Jim Dixon wrote about food for WW for more than 20 years, but these days most of his time is spent at his olive oil-focused specialty food business Wellspent Market. Jim’s always loved to eat, and he encourages his customers to cook by sending them recipes every week through his newsletter. We’re happy to have him back creating some special dishes just for WW readers.

Lots of people hate casseroles. They might love other cheesy, carb-laden baked dishes if they’ve got a name like lasagna, strata, or noodle kugel. But casserole, despite its fancy food country origins (that would be France) is weighed down by its historic canned soup vibe and bland, Midwestern roots.

But anything that can be made in advance, frozen if needed, and popped in the oven to serve a small crowd deserves a little more love. And despite the long tradition of using canned, frozen and other processed ingredients, fresh vegetables make a casserole shine.

While this version has neither meat nor dairy, a little animal protein like ground meat or even tinned fish could be added. Milk or, even better, cream can replace the broth, and the panko can be replaced or supplemented with cheese.

Reinvented Casserole

1/2 pound mushrooms, coarsely chopped

1 small onion, chopped

1 celery stalk, chopped

1 teaspoon kosher-style salt

1/4 head green cabbage, chopped

2 medium yellow potatoes

2 cups cooked brown rice

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

3 tablespoons flour

1 cup vegetable broth or water

1 cup panko or other breadcrumbs

Cook the mushrooms in a hot, dry skillet until all of the liquid has evaporated, 10-15 minutes.

While the mushrooms are cooking, boil the potatoes whole in salted water to cover until easily pierced with a fork, about 12 minutes. Remove from pan, let cool, peel with your fingers, and mash with a fork.

Add the onions, celery, salt, and 3 tablespoons of the olive oil to the mushrooms. Cook until the onions are soft and translucent, about 10 minutes.

Add the flour, cook for about 2 minutes, then add the broth or water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook until thick, about 5 minutes. Add black pepper if desired, taste and add salt if needed. Remove from the heat.

Transfer the mushroom mix to a large bowl. Add the potatoes, cabbage, and rice and mix well. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed. Put the mix back into the skillet.

In a small bowl, mix the rest of the olive oil with the panko or breadcrumbs. Spread the mixture over the vegetables in the skillet. Bake at 350 degrees until brown and bubbly, about 40-50 minutes.