to package directions. Grease large rectangular casserole dish with butter (or spray with Pam). Melt butter. Mix 3 tablespoons with bread crumbs. Set aside.

Saute chopped onions in remaining butter. Add flour, salt and pepper. Cook until bubbly. Slowly stir in milk. Cook slowly until thickened. Stir in ham. Heat through gently. Layer cooked rice in bottom of dish. Next lay broccoli in single layer. Pour ham mixture over layers. Top with cheese slices. Sprinkle on bread crumbs. Cover. (Can be made ahead to this point and refrigerated. If chilled, set out for about 30 minutes before cooking.) Cook for 45 minutes. Serves 6 - 8.

Notes:
Swiss cheese is best but I have used other strong-ish white cheeses - even a little Parmesan mixed in.
Good leftovers.
Good with either green salad or fruit salad.

Thank you again. Maybe I should learn to like hotdish!

I am cutting and pasting and making a little recipe book. I am confident that these will all go to good use.

Adele

"Wow! Those are an amazing amount of reasonable recipes! Thanks! I will be sure to make them for mary and share them with others for her."

Lauren

I thought this was an interesting turkey casserole recipe from Rachel Ray. Basically starts with a layer of dressing, then mashed potatoes, then layer of cranberry sauce, then layer of turkey or chicken, gravy and finally chunky cornbread that should "crisp up" when baked. (doesn't HAVE to be left-overs..)

(This could be easily converted to vegetarian using a chicken or turkey vegetarian substitute and I bet would still be great considering all the other ingredients..)

from her website:

Turkey Corn Crisp: Leftover Thanksgiving Corn Cobbler
Serves 4-6
Tags: brunch dinner lunch casserole budget-friendly fruit rice, grains and breads poultry potatoes bake
Submitted by
Rachael Ray
on 11/27/09

Here's a fast and favor-filled way to serve Thanksgiving leftovers.

Ingredients

* 2 tablespoons butter, melted
* 3 cups leftover stuffing
* 1 cup leftover cranberry sauce
* 3 cups leftover mashed potatoes
* 2 cups leftover turkey, shredded
* 1 1/2-2 cups leftover gravy, warmed
* 1 1/2 cups leftover cornbread, cut into big crumbly chunks

Preparation

Pre-heat the oven to 375ËF.

Brush an 8-inch x 8-inch baking dish with melted butter.

Add the leftover stuffing to the bottom of the pan, squishing it down a little bit. Then smooth a layer of cranberry on top of that.

Layer the mashed potatoes over the cranberry sauce.

In a large mixing bowl, mix up the turkey and gravy, then pour it over the top of the stuffing and cranberry layer.

Scatter the leftover cornbread over the top, then drizzle with the remaining melted butter.

Place the dish on a cookie sheet in the oven and bake until golden brown and bubbly, about 15 minutes.

There's always TTHD.

TATER TOT HOTDISH

-Ground meat (I like to mix Jimmy Dean hot pork sausage with hamburger)
-Onion & celery (optional)
-Vegetables (Whatever you like. Green beans are sort of "traditional" but I like corn or mixed veg)
-Cream soup mixed with milk (Cream of mushroom is "traditional" but I like cream of chicken, broccoli or potato.)
-Tater Tots
-Cheese (optional)

This is so flexible. Use amounts to make the size of dish you want. Use any kind of meat. Roast beef, turkey, chicken... I like to mix them occasionally. It's best to brown the meat and I usually cook the onion and sometimes the celery with it. Depends if I want the onion and celery with a bit of a crunch. Season as you like. I use Louisiana Hot Sauce, garlic, lemon pepper and Italian seasoning usually. Put the meat, onion & celery in the bottom of a baking dish, either in layers or mixed up, top with the veggies, top that with the cream soup and on top go the tater tots. Some like to bake the tots first for extra crunch or they'll be crunchy on top and soft on the bottom. Whatever you prefer. Cheese is optional in it or on it in the last 15 min or so. Bake it until the tots are as brown as you like. The good part is everything is cooked so you don't have that as a problem.

Substitute mashed potatoes for tots and you'll have a Shepherd's Pie. You can even use fresh potatoes if you like. Like I said, it's so flexible you really don't need a recipe. Hot rolls, biscuits, toast, etc., all go well with this. Even garlic bread.

Another easy option is Scalloped potatoes & ham (or other meat, or go meatless).

When I make a macaroni hotdish I don't use a real recipe either. Again, you can add any kind(s) of meat or go without. Similar to baked ziti.

Macaroni Hotdish

-Meat of your choice
-Macaroni or other pasta of your choice. I like the jumbo elbows
-Sauce. Can be spaghetti sauce, pizza sauce, with or without some diced or stewed tomatoes, or you can use cream soup(s) or you can use a can of gravy, again, it's flexible.
-I like to add some kidney beans and sometimes mixed veg or corn

Amounts depend on servings desired and the ratio of meat to pasta you like. A starting point would be 1#-2# of meat, 1-2 cups of macaroni, small to large jar/can of sauce and add the amount of other things you like. I also like to add some pepperoni for a bit of spice. Again, season as you like. Garlic bread goes great with it.

Veggies can be served on the side or mixed into these. A crisp green salad is a good accompaniment to thse too.

And of course don't forget lasagna. You can also make a nice meal from rice (or Rice-A-Roni) mixed with meat & veggies, cheese topped if you like. Can mix the rices too.

These all sound so good!

Can I just say that the recipe that Teresa posted for the baked Ziti is one of my sons, AKA picky butt, favorite dinners of all time and it makes a large amount. Add a salad and some Garlic bread and they will love you forever.

This is a wonderful, easy, casserole -- even easier if you use a supermarket rotisserie chicken.

Mexican Chicken Casserole

1/4 cup butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 can Ro-Tel diced tomatoes & green chilies
2 cups cooked chicken
1/2 bag Doritos nacho cheese chips (14 1/2 oz bag), broken up a little -- not crushed
2 cups shredded Mexican style cheddar/jack cheese

Preheat oven to 325°. Butter a 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking dish.

In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add onion and pepper and cook until tender - about 5 minutes. Add soups, Ro-Tel and chicken, stirring until well blended.

Alternately layer chips, soup mixture and cheese repeating for three layers.

Bake until hot and bubbly - about 30 minutes.

(easily serves 6 and reheated leftovers in the microwave are great)

This is our favorite chicken casserole, adapated from one my mom made for family gatherings on weeknights (the topping got crunchy 'cause she had to keep it warm in the oven until the last straggler came through the door:) I recently took this over to a relative who'd just had surgery. I assembled the casserole, covered it with foil and they popped it into the oven and baked it (I also brought along a container of homemade cranberry sauce, a bag of mixed greens, and some lemon bars so they could have a whole dinner). All the containers were throw-away so they didn't have to get anything back to me. How good of your daughter to help this family at such a rough time!

Crunchy Top Chicken Casserole

Topping:

1 box Stovetop Chicken or Herb Stuffing

Make as directed (add some minced flat leaf parsley to boiling water). Make stuffing first so it cools down while you're preparing rest of casserole.

2-3 chicken breasts, poached & cut into small pieces
2-3 stalks celery, sliced
½ mild onion, chopped

Place chicken pieces, celery and onion in 9 x 13" baking dish.

In Large bowl blend together:

1 can cream of celery soup
1 cup mayonnaise
Milk (enough to fill the empty soup can)--can use Half & Half
½ cup chicken broth
Several dashes of Worcestershire sauce
Couple drops of hot sauce
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp of paprika
Salt and pepper to taste

Pour over chicken, celery and onion mixture in baking dish. Cover completely with the now cooled stuffing.

Bake at 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes (until top is crunchy and casserole is bubbling).

This is the casserole I take to friends and relatives when meals are needed. (I also like to take along a bag of mixed greens, some cranberry sauce, and lemon bars for dessert). All they have to do is pop the baking dish in the oven, open the bag of salad and the container of cranberry sauce and oila! instant dinner. Everything is brought to them in throwaway containers so they don't have to remember to return dishes, etc. to me. How good of your daughter and her colleagues to help out and provide such needed support. Ann

Crunchy Top Chicken Casserole

Topping:

1 box Stovetop Chicken or Herb Stuffing

Make as directed (add some minced flat leaf parsley to boiling water). Make stuffing first so it cools down while you're preparing rest of casserole.

2-3 chicken breasts, poached & cut into small pieces
2-3 stalks celery, sliced
½ mild onion, chopped

Place chicken pieces, celery and onion in 9 x 13" baking dish.

In Large bowl blend together:

1 can cream of celery soup
1 cup mayonnaise
Milk (enough to fill the empty soup can)--can use Half & Half
½ cup chicken broth
Several dashes of Worcestershire sauce
Couple drops of hot sauce
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp of paprika
Salt and pepper to taste

Pour over chicken, celery and onion mixture in baking dish. Cover completely with the now cooled stuffing.

Bake at 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes (until top is crunchy and casserole is bubbling). Serves 4-6.

Hi catlover - this is right up my alley! I have an entire folder that I have saved - primarily from this forum - of "one dish meals"...I will check them out ([provided they all made it through the transfer after my motherboard died...) and post some. And I'll still be saving some posted that I haven't seen before!

Stacy

well, Linda, you posted this one! and it's a keeper; not necessarily a "casserole" but easy and one dish.

Crockpot Beef Stroganoff
1-1/2 lb stew meat cut into cubes
1T cooking oil
1 lb fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/4c minced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp dried thyme, crushed
1 bay leaf
1-1/2c beef broth
1/3c dry red wine
1 c sour cream
1/2c flour
1/4c water
4c hot cooked noodles or rice
In large skillet brown the beef in hot oil, drain. In crockpot combine
beef, mushrooms, onions, garlic, oregano, salt, pepperthyme and bay leaf.
Pour in broth and wine. Cover and cook on low 8-10 hours or on high 4-5
hours.
Discard bay leaf, and turn crockpot to high heat. Mix together sour cream,
flour and water. Stir about 1 cup of the hot liquid into the sour cream
mixture, return all to crockpot and stir to combine. Cover and cook on high
heat for 30 minutes or until thickened and bubbly. Serve over noodles or
rice. Serves 6
Linda-doucanoe

oh phooey - my timer's going off...I'll be back!