'A co-worker who was born in Cuba helped me perfect the recipe for this hearty dish,' reports Helen Simms of Lyons, Michigan. 'Now it's one of our family's favorites. It's also a great way to use up leftover holiday ham.'
This is the perfect comfort food for cold days. To make it vegan, substitute non-dairy ingredients for dairy. Leftover filling makes a great lunch! If you want to make mashed potatoes from scratch, you will want at least 4 cups when you are through.
I used to live in Sicily, and these stuffed rice balls were a favorite of mine! 'Arancini' means 'Little Oranges' in Italian, named so because the little breaded rice balls resemble small oranges so much.
The crunchy topping on this side-dish casserole gives way to a cheesy interior, resulting in a comfort food winner. A bonus with this dish is that you can make the casserole ahead--assemble and refrigerate it until time to bake. Sprinkle the cornflakes over the casserole just before baking.
My husband and I fondly refer to this as 'Cheater Pot Pie.' This is similar to a standard pot pie, but prepares much quicker. Use whole or two percent milk.
