Great recipes for one of the most friendly, soothing and convenient ways to prepare a meal.

Casseroles and one-pot meals are the ideal solution for busy home cooks who want wonderful food with a minimum of fuss and maximum taste. Convenience, easy preparation, economy and portability make this method of cooking perfect for today's busy lifestyles.

These recipes and their results are very tantalizing and many are make-ahead. The wonderful variety includes big casseroles to delight a number of friends or to freeze in small amounts for future family meals, to long-simmering stews that will warm and comfort all on cold winter nights. The skillet meals range from small and quick dinners and stir-fries that are easy for novice cooks to elegant dishes that are entertaining worthy.

Pasta

• Baked Tortellini with Three Cheeses, Quick Mushroom-Beef Lasagna, Chicken and Shrimp Pad Thai, Pasta E Fagioli Casserole

Chicken and Turkey

• Honey-Curried Chicken and Apricots, Individual Chicken Pot Pies, Quick Cassoulet, Turkey and Corn Enchiladas

Beef and Veal

• Meatball Stroganoff, Osso Buco-Style Braised Veal, Skillet Shepherd's Pie, Indian Corn Stew, Classic Cabbage Rolls

Lamb, Fish and Seafood

• Braised Lamb Shanks with Olives, Grilled Eggplant Moussaka, Salmon and Potato Strata, Seafood and Broccoli Lasagna

Vegetarian

• Garden Paella, Confetti Corn and Chili Pie, Squash and Bean Stew with Chipotle Cream, Roasted Summer Vegetable Lasagna.

These outstanding recipes define comfort with the huge appeal of one-dish cooking.

Rose Murray has been a key player in the Canadian food scene for almost three decades. Through authoring 10 cookbooks, writing for a host of magazines and newspapers, teaching cuisine at various colleges and cooking schools, and making many television and radio appearances, Rose has helped shape Canada’s culinary landscape since 1979. Growing up on a self-sustaining mixed farm near Collingwood, Ontario, Rose learned the art of growing your own food, as well as cooking and preserving it, at a very young age. It is no wonder that she has come to be considered a national expert on the agricultural traditions that go into our food. After finishing a degree in English from Trinity College at the University of Toronto, Rose went on to teach high school English. Over the years, food started to become a serious interest for Rose again, which led her to more formal food studies in Paris at renowned cooking schools such as Cordon Bleu, La Varenne and Ecole de Gastronomie Francaise Ritze-Escoffier. Rose also took classes in Costa Rica, Hong Kong and Thailand further developing her knowledge and understanding of international food and culture. Back in Canada, Rose has traveled across the country studying Canada’s culinary landscape. From fishing for salmon off Vancouver Island, B.C. and partaking in fall suppers in Saskatchewan to gathering wild rice in Ontario and digging for clams on Prince Edward Island, Rose has experienced what makes up Canada’s culinary fabric first hand. She has channeled this knowledge into her books A Taste of Canada and Canada's Favourite Recipes (out Fall 2012). Rose has two grown children and two grandchildren and now lives in Cambridge, Ontario with her husband Kent.

Rose Murray's profile page

I wish Mom would have had [this book]. I've tried a half-dozen of the recipes and each has turned out delicious.

Spokane Spokesman Review

A mouth-watering compendium of comfort foods.

King Features Weekly Service