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    $5 Dinners | Budget Recipes, Meal Plans, Freezer Meals

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    Minestrone Casserole

    September 27, 2011 by Alea 9 Comments

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    minestrone casserole

    The evenings have been cooling off and I am beginning to crave soups. I have one little problem…my 4-year old. He thinks he is big enough to eat the same things we eat, but he still struggles to get soup from the bowl to his mouth without any mishaps. Last week I was going to make Chicken Noodle Soup, but my son had already created several major messes – we’re talking “new house rules” messes and I did not think I could handle another one. So I changed my plans and used the soup ingredients to make Chicken Noodle Casserole. As I was making it I started thinking about what other soups I could change into casseroles and the first one that came to mind was my favorite soup: Minestrone!

    I would so love to tell you that the next day was a mess-free day. However the next day my son asked me for googly eyes, a glue stick, and a marker so he could make faces. And for some odd reason, I thought he would be making the faces on the construction paper I provided. He had other ideas:

    Ignore the dust, I am too busy trying to keep my son alive and my house standing to worry about dusting! He also put faces on the computer, the stove, the sliding glass door, and the globe. Needless to say, we have another house ruleƂ and I needed another no mess dinner recipe.

    All of the ingredients are mixed together in a 13×9 pan but instead of adding lots of broth and making a soup, you add just a little broth and create a casserole.

    minestrone casserole

    Many people like to add croutons to soup, so I decided to add an Italian bread crumb topping.

    minestrone casserole
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    Minestrone Casserole

    A flavorful baked dish with all the goodies you love in Minestrone Soup!
    Prep Time15 minutes
    Cook Time25 minutes
    Servings - 4 servings

    Ingredients 

    • 1 tbsp olive oil
    • 3/4 cup onion, minced
    • 1 cup zucchini, chopped
    • 1 cup fresh green beans
    • 1 stalk celery, minced
    • 4 cloves garlic, minced
    • 1/2 cup Vegetable Broth
    • 1 3/4 cups cooked black beans (or 15 ounce can, drained)
    • 13/4 cups cooked great northern beans (or 15 ounce can, drained)
    • 2 cups fresh tomatoes, diced (or 1 can with juice)
    • 2 cups fresh baby spinach (or frozen spinach thawed)
    • 1 cup carrots, julienned or shredded
    • 1 tbsp fresh parsley, minced
    • 2 tsp fresh oregano, minced
    • 2 tsp fresh basil, minced
    • 1/2 tsp fresh thyme, minced
    • 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
    • 8 oz small shell pasta
    • 1 cup Italian bread crumbs

    Instructions

    • Cook pasta according to package directions.
    • While the pasta is cooking, heat olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add onion, celery, garlic, green beans, carrots, and zucchini and saut in the oil for 5 minutes or until onions begin to turn translucent.
    • Add vegetable broth tomatoes, beans, carrots, spinach, and spices to the pan. Simmer until the spinach wilts.
    • Drain pasta and place it to a 13x9 pan. Add vegetable mixture and beans. Stir to thoroughly combine.
    • Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
    • Remove foil, top with bread crumbs and bake for an additional 5 minutes.

    Article by Alea

    Alea Milham shares her tips for saving money and time while reducing waste in her home at Premeditated Leftovers. Her favorite hobby, gardening, is a frugal source of organic produce for her recipes. She believes it is possible to live fully and eat well while spending less. Alea can be found on Twitter and Facebook.
    Alea has written 52 great articles for us.
    View all posts by Alea

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    Filed Under: Budget Friendly Recipes, Fresh Veggies Recipes Tagged With: Alea

    Comments

    1. Tricia says

      September 27, 2011 at 7:59 pm

      Love the recipe and the story! The positive being TWO new recipes because of a busy 4yo šŸ™‚

      Reply
      • Alea Milham says

        September 27, 2011 at 9:01 pm

        I love your positive spin Tricia!

        Reply
    2. Barb @ A Life in Balance says

      September 28, 2011 at 12:03 pm

      Love the story! I had to laugh because your son sounded so much like my 3.5 year old. They just can’t help themselves, can they? In fact, I think my ds5 said that one time when he was 4.

      I also love the recipe! We have sloppy dripper issues here, too, and I’ve been a bit hesitant about serving soup. I try to err on the thicker side to prevent washing the table cloth every single day of the week.

      Reply
    3. Melanie says

      November 8, 2012 at 12:36 pm

      I think our boys would get along! Thanks for a great recipe! Just what I was looking for to take to a dinner this weekend!

      Reply
    4. Rosella says

      March 22, 2013 at 6:25 pm

      Heya i’m for the first time here. I came across this board and I in finding It really helpful & it helped me out a lot. I am hoping to present something again and aid others such as you aided me.

      Reply

    Trackbacks

    1. How to Make Italian Bread Crumbs | Premeditated Leftovers says:
      September 27, 2011 at 6:55 pm

      […] evening I shared my recipe for Minestrone Casserole on $5 Dinners. When I was making it I decided I wanted some kind of topping and since so many […]

      Reply
    2. This Week’s Favorites says:
      October 14, 2011 at 7:47 am

      […] Minestrone Casserole Oatmeal Cinnamon Raisin Pancakes Onion and Garlic Pepper – A great seasoning to make and have on hand. Pumpkin Butterscotch Muffins – YUM! Homemade York Peppermint Patties Candy Cane Cookies – It’s never to early to start planning Christmas cookies! lol Lentils with Bacon and Mashed Potatoes – Gluten Free Pumpkin Dip Burger Heaven Casserole Poverty Meal – Yes, that’s what it’s called. Inexpensive and yummy! […]

      Reply
    3. Beef Stew Casserole | Premeditated Leftovers says:
      January 6, 2012 at 2:35 am

      […] CasseroleĀ was createdĀ after the mole trap incident. The Minestrone Casserole was created after googly eyes were glued on the baby grand. Ironically, the messes have become even worse since he has become interested in cleaning. Today he […]

      Reply
    4. Recipes and Tips to Use Up Leftover or Stale Bread says:
      January 31, 2013 at 6:46 pm

      […] How to Make Italian Bread Crumbs Stuffed Mushrooms Sicilian Spaghetti Pasta Alfredo Casserole Minestrone Casserole Quick and Easy Stuffed Mushrooms Ā  Roasted Asparagus and Butter Crumbled […]

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