Everyone is just so busy these days, juggling home life and work. It's easy for us these days to just pop a ready-made meal into the microwave at the end of a long day. Cooking skills are declining but there is a way of eating healthy, nutritious meals without spending ages in the kitchen. Good old traditional casserole recipes can be found in many countries and usually called for food to be cooked slowly in earthenware pots.

Kitchen equipment has moved on but there is still a demand for casseroles. Slow cooking is tastier but preparation can be made quicker with the right ingredients. Easily cooked casserole recipes are tasty too and can still be achieved on a budget. After the casserole dish is put into the oven, it can be left while you attend to other chores.

The idea of making a casserole is that you can let your imagination run wild, because anything goes with a casserole, whether it's cooking a fresh meal or using up leftovers. It's fun to experiment with different casserole recipes, adapting them to personal taste. Cheap cuts of meat are ideal for casseroles as they need slow cooking to tenderize and bring out the flavor. Poultry, fish and vegetables all benefit from this cooking method.

Beef Stroganoff is a classic dish, made from ground beef. A quick version uses a can of cream of mushroom soup and egg noodles. Corned Beef Casserole is an inexpensive meal, using canned corned beef, egg noodles, cheese and a can of cream of chicken soup.

Casserole cooking brings out the flavor of root vegetables. Carrots, turnips and swedes go well with sweet potatoes and squash. Peppers and mushrooms are also suited to this sort of cooking. Broccoli & Cauliflower Casserole can be made with a can of condensed corn soup, cheddar cheese, milk and broccoli. Broccoli Cheese Casserole uses onion, broccoli, rice, cheese and a can of cream of chicken soup. Or a Green Bean Casserole Side Dish with Julienne carrots tossed in a light maple syrup, butter and tarragon sauce. Tender and sweet, julienne carrots

There are several ways of including chicken and turkey into casserole recipes. One of the most useful ways of using turkey leftovers after Thanksgiving is Turkey Casserole with egg noodles, peas, sweet red peppers, milk and a can of condensed celery soup. The turkey should be cut into cubes and margarine and bread crumbs are required for the topping.

Seafood is also very tasty in casseroles. Tuna Casserole is a popular dish with numerous versions. For something more unusual, Crab Casserole uses Snow Crab with rice, peppers, onions, cheddar, mushrooms and a can of shrimp soup. A tasty Italian casserole dish involves using sausage, zucchini and spaghetti sauce.

Tuna Casserole Recipes

Cooking Time: 15 minutes and Serves 4

Ingredients:

* Salt
* 1 pound fettuccine
* 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 3 turns of the pan
* 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
* 1 small onion, chopped
* 1/2 cup dry white wine, a couple of turns of the pan
* 1/2 cup heavy cream, a couple of turns of the pan
* Black pepper
* 2 (6-ounce) cans Italian tuna in water or oil, drained
* 1/2 cup tender sun-dried tomatoes, thinly sliced, get pouches in produce department
* 1/2 cup frozen peas, a couple of handfuls
* Couple handfuls grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
* 1 cup fresh basil, about 20 leaves, shredded

Directions

Place pasta water on to boil. Salt water then add pasta and cook to al dente.

While pasta cooks, heat a deep skillet over medium heat with extra-virgin olive oil. Sauté garlic and onions until tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Add tuna and sun-dried tomatoes and stir to heat through, another 1 to 2 minutes. Add wine and cook it down a minute then add cream and season sauce with salt and pepper. Toss hot pasta and peas with sauce and cheese. Serve on dinner plates and top with shredded basil.

Turkey Noodle Casserole

Cooking Time is 20 minutes and serves 4

* 1/2 pound extra wide egg noodles
* Salt
* Black pepper
* 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan
* 3 slices bacon or turkey bacon, chopped
* 1 1/3 pound, the average weight of 1 package, ground turkey breast
* 1 pound white mushrooms, wiped, trimmed and sliced
* 1 medium onion, chopped
* 2 teaspoons dried thyme or poultry seasoning
* 1/2 cup dry white wine
* 1 cup chicken stock, available on soup aisle, eyeball it
* 1/2 cup heavy cream, 3 turns of the pan
* 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
* 2 tablespoons softened butter
* 2 cups grated Gruyere, about an 8-ounce brick
* 1 cup plain bread crumbs
* 3 tablespoons chopped parsley leaves

Directions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil for your egg noodles. When it boils, salt the water and cook noodles to al dente.

Preheat a large, deep skillet over medium high heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan, and bacon or turkey bacon. Render the bacon fat 2 to 3 minutes, until bacon begins to brown at edges. Add meat and brown it, crumbling it with a wooden spoon. Move the meat over to 1 side of the pan and add mushrooms and onions to the opposite side. Cook mushrooms and onions 3 to 5 minutes, then combine the meat with veggies and season the mixture liberally with salt and pepper, then sprinkle in the ground thyme or poultry seasoning. Cook another 5 minutes then add wine. Deglaze the pan, lifting up pan drippings and bits. Stir in stock and bring to a bubble, then stir in cream and reduce the heat to low. Add nutmeg to sauce and stir. Taste to adjust seasonings.

Preheat broiler to high. Combine noodles with turkey and sauce. Grease a casserole dish with a little softened butter nested in a piece of paper towel then transfer the turkey noodle mixture to the dish. Top the casserole with Gruyere then bread crumbs. Place the casserole 8 to 10 inches from the broiler and brown 2 to 3 minutes until cheese is melted and the crumbs are brown. Remove from oven and garnish the casserole with parsley.

Beef Stroganoff

Cooking Time is 15 minutes and Serves 4

Ingredients

* 1 1/2 pounds beef tenderloin fillet
* Salt and pepper
* 3 tablespoons butter, divided
* 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
* 2 cups beef consommé, available on soup aisle
* 2 teaspoons prepared Dijon style mustard
* 1/4 cup sour cream, eyeball it
* 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil or vegetable oil, 1 turn of the pan in a slow stream
* 1/2 small onion, sliced
* 1/3 cup coarsely chopped cornichons
* 1 pound extra wide egg noodles, cooked to package directions
* Chopped parsley leaves, garnish
* Thickly sliced pumpernickel bread, optional

Directions

Slice meat into 1/2-thick by 2 -inch long very thin strips and season with salt and pepper. Set in freezer.

Heat a skillet over medium heat. Melt 2 tablespoons butter and cook with flour 1 minute. Whisk in consommé. Thicken 1 minute. Stir in mustard and sour cream, thicken 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and season sauce with salt and pepper.

Heat a second skillet over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter, then add the meat and onion and cook over high heat until brown on both sides, 3 to 4 minutes total. Then add the chopped cornichons and stir to combine.

Arrange meat on a bed of egg noodles and top with Stroganoff sauce and parsley. Serve with thickly sliced pumpernickel bread.