I had one favorite thing to eat when I was a kid - mushroom casserole. It was the one dish I was loyal to above all else. I would request it when I was recovering from the flu, pneumonia, or strep throat. I would request it weeknights, weekends, and holidays. It was a simple dish, and one of four (maybe five) recipes my mom had in her culinary arsenal. She combined rice, mushrooms (or creamy mushroom soup), and cheese in a casserole dish, and baked it until it was creamy, melty, and golden at the edges. Simple enough.



My Version of Mushroom Casserole

I made a healthier, from-scratch remix of my mom's classic the other night using brown rice, sautéed mushrooms, garlic, and onions -all made creamy with a blend of cottage cheese and a bit of yogurt or sour cream.



Variations on Mushroom Casserole

You can certainly use whatever cooked grains you like. I suspect this would be delicious with barley, wheat berries, quinoa, whole grain rices - or even a mix of grains. I love it made with wild rice.



Add-ins: My mom used to hide all sorts of things in this casserole (pre-cooked chicken breast or pork chops), but because we don't roll like that anymore (vegetarian), I sometimes play around with other ingredients. Anything from chopped leafy greens, toasted nuts, sun-dried tomatoes, or pre-cooked lentils are great as add-ins. But, honestly, the simple version is really good - just like I've written down below.





A Make Ahead Recipe

This is a great recipe to make ahead of time! You can prepare the rice and mushroom mixture up to a few days in advance, and then simply bake it off when you're ready.