American Side Show

When you’re cooking for a crowd, there is almost always one dish that takes a lot of last-minute attention. With the arrival of barbecue season, you need as many low-maintenance dishes as possible. Grilled food may seem simple, but anyone who has ever burned a burger knows it takes a lot of tending.

That’s where these recipes come in. While we tend to think of casseroles as heavy winter food, these are relatively light and delicately flavored. And they bake in the oven just fine while you’re off turning hot dogs.

Any of these side-dish recipes can easily be doubled or tripled to accommodate a crowd. Just serve them with plenty of green salad and some warm, crusty bread.

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These baked beans pack a solid chili flavor. They’re perfect with meats that are not basted with barbecue sauce, such as grilled hot dogs, bratwurst and hamburgers. Use dried beans for this recipe. Canned beans bake quicker, but they become mushy.

CHILI BEAN BAKE 8 ounces dried black beans 8 ounces dried Great Northern white beans 2 large cloves garlic, minced 1 large onion, minced 1 cup tomato sauce 1 cup ketchup 1 tablespoon safflower oil 1/4 cup packed dark-brown sugar 2 1/2 tablespoons chili powder 2 tablespoons molasses 2 tablespoons maple syrup 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1 to 2 1/2 cups water 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon salt 2 green onions, thinly sliced Sour cream

Sort through beans. Cover black and Great Northern beans with cold water. Soak 12 hours or overnight. Rinse and drain well.

Combine garlic, onion, tomato sauce, ketchup, oil, brown sugar, chili powder, molasses, maple syrup, cumin, oregano and 1 cup water in 10-cup casserole. Stir in drained beans. Liquid should just cover beans.

Bake, covered, at 350 degrees on center rack of oven 3 hours. Stir well every hour. Continue baking, uncovered, until beans are tender, about 30 minutes more, adding remaining water as needed for desired consistency. Stir in salt. (Can be made up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated. To reheat, stir in enough water so beans are covered with liquid. Bake, covered, at 350 degrees until hot, about 30 minutes. Adjust seasonings to taste.) Serve hot, garnished with green onions. Serve sour cream separately. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Each of 6 servings contains about: 425 calories; 949 mg sodium; 10 mg cholesterol; 4 grams fat; 82 grams carbohydrates; 18 grams protein; 5.73 grams fiber.

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Here, corn kernels are bound together with a light corn custard. Cooked or thawed frozen corn must be blotted as dry as possible with paper towels before being mixed into the custard. The casserole works well with plain meats with lots of substance, such as grilled steaks, barbecued lamb and pork roasts.

BAKED CORN CUSTARD 2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar 1 cup 1% milk 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted 2 large eggs 2 large egg whites 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin 3/4 teaspoon salt 1 (16-ounce) can creamed corn 2 1/2 cups raw, cooked or thawed frozen corn kernels (16-ounce bag), excess moisture blotted with paper towels Green onions, cut lengthwise, thinly sliced to make scant 2/3 cup

Put cornstarch, sugar and little milk in 2-quart mixing bowl. Whisk until smooth. Add remaining milk, melted butter, eggs, egg whites, (save remaining egg yolks for another use) cumin, salt and creamed corn. Whisk until smooth. Stir in creamed and raw corn and green onions. Transfer to greased, shallow 6-cup baking dish. (Can be made several hours ahead to this point and refrigerated.)

To cook, place pan larger than baking dish on edge of oven rack. Set baking dish in pan. Carefully pour boiling water into pan until about 1 inch up sides of dish.

Bake at 325 degrees on center rack of oven until custard is set and edges are lightly browned, 60 to 80 minutes. Serve hot. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Each of 6 servings contains about: 218 calories; 618 mg sodium; 83 mg cholesterol; 7 grams fat; 35 grams carbohydrates; 8 grams protein; 0.89 gram fiber.

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Mixed vegetables cook along with rice and peppery seasonings to make a fairly spicy accompaniment to grilled fish, shellfish and poultry. If you are planning to reheat the casserole, stir the peas in just before serving.

CURRIED GARDEN RICE CASSEROLE 1 tablespoon safflower oil 1 tablespoon curry powder 2 large cloves garlic, minced 1 medium onion, minced 1 cup long-grain rice 1 cup chopped cabbage 1 cup chopped carrots 1 cup chopped zucchini 1/2 cup dried currants 2 cups chicken stock or broth, boiling hot 1 cup peas, thawed, if using frozen Salt Red pepper flakes

Heat oil in 10-cup stove-to-oven casserole over medium-high heat. When hot, add curry powder, garlic and onion. Cook until heated through, about 3 minutes, stirring often. Add rice, cabbage, carrots, zucchini and currants. Stir well. Cook 2 minutes. Add stock. Cover and transfer to oven.

Bake at 350 degrees on center rack of oven, covered, until rice is tender, about 20 minutes. Stir in peas. Season to taste with salt and red pepper flakes. Can be served immediately or refrigerated overnight. (If refrigerated, reserve peas and let casserole cool at room temperature, uncovered. To reheat, bake, covered, at 350 degrees until hot, about 30 minutes. Stir in peas. Adjust seasonings to taste.) Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Each of 6 servings contains about: 221 calories; 347 mg sodium; 10 mg cholesterol; 3 grams fat; 43 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams protein; 1.31 grams fiber.