In some parts of the country, a casserole is considered to be a “covered dish” and around here it is a “hotdish.” Once when I mentioned “hotdish” (not in Minnesota), I was met with laughter. A hotdish, they thought, is a certain kind of lady.

So, I went to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary. A casserole, according to their definition, is “a dish that food is baked in” or the” food that is baked or cooked” in that dish. Using that definition, I realized that lots of foods or preparations qualify.

With this definition behind me, I was able to write a book that included more than 500 casserole recipes. I outlined almost 20 categories that include foods that qualify as a casserole, beginning with appetizers and breads, to seafood, meats, poultry, pasta, rice and grain, vegetarian, casseroles for crowds, for two, for kids, and even desserts. It didn’t take long for me to list over 500 ideas!

Read the column by Beatrice Ojakangas—and get some of her recipes!—at Duluth News Tribune.