I woke up with a strange cooking idea.
There are two kinds of people, those excited about cooking, and the others. This recipe idea is for the others, tailored for types who know there are 10 kinds of people: know binary / don't.
Mathematical cooking might work for people who can't figure it out any other way-- a way to obtain food combinations by relying on chance. People who like to cook will naturally try different things and see what works. But, if you're not sure, and you've got dice, or some other way to randomize, you can do it!
Yes, you can dice and slice.
The dicey casserole requires choosing six each of six types of ingredients. You roll a die 6 times to pick your 6 ingredients, then adjust the proportions, mix it, cook it up, and see what the devil it tastes like. Repeat. Learn.
This is a complicated learning experience: You need six of (1) some meat/protein, (2) some carbohydrate, (3) some vegetable, (4) some kind of sauce, (5) some seasoning, and (6) some topping.
You'll also need a six-sided die, or six jars and thirty-six slips of paper to write upon.
You are cooking with math, a dicey casserole. The proportions are aimed at four servings. Following are examples of ingredients, some of which you probably already have!
Choose from:
Six types of about 12 to 16 oz. meat/protein
- Chicken, cooked and diced
OR
Tuna, 2, 6.5 oz cans of tuna
OR Salmon, 1 14.5 oz can of salmon
OR Ham, diced
OR Soy burgers, par-cooked and diced
OR Hamburger, cooked
Six types, about 16 oz. carbohydrate
- Pasta, cooked
OR Rice, brown and/or wild rice, cooked
OR Potatoes, cooked and diced
OR Beans, red, white, or other, pre/par-cooked
OR Couscous
OR Bulgur wheat, pre-cooked
Six types, small amounts (may be teaspoons, or less) of seasoning, to your taste
- Dill
OR Basil
OR Oregano
OR Garlic
OR Mrs. Dash, or other blend
OR Rosemary, and someone mentioned other ideas: mustard, coriander seed, fennel seed, cardamom, chilies. Good.
Six types, small amounts of topping
- Parmesan cheese, grated
OR Potato chips, crumbled
OR Crackers, crumbled, Ritz, wheat thins, or other
OR Swiss cheese, slices cut in little strips
OR Corn chips, crumbled
OR Feta cheese, crumbled, or maybe sour cream
Now roll the die six times to determine the actual ingredients. Some of the ingredients should be pre-cooked (pre-cook ALL fresh meats) or par-cooked, unless it comes from a can. Mix it all up (whatever "it" is!) and put it in a large casserole, and bake in the oven at 350F(177C) for 30 minutes or so.
Finally, check to see if it's edible!
People who like to cook may be thinking, "I don't need this confusion! I know tuna goes with cheese, tomato goes with basil, chicken goes with garlic", etc. Others may need a shove.
I write this partly as a joke, and mostly for people who lack confidence and desire about cooking their own food.
I think a lot of cooking is somewhat experimental, so, this recipe possibly takes cooking experimentation to the max.
The beauty of the recipe (if there is any possibility left, heh), is that it can create 6 x 6 x 6 x 6 x 6 x 6 = 46,656 different casseroles.