Dishing on the casserole

(Ben fink)

Clifford A. Wright's new "Bake Until Bubbly: The Ultimate Casserole Cookbook," offers a tempting dish on every page. No shortage of pasta, cheese, and cream here. He even has a tuna-noodle casserole that doesn't require a can of mushroom soup, but rather Swiss cheese, heavy cream, creme fraiche or sour cream, and mayonnaise. "The Great Depression of the 1930s meant that home cooks needed economical dishes for families," writes Clifford, "and the casserole was it." What it became, he says, is "nothing more than an agglomeration of lumped together canned and processed foods."

He set out to improve that reputation with stratas, gratins, hot pots, perloo (Southern rice dishes), and more. Flip through the pages and it's a nostalgic trip, from Mexican casserole (formerly tortilla chips, ground beef, canned enchilada sauce, and Velveeta; now with all fresh ingredients) to stuffed shells with twice-ground veal, diced turkey and ham, and lots of Gruyere.

The Louisiana recipe "fromage" (cheese), baked in a souffle dish, is ridiculously rich and easy. Clifford says it's a Creole dish, eaten late at night with French bread. Hmm. Crusty, hot, and cheesy. Sign us up. - SHERYL JULIAN