In cooking a casserole, from the French for "sauce pan," is a large, deep pot or dish used both in the oven and as a serving dish.The word casserole is also used for the food cooked and served in such a dish. These foods usually consist of meat and/or vegetables and sometimes bulked with pasta, potato, rice or other grains cooked slowly in sauce or other liquid, and may be served as a main course or a side dish.Casseroles originate from the ancient practice of stewing meat slowly in earthenware containers. Types of casserole include ragout, hotpot, cassoulet and carbonnade. A distinction may be made between casseroles and stews: stewing is a cooking process whereby heat is applied to the bottom of the cooking vessel (typically over a fire or on a hob), whereas casseroling is done in an oven where heat circulates all round the cooking vessel. Braising is similar to casseroling except that the pieces of meat or vegetable are larger and cooked in a smaller quantity of liquid. Casseroles tend to be thicker than soup. However the choice of name is largely a matter of custom; it is possible for the same dish to be described as soup, stew, and casserole.The liquid added to a casserole combines with the juices released from the meat and vegetables to form the sauce. Stock may be added, as may alcohol in the form of wine (for example coq au vin or beef Bourguignon), beer (for example lapin � la Gueuze}, gin, or cider. Tomatoes may provide liquid and flavour, as in a goulash. The sauce may be thickened by the presence of pasta, potato, rice or other grains; otherwise salt may be added, sometimes as the meat is being browned before placing in the oven.Early 18th century casserole recipes consisted of rice that was pounded, pressed, and used as a filling. Casseroles are cooked in Europe and the United States, and are found in other forms in many other cultures around the world. The culinary term en casserole (also from French) means 'served in the vessel used for cooking'.