21 Easy Casserole Recipes
Find comforting casserole recipes for dinner, brunch, or sides, including ground beef, turkey, chicken, or pasta. These one-dish bakes make menu planning easy!
I’ve collected some of my favorite casserole ideas for you to make. There are main dish meal ideas, some side dishes, and breakfast or brunch options too.
Why We Love Casseroles
If you ask me, casseroles are one of the best creations, especially for casual entertaining, overnight guests, or weeknight dinner for family. They are pure comfort food!
- They’re simple to put together. You can prep them ahead of time and cook them when you need to.
- You can freeze them.
- They’re easy to take to someone who is sick or just had a baby.
- The possibilities are endless for flavor combinations!
- Take them to potluck parties, covered dish dinners, and food trains.
- There’s a casserole for every meal: breakfast, lunch, and dinner!
- They’re great when you’re cooking for a crowd. You can make a double batch!
Dinner Casseroles
These one-dish meals are terrific for ladies luncheons, baby and bridal showers, or for an easy dinner party menu.
They can usually be served as an all-in-one main dish with a delicious salad to round out the meal.
1. Hot Chicken Salad
This hot chicken salad is actually a pretty light entree since it doesn’t have any pasta or rice to weigh you down. It is absolutely delicious though, and it’s filled with texture and flavor.
2. Baked Spaghetti
I know a lot of people think that baked spaghetti is only for using leftovers, but this dish is so tasty, I love serving it for overnight guests and casual dinners. It’s loaded with ground chicken, turkey pepperoni, and melted cheese.
3. Cheeseburger Casserole
This easy cheeseburger bake is cheesy, creamy and delicious. Turn ground beef into this yummy main dish that’s flavored with Ranch seasoning, mushrooms, onions and cheese.
4. Mexican Casserole
This is a family and friends favorite! Mexican casserole with pasta combines the best of both worlds: Mexican and Italian. Picante sauce gives southwestern flavor to ground beef and penne pasta for a marriage made in heaven. Crispy fried onions on top are the crowning touch!
5. Shepherd’s Pie
Humble shepherd’s pie is so easy to make when you incorporate a few shortcuts, like refrigerated mashed potatoes. Meat, vegetables and beefy broth form the filling that’s hearty and perfect for St. Patrick’s day or Irish theme dinner party, and beyond.
6. Layered Pasta Bake
Try this alternative to lasagna. This layered pasta bake has a similar taste as it incorporates ricotta and mozzarella cheese, but it’s simpler to prepare. You can easily leave out the meat to make it a vegetarian dinner.
7. Vegetarian Enchiladas
These vegetarian pinto bean enchiladas are a fantastic choice when you have vegetarian friends over, or you just want a meat alternative. It’s easy to prepare too.
Baked Side Dishes
Side dish casseroles are most popular during the holidays because you can make a big batch for a lot of people. They also go with lots of protein entrees and help round out a luncheon.
8. Homemade Macaroni and Cheese
This creamy holiday mac-n-cheese is the recipe I reach for when I’m serving a crowd for Easter, Thanksgiving or Christmas. It’s got 3 kinds of cheese, including Velveeta, and can be prepared ahead and ready to bake when you are.
9. Sweet Potato Casserole
It wouldn’t be a southern Thanksgiving (or Christmas) without sweet potato casserole. And since everyone has a different preference, I top it with half marshmallows and half pecan streusel. It’s so decadent!
10. Creamed Corn Bake
Combine yellow corn, creamed corn, 2 kinds of cheese, and real cream for the most indulgent cheesy creamed corn bake.
11. Hash Brown Bake
My creamy hash brown potatoes start with frozen hash browns and get dressed up with cream cheese, cream of mushroom soup, white cheddar and crunchy Ritz cracker topping. We love it as a side dish for lunch, dinner or brunch!
12. Mayonnaise Mac-n-Cheese
When you want the comfort of mac and cheese but don’t want all the work involved, make this easy mayonnaise macaroni and cheese. It takes just 5 ingredients and still has that creamy, cheesy texture and flavor you want in a classic dish.
13. Broccoli Casserole
I love this delicious broccoli casserole even more than the traditional green bean casserole! It has a bit more depth of flavor but we still top it with those amazing French’s fried onions!
14. Savory Bread Pudding
Switch out the bread basket or dinner rolls for this savory bread pudding instead. It’s made with ciabatta bread and flavored with rosemary and parmesan cheese.
15. Rice Dressing
Who doesn’t love rice…or bread? Combine the two traditional dishes into this wild rice dressing that’s out of this world. It’s got dried fruit, nuts, wild rice and ciabatta bread.
16. Green Bean Casserole
Okay, we have to include the classic green bean casserole. It’s been popular for decades because it’s so darn good!
Breakfast Casserole Recipes
One of the key points of breakfast bakes are that they can typically be prepared the night before so all you have to do is put it in the oven in the morning.
Some others are so simple you can make it quickly and cook it in the morning.
17. Ham & Cheese Breakfast Bake
One of my favorite breakfast casseroles to serve is this ham and cheese breakfast casserole. It starts with frozen diced potatoes with peppers and onions, and gets transformed with cream of chicken soup, ham, cheese, and crunchy potato chip topping.
18. Overnight Sausage Casserole
Be ready to serve overnight guests with this easy overnight sausage & egg bake. Bisquick turns this sausage and egg dish into a hearty main course. It’s best served with fresh pico de gallo on the side!
19. Cheese Grits Casserole
If you think you don’t like grits then you haven’t tried my cheese grits casserole. It’s loaded with Velveeta and cheddar cheese and bakes to perfection.
20. Eggnog Bread Pudding
If it’s Christmas at our house then it’s eggnog bread pudding on the menu for breakfast. I look forward to this sweet indulgent dish every year!
21. Quick & Easy Breakfast Casserole
Frozen shredded hash browns and Canadian bacon are used to make this easy breakfast casserole.
FAQ’s
A casserole, also known as hot dish, bake, or covered dish can be anything served hot in a single baking dish. It can be a main one-dish meal, or a side dish to accompany a protein entrée.
Some classic components are meat, vegetables, cheese, canned soup, and crunchy or breaded toppings.
Bake the recipe in a chafing dish so you can keep it warm for the duration of the party. You can also use disposable aluminum containers to take your baked dish to a potluck or other location. There are also electric hot trays you can use to set your baking dish on to keep it warm.
Hearty baked dishes and easy casseroles are great for parties and easy entertaining. You can make a large batch and it’s easy to let guests help themselves. Let me know which recipe is your favorite!
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