Casseroles

Apparently, casseroles originated as communal pots that people shared for meals. The oldest recipe for a casserole, around 1250, consisted of pasta sheets cooked in water, layered with grated cheese and spices (Macaroni and Cheese). The modern-day casserole has long been rumoured to have been invented in 1866 by a French-Canadian immigrant named Elmire Jolicoeur.

Casseroles provided affordable sustenance during the Depressions of the 1890s and 1930s and the shortage of food items during both World Wars. In the 1950s, the widespread use of oven-proof cookware and canned foods made casseroles a simple, quick and inexpensive way to feed the whole family.

A casserole is pretty much any combination of starch, sauce and meat, vegetables, or both, baked in a single dish. Including one made with lasagna pasta. Basically, a casserole is an oven baked one pot meal.