If cooking more at home is on your list for 2012, you may want to invest in a quality cast iron covered casserole dish.
Amazon has a super-quality and low-cost Lodge Enameled Cast-Iron 3-Quart Covered Casserole for $39.20 with FREE Super Saver Shipping.
I own this same size dish and paid twice as much at Costco a couple of years ago.
The reason I love cast iron is it allows you to brown meat on the stove and transfer it to the oven in the same pan (so you get to keep all the yummy browned bits in the sauce.) And it is a STELLAR pan if you are interested in making “Once-A-Day” bread too.