Time runs fast and it seems like it is faster now than ever before. Whoever you look at looks busy and on the go!
In times like these, meal options like casserole are a blessing. For preparing this easy dinner, all one has to do is place everything in one dish and bake it.
Other than Casseroles, there is one more thing that saves time for us: my and your favorite Air Fryer.
Air fryers are the fastest cooking appliance that prepares healthy meals because of less oil consumption and is a great alternative for several kitchen appliances.
Casseroles are one of those dishes that can be made in various varieties. You can make them with vegetables, red meat, white meat, or with beans and peas. It has everything for everyone.
Let’s get into more detail about how can you make this dish in an air fryer and learn about its dos and don’ts.
Can You Put Casserole Dishes In An Air Fryer?
Air fryers work almost like conventional ovens. The only main difference you can find in both of these appliances is the difference in size. Air fryers are designed to make smaller meals, while ovens are made to make meals for a huge party.
So, you can put oven-proved dishes in air fryers too. No matter if those dishes are made up of glass, metal, silicone, or ceramic.
When it comes to dishes that can be put inside the air fryer basket, the quality can be used as same as used in an oven or a microwave, but the size of the dish must be according to your air fryer basket.
Always choose a dish that leaves room at the sides of the air fryer basket so that the hot air could circulate well and cook even food. If the airflow is not appropriate in an air fryer, then the issue of uneven cooking can be concerning.
There are a variety of materials that you can put in an air fryer, but there are many other things that are not air fryer safe and can be dangerous. If worse comes to worst, fire can also escalate due to such materials.
What Material Can You Not Put In An Air Fryer?
Now that we know what materials are air fryer-safe, let us see what materials are unsafe to be used in an air fryer. Check out this table below to learn about such materials.
| Unsafe Materials For Air Fryer | Reasons |
| Paper towel/ Wax paper | Paper towels and wax papers are an absolute NO-NO for air fryers. Paper can easily catch fire due to extreme heat, and the wax from the wax paper can melt. |
| Sauces | Sauces are watery in consistency and can reach the bottom drawer of the air fryer. It is always advised to add sauce after air frying the meal. |
| Water | It is okay to use a spoon or two of water in your ingredients for a recipe, but too much water can be extremely dangerous for the appliance and you. |
| Plastic | The material used to make plastic cannot stand too much heat. Plastic melts when it interacts with extreme heat. Melted plastic in an air fryer reaches the bottom of the air fryer and can cause a fire. |
Why Do We Love Air Fryer Casserole?
Air Fryer Casseroles are for families who are always busy with their work and have a minimum of time for food preparations. What such families do is order takeout or go for diners.
Eating outside regularly is harmful to health and requires so much more money than home-cooked meals.
People love to make Casseroles in an air fryer at home, and the following are the reasons why:
- Air Fryer Casseroles can be made as per everyone’s liking. You may like it to be spicy or non-spicy, vegetarian or meaty, the possibilities are too many.
- Casseroles do not require too much oil like fried food, but if made in an air fryer, you can ditch that small amount for an even smaller quantity of oil.
- The air fryer gives the Casserole’s outer layer the ultimate crisp and crunches it deserves.
- Casseroles are easy to assemble and less time-consuming if made in an air fryer.
How To Make Air Fryer Casserole?
As I said before, Casseroles can be made in many ways. You can always customize the recipe according to your liking.
Casseroles take about 45 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit to get done in an air fryer and trust me, this timeline is lesser than the time this takes in an oven.
This is the general guide. The time and temperature may variate for your brand and model. Make sure to experiment with the timings and temperature before getting started.
Check out this recipe to learn how to make Air Fryer Casseroles at home.
What Other Vegetables Would Complement This Casserole?
Green beans, cauliflower, carrots, asparagus, and mushrooms are just a few examples of fresh or green vegetables. Grilled peppers and onions, or sliced poblano or jalapeno peppers for heat, provide depth of flavor and texture.
This is an excellent one-pot comfort food dish. Casseroles are excellent dinners that can be prepared ahead of time and thrown into your air fryer during a hectic weeknight evening or when you have company over the weekend.
How Should Leftover Chicken Casserole Be Stored?
Allow the dish to cool completely before storing. Refrigerate the chicken in an airtight receptacle for up to 4 days.
If freezing, store leftovers in an airtight jar in the freezer for up to 4 months.
Air Fryer Chicken Casserole is a popular chicken meal that cooks quickly and is simple to prepare. In just a few minutes, you’ll be enjoying this delicious chicken and vegetable dinner.
Summary
In this article, we have discussed:
- Oven-safe dishes are safe for air fryers, too. Glass, ceramic, metal, and silicone, all of these materials can be used in an air fryer.
- Ensure that the dish you are using to cook the Casserole leaves room for air circulation from the sides for even cooking. Uneven distribution of hot air in the air fryer cooks food unevenly, too.
- Wax paper, paper towels, sauces, water, and plastics are those materials that must never be used in an air fryer.
- Casseroles are easy to make as the preparation for this requires little time.
- Air Fried Casseroles require even less oil than other appliances.
- The out layer of the Casserole is crispy for a crunchier experience.
- Casseroles can be made in different ways. You can make them satisfy the vegetarian in you, add a meaty touch, or assemble grains for a fiber-rich meal.