Best Comfort Food to Pack On The Go: Veggie Casserole

Our hot lunch wagon presents a hot lunch you can take to work or school. Our recipes are quick, easy and less than 30 minutes to cook. Cook our recipes the night before, refrigerate and reheat the next day. Or, on the other hand, you can cook our meals and freeze them for next week’s lunch. Our special today is Veggie Casserole

Warm and Tote Legend Heated Lunch box — **Heated Lunch Tote**

HOT LUNCH WAGON: Veggie Casserole

1 ( 10 ounce) package frozen chopped broccoli

3 tablespoons minced onions (optional)

1/2 cup (4 ounces) sour cream

1 (10 ounce) package frozen cauliflower florets

1 cup crushed saltine crackers

½ cup (4 ounces ) cottage cheese

1/3 cup (about 1 ½ ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

½ cup condensed cream of mushroom soup

Take the frozen broccoli and cauliflower out of their boxes, place in separate microwavable bowl, and microwave on high for 15 minutes. When cool enough to handle, chop the cauliflower into small pieces.

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Coat the inside surfaces of an 8 or 9 inch round or square cake pan with nonstick baking spray.

In a large bowl mix the crushed saltines, sour cream, cottage cheese, mushroom soup, and onion, if using.

Put the broccoli and cauliflower into the bottom of the prepared cake pan and cover with the sour cream mixture. Top with the grated cheese and bake for 30 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly. Pack warm to go in yourheated lunch tote.

VARIATION:

You can use other vegetables for this casserole, such as potatoes, fennel, carrots, turnips, corn and cabbage. If you are using other vegetables or a combination of other vegetables, use the same volume as called for here, cut the vegetables into bit size pieces, and microwave, steam or boil until almost completely cooked before adding to the casserole.

TO REDUCE THE FAT AND CHOLESTEROL CONTENT:

Use low-fat cottage cheese and a sour cream substitute.

COOKING AHEAD OF TIME:

Assemble the casserole completely (eliminate the onion in this case) and refrigerate it for up to a day ahead, then bake it just before serving add 10 minutes to the baking time if you take the casserole out of the refrigerator just before baking.