Casseroles can help take the stress out of meal plans

I was visiting with my niece, Tarah Battaglia, recently, and she shared with me meal plans for her family. Juggling a family with two small children and a new job is difficult for every working mother; I know; I have been there myself. So she and I brainstormed about a few meal plan ideas, and one of those was to prepare casseroles on occasion and have it ready to just put in the oven upon arriving home. Often there will be leftovers to take in her lunch or her husband's lunch.

I went looking in some old recipes and found these to pass along to her. I hope she and many other working mothers can use one or more of them to make their life a little easier.

Lightened Up Tuna Casserole

• 3 cups uncooked yolk-free noodles
• 1 can (10-3/4 ounces) reduced-fat reduced-sodium condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
• 1/2 cup fat-free milk
• 2 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise
• 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
• 1 jar (6 ounces) sliced mushrooms, drained
• 1 can (5 ounces) albacore white tuna in water
• 1/4 cup chopped roasted sweet red pepper

For the topping:

• 1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Cook noodles according to package directions, making sure not to overcook them. In a large bowl, combine the soup, milk, mayonnaise and mustard. Stir in the mushrooms, tuna and red pepper. Drain noodles; add to soup mixture and stir until blended. Transfer to an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray.

Combine topping ingredients; sprinkle over casserole. Bake at 400 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until bubbly. Yield: 4 servings.

Chicken and Dressing Casserole

• 4 or 5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thawed, enough to mostly cover the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish
• 1 (7- or 8-ounce) package Swiss cheese, either sliced or shredded
• 1 can low-sodium, heart-healthy cream of chicken soup
• 1 box lower-sodium Stove Top chicken stuffing mix
• 1 stick butter, melted

Cover the bottom of sprayed baking pan with the thawed chicken breasts. If you prefer to serve the whole breast as one serving, leave the chicken breasts whole. If you prefer to serve it and have chicken bites, you can cut the chicken into large pieces and cover the bottom of the pan. Next, layer all of the cheese over the chicken, overlapping as needed. Next, spread the entire can of cream of chicken soup over the cheese layer. For the topping, melt one stick of butter, then add in the box of Stove Top chicken-flavored stuffing mix. Stir to combine. Evenly sprinkle over the entire top of the casserole.

Bake in a heated 350-degree oven about 45 minutes to 1 hour, until chicken is done. Serve piping hot along with a green vegetable or salad.

Seafood Lasagna

• 1 green onion, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup butter, divided
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1 bottle (8 ounces) clam juice
• 1 pound bay scallops
• 1 pound uncooked small shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 package (8 ounces) imitation crabmeat, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper, divided
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups 2 percent milk
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
• 9 lasagna noodles, cooked and drained

In a large skillet, saute onion in oil and 2 tablespoons butter until tender. Stir in broth and clam juice; bring to a boil. Add scallops, shrimp, crab and 1/8 teaspoon pepper; return to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 4 to 5 minutes or until shrimp turn pink and scallops are firm and opaque, stirring gently. Drain, reserving cooking liquid; set seafood mixture aside.

In a large saucepan, melt the remaining butter; stir in flour until smooth. Combine milk and reserved cooking liquid; gradually add to the saucepan. Add salt and remaining pepper. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in cream and 1/4 cup cheese. Stir 3/4 cup white sauce into the seafood mixture.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread 1/2 cup white sauce in a greased 13x9-inch baking dish. Top with three noodles; spread with half of the seafood mixture and 1-1/4 cups sauce. Repeat layers. Top with remaining noodles, sauce and cheese. Bake, uncovered, for 35 to 40 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand for 15 minutes before cutting. Yield: 12 servings.

Ranch Pork Chop and Potato Casserole

• 4to 6 pork chops (bone-in or boneless, they both work)
• 8 cups thinly sliced potatoes (about 1/4-inch thick)
• Ranch dressing (no measurements, use it based on your preference)
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• 1 can cheddar cheese soup
• 1 1/4 cups milk
• Seasoned Italian breadcrumbs
• 2 to 3 tablespoons of butter, broken into small pieces -- plus more to sear chops in
• Fresh ground black pepper and a little salt
• Garlic powder
• Chopped green onions (optional)

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Melt a couple tablespoons of butter in a hot skillet. Season the pork chops with salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste. Sear the chops on each side for a couple of minutes until lightly browned. Remove the pork chops from the pan and set aside to cool slightly. Once cool enough to touch, brush each side with ranch dressing and coat both sides in seasoned breadcrumbs.

Pour the can of cheddar cheese soup and the milk into the pan you used to sear the chops. Whisk it together, and scrape the browned bits off the bottom. Bring to a boil on medium heat, whisking occasionally.

Place half of the potato slices into the bottom of a 9x13 casserole dish that you've sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder and drizzle some ranch dressing over top (between 1/4 cup and 1/2 cup). Layer the other half of sliced potatoes on top and repeat the salt, pepper, garlic powder and ranch dressing. Lay the sliced onion over the ranched up potatoes. Season with a little more salt and pepper.

Pour half of the cheddar gravy over the potatoes and onions. Top with the coated pork chops. Pour the other half of the cheddar gravy over top of the pork chops. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake, covered, at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Remove the foil, and bake uncovered for an additional 15 minutes.

Have a great week and until next time, happy cooking.