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THE CASSEROLE THIRD WHEEL AWARD SOUP, SAUCES AND BEYOND COMMON INGREDIENTS: CREAM OF [FILL IN BLANK HERE] SOUP, CHEESY MORNAY SAUCES, A ROUX Look, I see you over there, rolling your eyes about cream of mushroom/broccoli/celery soup. That might be nice for some people, you’re thinking, but that’s just not for me. You make your own kombucha. You have a window box full of fresh herbs. The vendors at the farmers market know you by name. I get all that. But I promise: You are not too good for canned soup — particularly when it comes to casseroles. A casserole’s thickening agent — which, historically, has often been a commercial, condensed soup — plays the all- too-pivotal role of binding everything together when the dish is bubbling up in the oven. Without it, a casserole-in- the-making is simply meat and starch, lonely and dry, with- out that crucial component that brings the whole gang into an edible bear hug. Arguably, the binding agent is what sets a true casserole apart from, say, a lasagna or a shepherd’s pie. Not to launch into a culinary semantics argument — à la “Is a hot dog a sandwich?”—but the fact that a casserole requires its thickening and binding agent to play a role that’s just as pivotal as the superstar and sidekick ingredient’s role is, in my estimation, what truly sets it apart. (Can you really say the same for even the most sauce-packed lasagna? Didn’t think so.) The casserole is truly a work of teamwork and cohesion. Above all else, casseroles are dishes meant to be shared: served up to a gaggle of eager feasters on fine china or paper plates, around fancy candlelit spreads or in the office break- room. And even if the thought has secretly crossed your mind (guilty as charged), no one really wants to take on the task of eating an entire casserole on their own — it’s just too darn depressing. Casseroles’ group magnetism also means that they’re often — quite literally — on the move. Whether you’re lugging a stack of chicken-and-rice dish to your in-laws for Thanks- giving or trying out a new recipe at a White Elephant present swap, your casserole needs to achieve that fresh- from-the-oven taste, smell and consistency, even if it’s spent BEST CASSEROLE ACCESSORY THE INSULATED CASSEROLE TOTE

a couple of hours in the car being hauled from Mobile to Orange Beach. Enter the insulated casserole tote — your casserole’s new best friend. A curiously specific creation that seems like it was born to star in a late-night infomercial, the casse- role tote is a padded, thermal bag into which your favor- ite creation can be snugly tucked and then safely carried without fear of spillage, sloshing or temperature-change malfunctions. Most often sized to fit a classic 9x13 baking dish, the totes typically range in price from 14 to 40 bucks and offer varying degrees of insulation promises when it comes to just how warm it can keep your homey creation. There are also some seriously tricked-out versions, like one from Rachael Ray that comes in multiple sizes for accom- modating non-traditionally shaped casserole dishes, to a double casserole tote that’s built for cold dishes on the bottom and hot on the top, to an official Pyrex version that promises complete heat retention for several hours. Like any good accessory, the totes also allow the cook to express their individual personalities.There’s a watermelon- patterned casserole tote, versions made with funky tie- dye fabric and several of the jewel-tone variety that seem downright regal. Perhaps most important, there are also Saints-themed casserole totes, because of course.

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