Casserole Phobia

My kids simply revolt when I say we are having a casserole for dinner. The protests just bring this busy mama to her knees. I need to have a couple of go-to casserole recipes that can be quickly made, assembled ahead of time for busy game/practice nights. The one consistently acceptable casserole is a big vat of homemade macaroni and cheese. Mind you, it can have no toppings, vegetables, or meat integrated into it. I am continually trying to find the root source of my children’s fear. Is it the melding of flavors? Is it the co-mingling of food items that would normally be isolated from each other on a large dinner plate if I served the components separately?  Is it really that bad?  I myself am not always a fan “can of this” and a “can of this” casseroles and I suspect that maybe they feel the same way. With some research, I thought this new casserole recipe I found from the PCC Natural Markets website might appeal to everyone–sauteed veggies, cheese, raviolis. Wrong! Last night’s dinner induced gagging by one child and stern cries of “I am not eating dinner,” from the other one.

Was it really that ghastly, you ask? Chris and I thought it was actually good and I loved that it was pretty quick to assemble–the mushrooms were delicious! The downside, the kids didn’t like it, but the upside, I know what I’m having for lunch all week. Sigh.

The recipe: Ravioli Lasagna with Baby Spinach and Portabello Mushrooms. Don’t skimp on the spinach–it really does cook down. I suspect you could probably use a couple of boxes of defrosted spinach to be more economical. Another plus for me–all the ingredients were available at Trader Joe’s, which conveniently was the only store I had time to get to yesterday. Four cheese ravioli, Italian blend shredded cheese and TJ’s No Salt-added Marinara, their pre-sliced portabellos which I cut in half and then lengthwise again to make them thin, plus about 2 1/2 bags of spinach.

Are there really some kid-friendly casseroles out there that will appeal to my kids? If so, I need to keep looking and am actively soliciting recommendations! The hunt continues . . .