Lasagna Casserole…On the Stovetop
ByI mentioned here that I’m trying to avoid the oven during these hot summer days. Later this week, I’ll be making Lasagna Casserole, which is one of our family’s favorite recipes (and one of mine because it’s so EASY).
BUT…I don’t want to bake it in the oven right now. It’s just too hot.
For recipes like this…I “bake” them on the stove top. Just follow the recipe as normal…but then leave it in the pot on the stove. Sprinkle cheese over the top and put the lid on. Let it sit and simmer for a few minutes until the cheese is all melty all over the place…then serve.
This method also works for Cheesy Beef and Rice and Pizza Casserole….and probably a bunch of other casserole recipes you have that are all pre-cooked and then baked for a few minutes.
This summer…skip the oven. Use the stovetop. Unless of course you like sweating profusely and passing out. I’ll use my oven when I absolutely have to. In the meantime, when I can…I’ll stick to my stove-top.
This post is linked to Tammy’s Recipes for Kitchen Tip Tuesdays.
Love the new look!
This weekend, I “baked” a frozen casserole on the grill. It was wrapped in heavy-duty foil, so I peeled back the top, and put it in a “pan” made of another layer of HD foil, then rolled the edges down together to hold it.
I lit one side, turned it down to low/medium low, and put the casserole on the other side. Then I LEFT for an hour and a half. When we got home (about 2 hours on the grill total), the edges were hot but the middle wasn’t quite hot yet. Close enough for our little family!
I also took some hamburger buns that were at the end of their prime, combined some softened butter, shredded mozzarella, and garlic bread sprinkle, spread that on the cut side of the buns, and put those over direct heat (still on low flame). By the time the cheese melted, the bottoms were a bit crispy. Perfect! And cool kitchen!
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Hi Laura! I continue to enjoy your fabulous website!! Coming from Texas, I understand not wanting to turn on your oven! I do my cooking early in the day (like 7:30 in the morning!), then reheat later so the house stays cool and we can still enjoy our oven-cooked favorites! Thanks so much for the ministry you provide to all us stay-at-home mamas!
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Hi there! I found my way to your blog from Shine Like Stars.
I really like this post about making casseroles using the stove top. Great idea!
I have also been doing this little tip that I got from another blog: I have been using either my electric skillet or my crockpot, assembling the ingredients inside, then using my outlet on my deck and cooking outside! It has really worked well. I’m trying to figure out how to make your lasagna in my electric skillet! :)
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Yes! We do this when it’s too hot, I’m anxious about how much energy the oven uses, or I’m … feeling lazy. Haha. In fact, quite often I sprinkle the cheese in, cover, and turn off the stove. The residual heat finishes the job, and the cheese gets all ooey gooey instead of crispy at the edges (which I don’t care for, but some people love).
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Don’t forget how simple a solar oven can be. A couple of cardboard boxes nested, something reflective, cast iron with a lid. Make use of the sun and the crazy heat!
Or at least make sun tea- herbal, of course.
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This sounds so yummy! I love your blog! I check in everyday! Thank You!
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I also like to use all kinds of electric cooking devices outside during the summer: skillet, crockpot, steamer/rice cooker…
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Ah, I don’t mind cooking stuff in the oven, a/c is a wonderful thing. And it’s not all day.
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yummy, that sounds good. I have to true it soon.
I did try the starwberry bread, the roomies like it.
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what a great idea! thanks.
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great reminder-tried it last night on the stovetop and it was a hit! thanks!
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Hey! I have been experiementing with using cast iron on the BBQ. Saturday I made fajitas. They tasted like they came from a restaurant and our house stayed cool. So yummy!
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This reminds me of the apartment we lived in in Moscow that NEVER had a working oven. We had TWO refrigerators though, crazy. So, when we wanted lasagna, we made up the dish and carried it down the street to the tram which ran on its tracks close to our teammates house and we baked it there. Reheating the lasagna (without a microwave) was tricky. That I did on the stove top in a skillet with a lid very slowly. It was delicious.
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I make my Lasagna in the Crockpot most days now. I wish I had a covered porch and then I would set it outside to cook.
I am trying not to cook in the kitchen as much this summer, but our grill has taken a few beatings in some high winds and is out of commission for a while, until I fix it.
So I am using my Dutch oven and cooking over coals and fire. It is like camping every day and it is easy and fun at the same time.
Thanks for your stovetop cooking tips.
Sharinskishe
http://practically-perfect-life.blogspot.com/2009/07/kitchen-tips-fun-and-practical.html
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I’m coming back soon, thanks for such great content
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I used 1 tbsp. of both dry spices and we thought that was too much. Was it dry or fresh?
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Laura Reply:
December 12th, 2009 at 8:08 pm
I usually use dry.
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