When you’re starting out on your own there are a ton of thinks to think about and even more things to buy. When it comes to the kitchen, and specifically cooking supplies, one thing will make or break the long-term survival of a newcomer to living on his/her own: the casserole dish.
The glory of the casserole dish will most likely not be immediately evident to the person receiving it, but during those nights when there’s just a smidgen of tomato sauce, half a box of elbow macaroni and a can of creamed corn to be found in the refrigerator and cabinets, the glory of the casserole will be known. (The above is not a recipe for a casserole, but I’m thinking that mixture wouldn’t be half bad). As long as the gift recipient can throw random scraps of food together and bake them (which means s/he can also work an oven), then a casserole dish will be used.
As an added bonus, it may be worthwhile to include a recipe book too. Personally my casserole ideas have usually come from soup cans and the packaging of staple foods like rice and baking/pancake mix, but an actual book will look better then handing the newly-independent a can of cream of potato and a sack of rice.
Where to go
Casserole dishes can be found at:
-Your local grocery store, probably in the baking products aisle
-A full casserole dish set can be found at home life stores or just the houseware section of big, box stores depending on how fancy you’re trying to be:
Bed Bath & Beyond
Target
Etc, etc.
Recipe books can be found everywhere. From a quick Internet search, these titles caught my eye:
The Big Book of Casseroles: 250 Recipes for Serious Comfort Food
(Image from Amazon.com)
Biggest Book of Casseroles
(Image from Amazon.com)
Campbell's 3 Books in 1: 4 Ingredients or Less/Casseroles and One-Dish Meals/Slow Cooker Recipes
(I couldn’t resist. I never understood why creamy soups existed until I understood the casserole)
(I couldn’t resist. I never understood why creamy soups existed until I understood the casserole)
(Image from Amazon.com)