Casseroles are a great option when you want to save time and energy by having everything all in one. The oven is set at the same temperature, and there’s only one dish to clean at the end of the night. They’re also great because they tend to make a lot of leftovers, which means less work in the future as well.
They’re usually pretty simple, so it’s very easy to take something out or substitute it for your family’s preferences. We’ve got some ideas for you from breakfast through dinner and for every single occasion.
1) Baked Ziti
This dish has all the same things in it that make lasagna so delicious, with half the amount of effort and time to make it. Bubbly cheese on top, sauce and noodles underneath, the whole thing can be put together very easily. Cottage cheese can even be substituted for ricotta if you want a similar flavor but a little bit higher in protein.
This is delicious on day one and reheats really well for lunches later in the week. You can easily add a few meatballs on the side, or mix a package of ground meat in with the rest of the baked casserole as well.
2) Mac and Cheese Casserole
This one is a crowd pleaser for all ages, whether it’s the main event or a side dish for the rest of your meal. Making a cheese sauce from a roux base means it’s going to be packed with flavor, you can customize the spices, and it’s smooth and creamy every time.
Picky eaters will prefer milder cheeses like cheddar or Monterey Jack, whereas those who are a little more adventurous might go for some smoked gouda or gruyere. No matter what you choose, finishing up with buttered breadcrumbs is going to give you a delicious crispy crunchy topping.
To round it out as a complete meal, you could add a few pieces of grilled chicken for a nice lean protein option, and a salad or some steamed vegetables.
3) Chicken Rice Casserole
The ingredients are already in the name, and this one is a classic for a reason. For the easiest preparation time, use a type of pre-cooked chicken like rotisserie chicken and shred it down to small bite-sized pieces.
Adding some chicken broth or even cream of chicken soup as your liquid means that it’s going to have a lot of flavor without needing to spend a lot of time digging around in your spice cabinet. Veggies are easier to sneak into this one as well if you give it a good handful of shredded cheese to mix in with all the rest of the ingredients.
4) Tuna Noodle Casserole
The ingredients are super simple for this one, tuna, egg noodles, peas, and an easy sauce. The simple flavors go over really well for kids, and I absolutely love the crispy crunchy topping.
This is an easy recipe to keep in your back pocket because all of the ingredients are also shelf stable and easy to keep an extra set of in your pantry. If canned soups aren’t your favorite, it’s easy to make a quick bechamel sauce to work as a base for this as well.
If you’re serving this as a family meal, you can also spice things up a little bit with a little bit of hot sauce drizzled over top for those who are a little more adventurous.
5) Shepherd’s Pie
Shepherd’s pie is a great way to sneak a lot of vegetables in that will be covered by the delicious tomato and meat sauce underneath. Creamy mashed potatoes are going to be spread or piped on top of the vegetable and meat base, and then once it comes out of the oven they should have a nice little crisp brown top on them.
Traditionally it’s made with lamb, and when it’s made with beef it is called cottage pie. For a leaner, healthier option, ground turkey is also great and goes with the same flavor profile.
I love to split this one into two smaller glass casserole pans and save one for a later night in the week, and eat the first one while it’s fresh out of the oven.
6) Enchilada Casserole
Sometimes we nickname this one an enchilada lasagna because we don’t have to bother rolling the filling into each individual tortilla. Lay down a thin layer of sauce and then top it with tortillas, and then you can start to build your fillings inside.
Shredded chicken and adding some black beans for extra protein is a great base for the filling, and sometimes I like to sneak in some pre-cooked bell peppers as well. Give it a generous amount of cheese, top with another tortilla, and then put enchilada sauce and a final layer of cheese on the top.
To make it a little more family-friendly, use a mild enchilada sauce and then have hot sauce or taco sauce on the side for people who want it a little bit spicier. You can easily have family members customize their own plate by having a little toppings bar with sour cream, lime crema sauce, avocado, guacamole, shredded lettuce, or any other type of toppings your family loves. I like to serve this with a little bit of Spanish rice on the side as well.
7) Breakfast Casserole
The main flavors in an egg bake like this are going to be hash browns, eggs, and cheese. I like to add a splash of milk to help improve the texture of the cooked eggs, and add a little bit of salt and pepper to season them as well.
From there, it’s easy to mix in whatever toppings and fillings your family loves. I love to add cooked up turkey sausage as a little bit of a healthier option to mix in. The fillings don’t move around at all during cooking either, so it’s very easy to do half as one flavor and half as another. Very easy for entertaining or for the holidays.
8) Lasagna
Making a good lasagna is absolutely a labor of love, but it is time well spent because you have a delicious result at the end.
If you have some picky eaters who like to take a microscope to every single bite of food they eat, an easy way to sneak in some extra veggies is to chop up and cook some carrots, bell peppers, anything that can blend in with tomatoes, and put them in a food processor or a blender to mix with the rest of your sauce. Anything that’s orange or red is going to fly under the radar with the rest of the marinara sauce, and once you add the rest of your layers of ricotta and lots of mozzarella, no one will know the difference.
Other mild vegetables like mushrooms or spinach won’t alter the flavor of the sauce very much if you want to chop them small and add them in. Save yourself some time later on and try to do a double batch at the same time if you plan to make this recipe. Having it tucked in the freezer for a rainy day will save you later on.
9) Sloppy Joe Bake
This is going to take the classic loose meat sandwich and turn it into something that’s a little bit easier to eat and less messy. Mix ground beef with your favorite sweet and tangy sloppy joe sauces and seasonings, and then it can be covered with either biscuit dough or puff pastry.
As it cooks, the biscuits or pastry are going to puff up and take in some of the sauce that’s sitting below. Once you plate up each serving, you can add a few pickle slices or serve with a crunchy coleslaw. My family loves to have this just with some chopped veggies and a bit of ranch to dip in.
10) Chicken Pot Pie Casserole
All of the slow cooked and comforting flavors of a chicken pot pie come together in this easy casserole. Chicken should be shredded small and then mixed with veggies and covered with the creamy filling.
Once the base is assembled, drop little bits of biscuit dough or a layer of puff pastry on the top. Leave a few places for steam from the filling to escape, and then put it in the oven until the top is golden brown and crunchy. You can use pre-cooked chicken like rotisserie chicken, and frozen veggies work just fine.
It doesn’t even feel like cheating, this meal turns out so good. The only difficult thing about this dish is giving it a little bit of time for the filling to set before serving it.
11) Baked Spaghetti Casserole
This is a great way to switch things up from your regular pasta night, or also to use up any leftover noodles from the previous time that you made them. Mix your cooked pasta noodles with your favorite sauce, cheese, and optionally some ground meat.
Top with mozzarella and parmesan and bake until the edges are crispy and golden. This casserole slices up into neat even squares, which are very easy to put away for lunches or for the rest of the week.
12) Pizza Pasta Bake
This dish has all the flavors from your very favorite pizza combined with cooked pasta as the base. Toss your cooked pasta with pizza sauce and then add your favorite toppings, half pepperoni, half mushrooms and olives. This is easy to customize for your family’s favorite things.
Bake in the oven on a top rack closer to the broiler so you get those bubbly crispy edges like you would for a pizza. Even if the dish isn’t traditional Italian, it goes great with an Italian salad or Caesar salad on the side. A few slices of crispy garlic bread are the best friend to pasta and pizza alike.
13) Taco Casserole
Season up your family’s favorite ground meat or beans as the base of this casserole. Next, layer in your warm toppings like corn, tomatoes, onions, or bell peppers. I like to add a few slices of jalapeno or poblano peppers as well for a little bit of extra spice.
To give it some extra crunch, you can stir in some crushed tortilla chips or serve it with hard crunchy taco shells. The casserole dish can then be put on the table for much easier cleanup than your traditional taco night.
You just need a few extra containers for cold toppings like salsa, shredded lettuce, sour cream, or a little bit more shredded cheese, so that everyone can customize their tacos exactly how they want.
14) Baked Ravioli Casserole
Using a stuffed pasta like ravioli can give you the same fun layering effect that lasagna has, with half the amount of work. Layer your favorite type of ravioli noodles with marinara and mozzarella cheese and cook until the top is bubbly and brown.
A few seconds on the broiler setting is going to give it those nice crispy edges. This one is easy to customize and change for future meals by just switching up the type of ravioli that you use for your base.
15) Stuffed Pepper Casserole
This has all the same flavors of the classic dish without having to worry about whether the filling is cooked all the way through in the middle. No individual peppers have to be hollowed out, and no trying to fight to see if you have the last seed stuck inside the bottom.
Chop or dice your bell peppers and mix them with ground beef or rice. Stir it all up with some tomato sauce, add a little bit of cheese on top, and then it’s ready to bake.
If you have some picky eaters who won’t like large pieces of the cooked peppers, you can pulse them a little bit in a food processor or a blender, and that’s going to break them down into smaller pieces that will be much softer when they cook.
16) Chicken Alfredo Bake
Anything with alfredo sauce is usually a winner, even for picky eaters. This chicken alfredo bake is going to have those same rich, familiar flavors that will have everyone asking for a second helping.
Mix cooked chicken and pasta together and coat heavily in alfredo sauce. Adding a little bit of black pepper and garlic is going to give a little bit more flavor without getting too crazy for those who are picky eaters. Bake until the edges are bubbly, and you can add a little bit of additional cheese and parmesan on top if you want.
If canned sauce doesn’t appeal to you, it’s very easy to mix up alfredo by making a roux and a bechamel sauce and adding shredded parmesan cheese to it. Getting a block of parmesan and shredding it yourself is going to give you the best result, and it gives you something delicious to top the rest of the dish with.
17) Meatball Parmesan Casserole
Italian style meatballs are going to swim in a marinara ocean with a crispy cheesy topping. If you have a great recipe, go ahead and make your meatballs from scratch, but using frozen is a lot easier and tastes just as good if you have a time pinch.
I like to cook up a few pieces of generous Texas toast or garlic bread and scoop the meatball casserole right on top.
18) Green Bean Casserole
This classic holiday combination is going to combine green beans, mushrooms, and a crispy onion topping. My family always likes to use canned green beans because they like the soft texture underneath the crispy crunchy onion topping. Using fresh or frozen beans is going to give you a firmer bite.
Cook the beans in the mushroom sauce until you have bubbles on the very edges. If you don’t want to risk your onion topping getting overdone, wait until it’s about halfway done cooking before you add it and layer it on.
19) Cauliflower Gratin
This is a great way to introduce a new vegetable that has a familiar texture and flavor to potato gratin. The crunchy top and creamy sauce are warm and irresistible.
To help everything cook evenly, make sure the pieces of cauliflower are cut into fairly uniform sizes. The creamy sauce is great on the side with something like roast chicken.
20) French Toast Casserole
This is a great option to make sure that everyone is able to eat at the same time, instead of having one-at-a-time pieces of french toast coming off of the grill. Cut your pieces of bread into small cubes and then soak them in your egg custard. Bake the whole thing in the oven until the top layer has a beautiful crunchy crust.
Pieces in the middle are going to have that soft spongy french toast texture, and the top is nice and crunchy. Cinnamon and vanilla is going to be the most common flavor combination, but you can mix in any other toppings that you want and they’ll be baked in along with the custard. Blueberries, apples, or bananas all bake really well, or you can make it more dessert themed with pieces of chocolate or bits of caramel.
21) Chicken and Stuffing Casserole
Chicken is shredded and cut into small pieces and cooked alongside delicious spiced stuffing. Coat it all in chicken broth and then bake it in the oven until the bits of stuffing are crispy.
The warm comforting smell is going to bring everyone in the family into the kitchen trying to figure out when it’s going to be ready. Warm vegetables like green beans, steamed broccoli, or peas are going to be a great addition on the side. As the weather starts to cool down, this will get you in the mood for the holiday season without all the effort of Thanksgiving day.
22) Tamale Pie
Tamales have a wonderful tradition of families working together, but they can also be quite time consuming. This dish is going to have a similar flavor but with a delicious crispy crunchy cornbread topping.
The base layer is going to have your meat of choice that’s been seasoned and then mixed with tomatoes and beans. As the whole dish cooks, the cornbread on the top stays soft from the moisture with a crispy crunchy top. It’s going to give you a delicious sweet and salty contrast that can be amplified if you add a little bit of shredded cheese at the very end.
23) Baked Gnocchi
This is going to feel like a fancy treat that’s made with fairly simple ingredients. Use ready-made gnocchi and mix with your favorite pasta sauce and top with mozzarella cheese. The texture of the gnocchi completely changes when it’s baked in the oven versus when it’s boiled or cooked on the stove top.
This one is easy enough to make in a huge batch to guarantee you some delicious leftovers for the rest of the week. Add a simple fresh salad on the side, or some steamed or roasted vegetables. I like to keep the flavors similar and use an Italian vinaigrette or some garlic and herb butter for the veggies.
24) Sweet Potato Enchilada Casserole
Cubes of sweet potato are going to make this one feel substantial, and it can also be mixed with black beans. Add enchilada sauce and then top with tortillas and cheese.
The natural flavor of the sweet potatoes is going to give you a delicious contrast to the spicy enchilada sauce. Add some extra jalapenos or hot sauce for people who want it on the spicier side, after you’ve done the entire bake.
25) Sausage Breakfast Casserole
Cut biscuits into small pieces and then add sausage and eggs on top. Using a leaner meat like turkey sausage is going to give you a healthier breakfast option, or you could even do vegetarian with sauteed mushrooms and bell peppers.
The biscuits are going to get fluffy and soft as they bake and take in some of the egg mixture. This would go great with some white country gravy on top, or even a little bit of salsa to make it spicy.
26) Ham and Potato Casserole
If you’re still trying to use up the rest of your holiday ham, this is a fantastic way to put it to good use. The potatoes become soft and creamy, and they’re going to take on the very salty flavor of the cooked ham.
Cut your potatoes into even cubes, or if you want to be really fancy, use a mandolin, just be sure to be careful. Mix shredded or cubed ham in with it and give a generous amount of cheese on top with your sauce.
Bake it until the edges are bubbling and you have brown spots on the surface. The creamy sauce is going to need a little bit of time to set if you want to get clean cuts.
27) Salmon and Rice Casserole
This is a great way to add some more fish into your diet while keeping the flavor and texture traditional for picky eaters. Take leftover salmon or other types of fish and flake it into small individual pieces.
Mix with rice and any type of mild veggies, and then add a creamy sauce to the whole thing. Bake until the rice is cooked and heated through and the top has a golden brown color. I like to add a little bit of sliced green onions as well as some sriracha on the side to dip my spoon in as I eat each bite.
