The Probert Encyclopaedia of Food & Drink

CASSEROLE

Traditionally, a casserole was a crust of rice, which having been moulded into the form of a pie, was baked and then filled with a fricassee of white meat or a puree of game. During the 20th century the term came to be applied to a covered dish in which food is cooked in a liquid within an oven. The name is also given to any dish cooked in such a dish.
Research Casserole