The term “casserole” can refer to any dish prepared in a casserole dish—essentially a deep, wide baking dish—and baked in the oven. A casserole can have layers, as in the case of an Italian [lasagna](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-make-lasagna) or a deep-dish pizza, or composed of some evenly distributed combination of veggies, a protein, and a starchy binder. 

A casserole is often a one-pot meal that involves combining the ingredients in an oven-safe dish and baking them.

The etymology of “casserole” likely dates back to the Greek “kuathion,” meaning “little cup.” The word eventually morphed into the Medieval Latin “cattia” and settled on “cassole” or “casserole,”  the French diminutive of “casse”—essentially meaning “pan.” By the eighteenth century, the English-speaking world used the word “casserole” to refer to a dish of cooked rice with a meaty filling baked in the oven.

Casserole-style cooking grew in popularity because it was convenient and easy, allowing you to cook and serve a meal in the same dish. Home cooks could essentially use a low oven as a [slow cooker](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/pressure-cooker-vs-slow-cooker-explained), leaving a casserole to cook for an extended period. 

The convenience factor was responsible for the casserole’s resurgence in the twentieth century, when the introduction of processed and canned foods made it possible to combine already prepared components into a semi-homemade weeknight dinner.

Since the world of casseroles is so far-reaching, there’s no one type, but the following characteristics roughly define casserole-style cooking:

1. __Method__: Casseroles get baked in the oven. While some are one-dish meals, the cooking process for many casseroles (especially macaroni casseroles) involves preparing one or more ingredients before combining everything in a casserole pan and baking. If you need to finish the dish on the stovetop, it’s probably not a casserole.
2. __Vessel__: You can use many different kinds of cookware for casserole recipes, provided they’re oven-safe. A [cast-iron skillet](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-clean-a-cast-iron-skillet-proper-care-and-seasoning-tips) could technically serve as a casserole dish since you can combine ingredients in it and then put it in the oven. Earthenware vessels are particularly popular for casseroles since they retain heat in the oven and look attractive as part of a tablescape.
3. __Dish type__: Casseroles are often hearty comfort foods. They can be main dishes, especially if they include a protein, or side dishes, like a classic Thanksgiving sweet potato casserole.

The casserole method spans many cuisines and regions. If you tinker with a recipe enough, it’s hard to find a dish that you can’t modify into a casserole. With that stipulation, here are some of the more commonly known casseroles:

1. __Corn chip pie__: Popular throughout the Southwest, a corn chip pie usually contains a mixture of ground beef, enchilada sauce, and a healthy topping of corn chips.
2. __Green bean casserole__: A cheesy side that combines green beans and french-fried onions, [green bean casserole](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/classic-green-bean-casserole-recipe) is a staple in the “dump and bake” genre.
3. __Hotdish__: In this classically Midwestern preparation, the meat gets combined with some kind of canned soup (like [cream of mushroom](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/cream-of-mushroom-soup-recipe)) and vegetables and then topped with starch like noodles or tater tots.
4. __Kugel__: Noodle or potato kugel is like an Ashkenazi Jewish take on hash browns, in which the starch (noodles or potatoes) gets mixed with egg, seasonings, and fat, and then baked.
5. __Tuna casserole__: The central piece of tuna casserole is, unsurprisingly, canned tuna. Other components may include pasta or noodles, canned soup, and vegetables.

To perfect the mother sauces and make French cuisine at home, you must master essential cooking techniques. Discover Chef Thomas Keller’s approach to setting up a home kitchen and sourcing quality ingredients like [fish](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/chef-thomas-kellers-tips-for-buying-the-best-fish) and [clams](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-buy-clams-and-mussels-with-chef-thomas-kellers-tips) when you sign up for the [MasterClass Annual Membership] (https://www.masterclass.com).
The essential elements that define a casserole are the baking method and cookware that chefs use. Follow the history of the ubiquitous dish and get some inspiration for a casserole or two of your own.

The essential elements that define a casserole are the baking method and cookware that chefs use. Follow the history of the ubiquitous dish and get some inspiration for a casserole or two of your own.

What Is a Casserole? Definition, History, and Variations

The term “casserole” can refer to any dish prepared in a casserole dish—essentially a deep, wide baking dish—and baked in the oven. A casserole can have layers, as in the case of an Italian <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-make-lasagna' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-make-lasagna","linkCopy":"lasagna","category":null}'>lasagna</a> or a deep-dish pizza, or composed of some evenly distributed combination of veggies, a protein, and a starchy binder. A casserole is often a one-pot meal that involves combining the ingredients in an oven-safe dish and baking them.

What Is a Casserole?

The etymology of “casserole” likely dates back to the Greek “kuathion,” meaning “little cup.” The word eventually morphed into the Medieval Latin “cattia” and settled on “cassole” or “casserole,” the French diminutive of “casse”—essentially meaning “pan.” By the eighteenth century, the English-speaking world used the word “casserole” to refer to a dish of cooked rice with a meaty filling baked in the oven.Casserole-style cooking grew in popularity because it was convenient and easy, allowing you to cook and serve a meal in the same dish. Home cooks could essentially use a low oven as a <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/pressure-cooker-vs-slow-cooker-explained' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/pressure-cooker-vs-slow-cooker-explained","linkCopy":"slow cooker","category":null}'>slow cooker</a>, leaving a casserole to cook for an extended period. The convenience factor was responsible for the casserole’s resurgence in the twentieth century, when the introduction of processed and canned foods made it possible to combine already prepared components into a semi-homemade weeknight dinner.

A Brief History of Casseroles 

Since the world of casseroles is so far-reaching, there’s no one type, but the following characteristics roughly define casserole-style cooking:<ol class="mc-m-4"><li class="mc-my-4"> 1. Method: Casseroles get baked in the oven. While some are one-dish meals, the cooking process for many casseroles (especially macaroni casseroles) involves preparing one or more ingredients before combining everything in a casserole pan and baking. If you need to finish the dish on the stovetop, it’s probably not a casserole. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 2. Vessel: You can use many different kinds of cookware for casserole recipes, provided they’re oven-safe. A <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-clean-a-cast-iron-skillet-proper-care-and-seasoning-tips' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-clean-a-cast-iron-skillet-proper-care-and-seasoning-tips","linkCopy":"cast-iron skillet","category":null}'>cast-iron skillet</a> could technically serve as a casserole dish since you can combine ingredients in it and then put it in the oven. Earthenware vessels are particularly popular for casseroles since they retain heat in the oven and look attractive as part of a tablescape. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 3. Dish type: Casseroles are often hearty comfort foods. They can be main dishes, especially if they include a protein, or side dishes, like a classic Thanksgiving sweet potato casserole. </li></ol>

3 Characteristics of Casseroles 

The casserole method spans many cuisines and regions. If you tinker with a recipe enough, it’s hard to find a dish that you can’t modify into a casserole. With that stipulation, here are some of the more commonly known casseroles:<ol class="mc-m-4"><li class="mc-my-4"> 1. Corn chip pie: Popular throughout the Southwest, a corn chip pie usually contains a mixture of ground beef, enchilada sauce, and a healthy topping of corn chips. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 2. Green bean casserole: A cheesy side that combines green beans and french-fried onions, <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/classic-green-bean-casserole-recipe' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/classic-green-bean-casserole-recipe","linkCopy":"green bean casserole","category":null}'>green bean casserole</a> is a staple in the “dump and bake” genre. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 3. Hotdish: In this classically Midwestern preparation, the meat gets combined with some kind of canned soup (like <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/cream-of-mushroom-soup-recipe' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/cream-of-mushroom-soup-recipe","linkCopy":"cream of mushroom","category":null}'>cream of mushroom</a>) and vegetables and then topped with starch like noodles or tater tots. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 4. Kugel: Noodle or potato kugel is like an Ashkenazi Jewish take on hash browns, in which the starch (noodles or potatoes) gets mixed with egg, seasonings, and fat, and then baked. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 5. Tuna casserole: The central piece of tuna casserole is, unsurprisingly, canned tuna. Other components may include pasta or noodles, canned soup, and vegetables. </li></ol>

5 Popular Casserole Variations

To perfect the mother sauces and make French cuisine at home, you must master essential cooking techniques. Discover Chef Thomas Keller’s approach to setting up a home kitchen and sourcing quality ingredients like <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/chef-thomas-kellers-tips-for-buying-the-best-fish' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/chef-thomas-kellers-tips-for-buying-the-best-fish","linkCopy":"fish","category":null}'>fish</a> and <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-buy-clams-and-mussels-with-chef-thomas-kellers-tips' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-buy-clams-and-mussels-with-chef-thomas-kellers-tips","linkCopy":"clams","category":null}'>clams</a> when you sign up for the <a href='https://www.masterclass.com' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com","linkCopy":"MasterClass Annual Membership","category":null}'>MasterClass Annual Membership</a>.

Mise En Place

The essential elements that define a casserole are the baking method and cookware that chefs use. Follow the history of the ubiquitous dish and get some inspiration for a casserole or two of your own.

The essential elements that define a casserole are the baking method and cookware that chefs use. Follow the history of the ubiquitous dish and get some inspiration for a casserole or two of your own.
