Casseroles are great because they freeze well and make a perfect gift for busy families or new parents. They also get you in the mood for colder temps. They are cozy, filling, fast, and cheap. I like to pack mine with extra vegetables for a healthy spin on dinner. Here are some tips for making the best casserole...

1. Don’t buy frozen vegetables. They are soggy and will make you look cheap and lazy. Use fresh veggies.

2. Use dried herbs within the dish and fresh for garnishing the finished product. Dried herbs can withstand higher heat and won’t lose flavor. Flavorless food blows.

3. Cut your vegetables properly. If the recipe calls for diced, dice. Sliced, slice. Chunky, chunk. Uniform vegetables cook evenly, the smaller the better.

4. Brown the meat first. It preserves the juices and adds flavor...don't go overboard though or you will end up with dry, charred meat. Not good.

5. Fill your dish 3/4 of the way full. Overfilling will make a mess but under-filling will cause the ingredients to overcook and dry out. What is the point of a one dish dinner if your casserole ends up boiling over and making a bigger mess than a 10 dish dinner??

6. Add a melty, crunchy, or salty topping...better yet, add all 3. No one in Wisconsin will argue with you.