Instructions: When it comes to convenience, nothing beats the ease of a quick casserole.

Nearly anyone can work wonders with a can of cream of mushroom soup, a little meat or fish, some leftover noodles, and whatever vegetables happen to be hanging around.

However, a little label reading will reveal that most condensed soups are heavy in both fat and sodium - not to mention calories. What to do?

There are three easy options. The first is simply to buy the newer reduced-fat versions of cream soups. Usually, they have two grams of fat per serving or less. Some of these soups are still quite high in sodium, but theyre nice to have in the pantry.

The other two options are do-it-yourself projects, but theyre both very simple. The first is to base casseroles on an easy no-fail white sauce. The second is to have a dry "cream" soup base at the ready for whenever the casserole mood strikes. Either way, a lower-fat, lower-sodium

"enlightened" casserole will be the satisfying reward. Perfect a low-fat white sauce

Knowing how to make a good low-fat white sauce by heart is a very handy skill. All kinds of mixed-food dishes - including nearly every kind of casserole and scalloped-potato-based creations - can be held together nicely with this basic sauce. Heres a basic recipe thats quick and easy:

1 (12-oz.) can evaporated skim milk
1 tsp minced onion
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp seasoning of choice (nutmeg, celery seed, poultry seasoning, etc., or 1 cup finely chopped mushrooms)

Combine ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil, whisking continually. Cook about 4 minutes (still whisking!) until mixture becomes thick and bubbly. Thats it!

This recipe makes about 1 1/2 cups, or enough to hold together an average 6-serving casserole.

Keep "casserole sauce" mix on hand

One of the easiest ways to get the quick benefits of canned soup without the can is to keep a supply of cream soup mix around. When its needed, all you have to do is mix it with water and cook until thickened. It works equally well for casseroles and as a soup base to which other ingredients are added. Also, its easy enough for beginning cooks - and very young cooks - to handle, too (with supervision, of course, depending on the age of the cook).

Heres the basic recipe for casserole sauce:

2 cups non-fat instant dry milk powder
3/4 cup cornstarch
3 Tbsp instant chicken bouillon powder
2 Tbsp dried onion flakes
1 tsp dried basil (or other desired herb)

1 tsp dried thyme (or other desired herb)

1/2 tsp ground white pepper

This recipe makes 3 cups of dry mix. Be sure to store the mix in an airtight container until ready to use.

To replace one can of cream soup, combine 1/3 cup of the dry mix with 1 to 1 1/4 cups water in a medium saucepan. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened. To make a mushroom variation, add 1/2 cup of finely diced mushrooms before bringing to a boil.

No matter which substitute is used, if casseroles are on the menu for your family, it makes sense to trim fat, sodium and calories whenever possible.

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