A random casserole

Some friends have told me about the popularity of casserole as a Southern food in US. I've collected several recipes, never actually succeeded in following them because of the portion sizes. Two days ago, I decided to cook away several leftover items in the fridge. That turned out to be my first casserole success, and a great one too. The recipe is completely ad hoc. This experiment helped me grasp the basic principle of a casserole: Meat and wet ingredients go first to the bottom; top with dry ingredients and sauce; bake with a cover until half-dry.

Recipe of "A random casserole for two"


Ingredients:
- meat of 1 pork chop, cut to 1/2" strips
- leafy part of 1 whole celery, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoon (TB) chili pepper oil
- 1 TB italian seasoning or marjoram flakes
- 1+1/2 cup large red kidney bean from can (about 2/3 can)
- 3 TB tomato pasta sauce
- 3 saltine crackers, broken into crumbs
- 1 egg, beaten

Procedure:

1. Marinate meat of pork chop with chipotle oil and herbs for a few hours.

2. Mix meat, beans and chopped celery leaves in a flat 7x7x2 baking pan. Mix well. Sprinkle cracker crumbs on top. Pour egg on top of crumbs and mix gently with the crumbs. Add 3 TB tomato pasta sauce around the side of the pan.

3. Cover top with foil. Bake at 375F for 30 minutes or until mixture is not watery.

As it turned out, this dish was the favorite dish of the night because of its warmth, interesting texture combination and harmonious taste.