Casseroles became popular in the United States in the 1950s and 1960s.  Women were looking for easier ways to get dinner on the table for their family each night and mixing all the ingredients together at once to bake was an easy way to accomplish this. A casserole is any mixture that is baked and served in the same dish. In 1941 Campbell’s soups opened their first test kitchens to create new dishes using their canned soups. Shortly after the casserole and Campbell’s soups became synonymous for decades.

I have made this casserole without canned soups and with canned soups. It is a bit saltier with canned soups (look for lower sodium if you like) and a bit less “fresh” tasting to me. But, sometimes the ease wins out when it comes to dinner time.

Verdict:

Just about everyone I know has a version of this in their family history. Some use long grain rice, some use different soups. You can mix and match to suit your family. Just remember to adjust cooking times if using long grain rice.

My family devoured this. I think they missed me cooking the past few weeks and anything not directly from a box or on speed dial seemed like a little slice of heaven to them. Serve this with a green vegetable, like broccoli, and a green side salad to complete the meal.