I always find that the easiest meals to make are via crock pot (slow cooker) or casserole dish. You can make it ahead and just heat right before serving. By then the kitchen will be all cleaned up and you can enjoy your dinner guests or play with the kids 
By definition, a casserole is a baking dish made of glass, pottery, etc. People often think immediately of lasagnes, Shepherd’s pie or some other pasta dish. The options are really endless and you can get so creative. It’s a great way to use up leftovers or even create a big meal without any pre-cooking at all (think all cupboard/store-bought ingredients). I like various pasta (baked-ziti type) dishes or the occasional ‘Mexican’ themed leftover rice/bean/corn/cheese bake. When we were kids, my mom used to use up leftover mashed potato and veg with some cheese and ground beef (mince) for a quick weekday meal. It was mess-free and did the job of filling us up! As you know, I never measure but I’ll do my best to add my random combination casserole recipes here!
My friend Ben Sweetman's Shepherd's Pie
** The recipe for the lasagne photo above is from the BBC Food site.
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