Not Your Mother's Casseroles

With a light tone and lightened-up recipes, Durand delivers the sort of book fans of the Not Your Mother's series expect: practical, user-friendly, and filled with plenty of everyday recipes for one-dish oven-baked meals. The author acknowledges casseroles' fuddy-duddy reputation, then proceeds to challenge it with ideas for everything from breakfast (breakfast brown rice with blueberries and almonds) to dessert (rhubarb-lavender oat crisp). In between are the bulk of recipes, perfect for weeknight dinners. Though some recipes actually are reminiscent of "your mother's" casseroles, such as a tortilla chicken casserole, many feel fresh and contemporary: tomato, arugula, and mushroom casserole; beet gratin with goat cheese and greens; roasted autumn vegetables with parmesan and sage; cinnamon lamb orzo bake. Because, as the author notes, "even the most complete casserole needs at least one complementary dish to round it out into a meal," she helpfully concludes with a "While it bakes" chapter of quick and healthy salads, soups, and breads, including a winter salad with fennel, cabbage, and citrus that will strike the right crisp balance with even the heartiest of traditional casseroles. (Jan.)