My husband told me this afternoon that this week at work they had a casserole potluck and while chatting with one of his coworkers at this party, he learned that she had no clue what a casserole was! She was an adorable middle-aged woman and she had no idea what they meant by “casserole potluck”. She had to Google what that meant and she brought a lasagna :)

The surprised me because I feel that casseroles every bit as American classic as apple pie! All over the country throughout time, people are grabbing a can or two of cream of (fill in the blank…..) soup, mixing it with some leftovers and throwing it in the oven for a nice, square meal. Kids seem to hate them. Grown-ups seem to tolerate them, but appreciate how you can whip something decent together out of random findings in your fridge.

No matter what your true feelings are for casseroles, I would bet that you have a history with them. You can probably think of the ones you hated as a kid that your mom would make you eat--for me that is definitely tuna casserole. Yuck! While they seem to have really taken off in the 50’s when homes all had ovens and casserole dishes started becoming popular, they actually have a much older history than the 50’s.

The Origins of THE CASSEROLE

*The word casserole comes from a French word meaning “sauce-pan”. This French word was derived from the old Provencial word, “cassa” and the Medieval Latin word, “cattia”, both of these words meaning ladle. These words imply that this was describing a common pot from which everyone shared.

*Some forms of “casseroles” that seem to be derived from this idea from other countries include French cassoulet, Spanish paella, British pot pies and Italian lasagna.

*The oldest “recipe” for casserole appears to be a form of macaroni and cheese that was written down in Latin. The recipe was called “de lasnis”, which called for pasta sheets cooked in water, layered with grated cheese (probably parmesan) and mild spices. This was clear back around the year 1250!

*Centuries later, after a stay in Italy (1787), Thomas Jefferson brought a pasta machine back to Monticello. His daughter, Mary Randolph, serving as the President’s hostess since the death of her mother, prepared a similar dish made with pasta and Parmesan cheese. Later the Parmesan was replaced by Cheddar. Mary’s pasta and cheese dish was later served at the President Jefferson’s White House starting in 1802 and a recipe for her dish was included in her 1824 cookbook, “The Virginia Housewife”.

*In the late 19th century, the New World embraced casseroles, inspired by these kinds of dishes brought by immigrants from many different cultures. They provided economical, communal sustenance during the Depressions of the 1890’s and 1930’s and the scarcity of food items during both World Wars.

In the 1950’s, smaller home kitchens, the availability of lightweight oven-proof cookware and the greater availability of canned foods (ie., Campbell Soup Company’s Creamed soup line; celery, chicken, mushroom, broccoli, cheddar cheese, etc.) made the casserole a simple, easy and cheap way to use leftover foods to feed the whole family.

What is your go-to casserole? Do you have any from your childhood you remember loving or hating? Please share your thoughts on all things casseroles in the comments below.