In Defense of Casseroles

I remember when I started cooking tater tot casserole. It was after my own mama came to stay with us after our last baby was born. She cooked and cleaned, and she made me the same dish she made when my siblings and I were kids. When I bit into the potato and green bean mix, it tasted like memories. So, I started feeding it to my own children.

 

I once read over a list of dislikes on the meal train page for a family I was going to bring some food. They didn’t have any allergies, but it said they disliked casseroles.

 

“Huh” I thought and quickly moved on, planning to make enchiladas anyway but feeling a little intimidated that they may not be up to snuff.

 

Then in a work meeting one day, a colleague shared about his childhood upbringing and how “if it wasn’t a casserole, my mom didn’t make it.” He seemed to be burnt out on them, and I suppose I can’t blame him if casseroles made a nightly appearance. He followed up by saying, “She was a working mom. She did the best she could.”

 

As both a working mom and a maker of casseroles, it can be easy to wonder if perhaps I’m too basic, if I cultivate habits that others would prefer to opt out of or at least add a little pizzaz to. I don’t live by a philosophy of the easy way being the best way, but I’m also not one to belabor housework related duties, dinner included.

 

In fact, adding up the number of casserole types that have made their way into my family’s belly creates a decent list:

• Egg casserole
• Tater tot casserole
• Shepherd’s pie
• Zucchini casserole
• Cowboy casserole
• Green bean casserole
• Chicken pot pie (which I’d put in the casserole family)

 

Even for the other meals, I think I often take a casserole approach, meaning dinner can often be served out of one pot (stir fry, succotash, soup, etc.)

 

The reason casseroles get a bad rap may be that they are a little old fashioned and they can be heavy. I don’t deny either of these things. (And I’m the girl who often orders a salad at a restaurant.) But in their defense, they are simple and should turn out decently for anyone who can follows basic directions and open a can.

 

There are some who excel at being in the kitchen: they are creative and enjoy being there. This isn’t me. I enjoy baking in moderation, and I prioritize spending time each day in the kitchen because I want to take care of my family, but my creative juices don’t salivate when I cook. Compound that with the fact that I typically get home just slightly before I need to begin dinner preparation, and it’s no wonder that a casserole often makes its way into the weekly dinner rotation.

 

After picking up on the little detail that casseroles aren’t cool, I kind of wondered whether I should offer to bring meals to others if it’s during a busy time and may end up needing to be a non-fancy meal. But after a friend had a baby, I went ahead and brought her family dinner consisting of a casserole, bread, and chocolate ice cream popsicles. When she texted to tell me how much her other kids enjoyed the dessert, I sighed in relief at being reminded it’s ok if dinner is nothing to rave about. I was able to show care because I went a simple route that my schedule allowed for.

 

 

I don’t only bring people casseroles. I’ll go even further. I’ll bring them Hamburger Helper. It’s a little humbling to admit this because it’s so unelaborate. We had elderly neighbors who were down with sickness and when I found out, I didn’t have a plan or a lot on hand. So, I baked frozen biscuits which I added grape jelly to, warmed up some frozen vegetables, and made them Hamburger Helper. They were so grateful and according to his wife, Bill smiled the whole time while eating his dinner. About a month later, they both passed away.

 

I didn’t do any grand gesture, and I certainly didn’t make them a gourmet meal. But I could have been robbed of one of the last opportunities to love on the people who served as a bonus pair or grandparents to the neighborhood because I wouldn’t be able to impress them. Sometimes the practical way to enact Galatians 6:2 and “Carry each other’s burdens” might be to show up with a baking dish filled with ordinary food.

 

No matter what roles we hold as mamas, it can be easy to want to surprise everyone, to impress them, to take whatever expectations they likely have and exceed them. For example, because I’m so keenly aware of all the stereotypes (and actual cases) of overworked, over-busy working moms, I am very careful to do my best to leave margin and to care for my home, outsourcing very little. But though we manage to eat most of our dinners together and to cook from our own kitchen, my meals aren’t impressive. Maybe they even fall into the category of my colleague who said of his mom’s cooking that she did her best, but she had a lot on her plate.

 

And maybe that is ok. Maybe feeding my family and others I care about meals that will nourish them but that will never garner any awards is enough.

 

 

My kids are growing up in a potluck culture, which I love so much. Our church and our circle of friends regularly gathers to share food. Despite my appreciation of the gatherings, sometimes I feel a little intimidated because so many of my friends and fellow church members are wonderful cooks. Nobody, especially me, wants to be the one bringing the dish that doesn’t get touched. And despite the fact I’m working while raising four kids, I’ll be darned if I’m known for bringing something storebought every time. I may get help from a box, but I’m cooking it at home.

 

One of the sweetest things over the years has been my family’s reaction to my bringing what I would deem mediocre things to potlucks. Despite how I often feel my contribution pales in comparison, my children go for my food every time (and my husband often does as well). Despite the fact I typically try what everyone else has brought, my children proudly look for the dish their mama made, and they choose that. They do it because they love me, but they also do it because they like the food I make.

 

Now I know that nutritional quality needs to play a part. Even as I endorse casseroles, I’m a hard no on drowning most dinners in cream of mushroom soup or relying too much on frozen food that’s been breaded or fried. The challenge is to strike a balance in finding peace in simple meals but not using that as a liberty to ignore healthy eating habits.

 

Every mama must decide for herself how to make sure she’s being a good steward of her family’s bodies while also feeling the liberty to make choices around food that aren’t fueled by fear or unnecessary striving.

 

 

It’s not really about the casseroles (though it can be if you need it to be.) It’s about trusting ourselves as homemakers. We don’t have unlimited time and energy. It’s ok to reserve our creativity for the things that we find life giving while faithfully showing up and fulfilling our duties in other areas.

 

Some people are out there rocking it in areas where we are getting a B+…or maybe just a B if we’re being honest. Yet we are excelling in other aspects.

 

So don’t not host the Bible study or book club because you don’t know what to serve. Don’t not attend the function because you don’t know what to bring. You can always bring a casserole or a pan of box mix brownies. People may not rave about it afterwards, but they will see that you’re trying. And that can go a long way.

 

Photo by <a href=”https://stockcake.com/i/feast-of-flavors_138097_16895″>Stockcake</a>

 

Photo by <a href=”https://stockcake.com/i/baking-delicious-treats_172521_29056″>Stockcake</a>