Mom's Comfort Casserole

This is one of the strangest combinations of things put together but one of the most delicious! My mom was a chef and this particular recipe was one of her "there's no groceries left in the house, payday isn't until tomorrow, let's see what we can create" recipes.

One of my absolute favorites! It's just the right amount of sweet in a main dish. If you're daring enough to try it, and you should be because it's so good, you'll be delightfully surprised by the flavors in this dish. It screams comfort food!!

I'm not a huge leftovers fan, but this casserole is great for the next day or two or three at work! I think it gets even better after a day or two because the tastes combine into each other a little more.

This is a seemingly strange combination of foods that intertwine and bring out some great flavors to enjoy. Especially wonderful on a cool fall night or a wintery day. It's definitely my favorite casserole to make and especially to eat.

Looking for some new recipes? Check out a casserole cookbook! They all contain the best recipes for homemade casseroles that you can make quickly and easily. You can always count on a casserole to fill you up after a long day at work. If you have a slow cooker, there's casseroles that you can make in there too. Experiment and find your own favorite that can be enjoyed for generations.

Because my mom was a chef, she taught me to cook more by sight than by recipe. When I write down some of these great things that she taught me to make, it's hard for me sometimes because I want to say in the recipe - "Add as much bacon as you prefer. If you love bacon, add the whole pack. If you can take it or leave it, just add a piece or two for a little flavor."

Cooking is such a personal thing for all of us that you can feel free to rearrange my recipes adding more of the good stuff you like and less or none of the stuff that you don't like. I won't take it personally, in fact, I'll never even know!

Tacos are a frequent favorite at my house but we always had a lot of the meat left over. I decided to throw it into this casserole instead of plain ground beef and it was okay. It gave it a little spicier taste that the kids didn't care for as much but it was still good enough for me to take to work for lunch.

If you do prefer a little spicier, another thing to try would be to add some barbeque sauce instead of the ketchup.

This casserole already has a sweet taste but if you would like more, honey would make a good addition. You could also use maple flavored bacon and maple flavored baked beans for a more sweeter taste.

There's as many casserole dishes as there are personalities. Pick out your favorite color, shape, or size for a fun cooking experience.

I love cooking this casserole in an enameled cast iron casserole pan. Mine is red but this one is pretty too! I love using enameled cast iron because it's so easy to clean and it doesn't leach out any toxic material like non-stick cookware does.

This casserole wraps me up in comfort whether I'm at home or at my desk at work. I think everyone has a food dish that does that for them. What's the food that makes you feel the same way when you eat it?

My other favorite comfort food is lasagna. Whether it's homemade or bought at a restaurant, it makes me feel good inside. Memories are always extra special when you're enjoying a food like this. Garlic bread dipped in the sauce with tons of garlic salt is my favorite way to eat it. Yum!