Adding taste to casseroles

Sylvia · Adding taste to casseroles

Managed to get a bargain on some meat the other day (supermarket taking it off the shelf as out of date by 1 day) Made some basic casseroles to put in the freezer, beef, chicken and lamb by just adding stock, carrots, onion and turnip (veggies I had available) Need some ideas to add taste to these when re-heating them (not curry).

dingsy

I would have added a combination of herbs before cooking, so that the flavours are well assimiltaed. Likewise with chilli flakes. I think as all you'll be doing is reheating, then you're unlikely to be able to add in much flavour at this stage. But, for the chicken you could stir in some cream, for the beef, a few splashes of Lea+Perrins may liven things up a bit.
But it might be easier just to accept that the casseroles will be very plain, and add a bit of zing with some extra nice veg, or flavoured rice.

Nannyp

I've not heard of adding the taste at the reheating stage....so cannot comment on that.

I add herbs, garlic and of course MARMITE to red meat. For chicken I use my rich chicken stocks from slow cooked carcasses, and garlic and herbs.

Will have to do a cheap meat search myself

caprice62

changing the way you serve it as well like in a bread bun (over here I buy the small baguettes) or yorkshire pudding, with different toppings mashed pot , scone or hotpot fashion or pastry. My favourite addition for veg or chicken stew is to stir some good strong aioli into it (slake the ailoi first so it does not separate)
Roast some toms and garlic and sieve them and use them for extra flavour
sundried toms shoozed with garlic and basil
roasted peppers and garlic
(I also use those combos on pasta for lunch )
for the chicken take out some of the stock and add white vermouth and tarragon and a good splosh of cream

Manta Ray a l'Anglaise

Paprika is good to add to any meats, you can get more than the basic these days with some hotter ones too, which is a warm hot rather than the chilli type hot, but it adds a certain something and doesn't particularly need cooking out. Most of what everyone else says is right, last minute isn't the right time to be adding stuff. Sometimes casseroles are a bit bland and they just need more salt to bring out the flavour. I went through a cooking period of under salting and add a bit more these days, but it's still well under the amount in ready prepared.

Sylvia

Thanks you all for your ideas and comments, it has given me some food for thought.
Over the years I have got into the habit of batch cooking but rather than making say a batch of chicken all the same I would make a chicken casserole/stew with whatever veggies I had/were cheap/in season and freeze in portions for the two of us. I also batch cooked and froze different sauces.
Evening before chosen meal put meat portion and sauce portion to thaw, next morning take the meat only out of the casserole/stew and add it to the sauce and put in the fridge to marinate during the day, and heat up in the evening. The stock and veg I would add whatever flavouring I fancied add some pasta and have as a soup.

Apart from cakes and bread I never work from recipes, I'm a bung in this and that and keep tasting until I like it type of cook. So going on your ideas I can see some experimenting for different sauces coming up.

Manta Ray a l'Anglaise

Sylvia

No, not stuck in a rut at all, I just like new ideas and to experiment hence the reason for posting, hoping other people would give indications of combinations of taste that I hadn't thought of or tried.
I actually have over 50 different recipe books that I generally look at for ideas but adapt to our taste and what I have available.

Because I don't follow recipes to the letter we have a great variety in tasty meals, it is surprising how different the basic spag bol can taste using different herbs, spices and even a spoonful of Branston pickle.