Casserole

This recipe can be made a day ahead and refrigerated; reheat before serving.

Look for precooked polenta logs in the refrigerated section of your grocery store. If using fresh plum tomatoes, peel them by scoring an X in the bottom with a paring knife and plunging them into boiling water for several seconds; transfer to an ice-water bath, and let cool. Slip off and discard the peels and seeds.

Moussaka may be assembled 1 day in advance and refrigerated; bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, or until the center is hot.

Hard cider has been fermented, so it contains alcohol. It is a traditional ingredient in Normandy, France, but you can substitute dry white wine.

These can be made up to 1 day ahead or frozen up to 1 month ahead. Bring to room temperature before baking.

Serve this stewlike chicken dish over couscous or mashed potatoes, or with a crusty baguette to soak up the flavorful broth. We used Cerignola olives from southern Italy; they are large and firm enough to hold up to slow cooking methods like braising.

This lasagne was designed for a deep-dish baking pan. You can use a standard 9 × 13-inch baking pan, but you will have excess sauce; the sauce can be frozen and used over pasta another time. The lasagne can be assembled up to 1 day ahead and left to cool completely. Cover, unbaked, and refrigerate up to 1 day in advance, or freeze, unbaked, up to 3 weeks in advance. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator; bake as directed below.

Full of healthy ingredients, this wonderfully comforting almond-topped casserole will wow even spinach-phobes.

This chicken dish makes its own sauce as it bakes, cutting down on the amount of work for you.

No more dry pork chops! Just “sandwich” the chops between layers of dressing and bake, leaving them tender and moist. Serve with green beans tossed with lemon zest.

Layers of cheese, chunky tomatoes, and earthy greens make this one of the best vegetarian lasagnas you’ll try.

A creamy Alfredo-type sauce binds layers of pasta, vegetables, and cheeses in this vegetarian lasagna. No tomatoes allowed!

This dish is so scrumptious that even low-salt skeptics will be clamoring for a sample. You won’t have to spend much time in the kitchen, but remember to allow time for marinating.

Curry powder provides a Middle Eastern twist for homey tuna casserole. Using cornstarch and milk instead of a canned cream soup really cuts the sodium in this comfort-food dish.

Mild yet rich tasting, this easy-to-make dish gets a lot of Mediterranean flavor from the Greek seasoning blend and mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.

Creamy, cheesy polenta tops a chunky mixture of vegetables in this hearty casserole.