If Your Casserole Calls For Canned Soup, Beware Of Oversalting

A casserole is an easy, hearty dinner idea that is big enough to feed a whole family. They often incorporate ingredients like pasta or chicken, as well as some kind of saucy base. You can stick with store-bought tomato sauce or Alfredo sauce, but for an even saltier, more savory flavor, your casserole recipe might request the addition of canned soup, such as cream of chicken or cream of mushroom. While these canned soups add a creamy texture and plenty of taste, they can also be loaded with salt, which means you'll need to be careful about how you season the rest of the dish.

Too much salt not only creates an overbearing flavor, but can also have a negative effect on your health. Thankfully, there are other ways to build flavor in your casserole, such as adding a spicy ingredient or some fresh herbs — and if you do add too much salt, there are some easy ways to fix it.

While it might feel natural to season any dish with salt, you have to be careful about what other ingredients are playing a role. A typical can of cream of mushroom soup contains around 860 milligrams of sodium, so adding too much more could cause the dish to go from savory to unpleasantly salty. In addition to the impact on flavor, too much salt should generally be avoided in your diet; it can lead to high blood pressure and heart disease.

Rather than building your casserole's flavor with more salt, balance those sodium levels with other ingredients that will bring a new element, such as something spicy. Depending on what's in your casserole, you can add a little paprika, or even chop up some chiles or jalapeños for just the right hint of spice. Crushed red pepper is a great seasoning here, too. For less spice but big flavor, garlic powder or onion powder are alternatives to added salt (just make sure you're not using garlic salt). Chopped red onion can also add a burst of flavor, as well as fresh herbs like parsley and dill.

If you've added canned soup and accidentally went too heavy with additional salt, you don't have to throw away your dish and start over. Acids, fats, and dairy all work to help neutralize that overly salty flavor. A hint of bright acidity, such as a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, will help balance those salt levels. But if lemon doesn't feel like it would mesh with what's already in the dish, you can also add a fatty condiment like mayonnaise, which will help maintain that creamy texture as well.

Dairy products are another great way to reduce that salty flavor. If you can add more liquid, milk or any type of cream will do the trick, but if you don't want to thin out the sauce, try adding sour cream. Do this to taste to ensure you don't go too heavy on one ingredient; you can also incorporate more than one method to add balance.