55 Side Dish Casserole Recipes To Elevate Any Meal
A casserole side dish fills your plate with a range of flavors all at once, and makes a beautiful accompaniment to your main course. These easy recipes make preparing your favorite side dish super simple. Just put it all together, throw it in the oven, and have plenty of time and attention to direct to perfecting the rest of your meal. Maybe you love a light and fluffy side dish casserole, like Buttermilk Spoon Bread. Or if you'd prefer rich macaroni and cheese, you could try Mac and Cheese with Ham. If you want delicious spuds, try our Classic Parmesan Scalloped Potatoes or the Fennel and Potato Gratin for a fun twist. If you prefer sweet potatoes, you can't go wrong with a casserole side dish like the Sweet Potato-Carrot Casserole. However you slice, scoop, or serve your favorite casserole side dish, these recipes will make getting it from oven to table easy.
Hashbrown Casserole
Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Also known as “Funeral Casserole,” the dish’s creamy goodness has comforted the bereaved for decades. And let's face it, no other dish on earth can transition so seamlessly from a country club breakfast buffet to a potluck church supper.
Old-School Squash Casserole
Greg DuPree
Southerners can't resist squash casserole, and this classic recipe hits all the right notes--creamy, cheesy, and absolutely packed with the season's bounty.
Cornbread Casserole
Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Everyone's favorite table bread only gets better once it's baked in casserole form. All you need is a trusty box of Jiffy, plus a few pantry staples, and you'll be tucking into this warm dish in no time.
Pineapple Casserole
Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall
Only Southerners know the treasure of pineapple casserole, and if it's not a side dish at your party, then you know you're missing out! A short ingredient list makes putting together this comforting dish a snap.
Loaded Cauliflower Casserole
Stacy K. Allen; Props: Julia Bayless; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer
Like a loaded baked potato but with a bit healthier thanks to the cauliflower-for-potato swap, your family won't be able to get enough of this filling side.
Savory Corn Pudding
Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall
Although corn pudding is technically a casserole, it has a rich, soft texture that's almost dessert-like. This corn pudding recipe puts a savory spin on the classic with the addition of chopped onion and fresh thyme.
Slow Cooker Green Bean Casserole
Caitlin Bensel
Green bean casserole is always a hit, but when you can use your slowcooker to make the dish and free up precious oven space, well now you've got a real winner on your hands.
Butternut Squash Bread Pudding
Assemble this pudding the night before and refrigerate, covered, until ready to bake. This butternut bread pudding reheats well, and would also make a fabulous entrée at a weekend brunch, just add some crispy bacon and fresh fruit for an enjoyable meal.
Party Potatoes
With a name like this, how could you not add this to the menu for your next get together? Also called Funeral Potatoes (quite different), this cheesy casserole is a real crowd pleaser, no matter the reason for gathering.
Cheesy Savory Kugel
Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Christina Brockman
A traditional dish for Passover, Chef Sarah Bradley's kugel casserole is wonderful alongside braised meat like brisket.
Tomato Pudding
Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Ana Kelly, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless
If you're a fan of tomato pie, you'll appreciate this recipe. When your tomato crop is exploding and you're tired of fixing tomato sandwiches for lunch, try this creative take on bread pudding.
Broccoli Cheese Casserole
Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Though this is an excellent side dish casserole, we wouldn't blame anyone who filled up on it and skipped the main dish. This one is easy to make ahead and bake later in the week.
Roasted Tomato Macaroni and Cheese
This grown-up twist on traditional mac and cheese will be ready in just 30 minutes. Dressing this tried and true version up with fresh tomatoes makes it even more appealing, and creates a more restaurant-worthy version. Don't forget the fresh basil, it is there to do more than just fancy-up the presentation,
Creamy Whipped Potato Casserole
Move over mashed potatoes. These creamy whipped potatoes are a weeknight dream. Full of fluffy potatoes and cheese, these can be made ahead and rewarmed before serving.
Macaroni Corn Casserole
Corn casserole and mac and cheese create the mashup casserole dish you never knew you needed. But trust us: Once you give this recipe a go, it'll fast-track to your regular rotation.
Classic Parmesan Scalloped Potatoes
If ever there were a versatile side, this is it. This lavishly rich casserole is ideal for family suppers, and it will complement everything from Italian entrees to the panoply of chicken and beef dishes in your kitchen arsenal. Gently stirring this dish twice while it bakes promotes even cooking and adds extra creaminess to the dish.
Creamy Kale and Pasta Bake
Creamy, cheesy, and delicious, this pasta casserole is everything you want in a side dish. Use packaged kale and shredded cheese to speed up prep time. This makes a great pairing with chicken or pork.
Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows
Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Mouthwatering doesn't even begin to describe this delicious casserole, but it's certainly the best way we can find to describe it. This casserole blends bold flavors and textures with a satisfying, crunchy topping and smooth filling.
Mac and Cheese with Ham
This delicious mac and cheese is light on butter and cheese, yet it still melts in your mouth. You can change the flavor profile of the recipe with combinations such as sweet peas and prosciutto or ham and broccoli. It will be a fantastic side dish on your dinner table, and it will be so loved that it may become an entrée dish.
Parmesan Corn Pudding
In our recipe, this tasty side dish takes a quicker approach to classic corn pudding. You'll love the abbreviated preparation and cooking time as well as the cheesy Parmesan twist. You may want to make two batches of this recipe. The first will go quickly.
Summer Squash Casserole
One of our favorite days of the season is when summer squash appears at the local farmers' market. Summer squash casserole is one of the most versatile Southern side dishes, and it gets its due on dinner tables across the region. We think that it pairs well with everything from fried chicken at a summertime Sunday lunch to roast turkey at Thanksgiving.
Sweet Potato-Carrot Casserole
Carrots add a smooth texture and sweet flavor to this comfort food favorite. You can serve this classic holiday casserole any time of year and expect rave reviews. This casserole is topped with marshmallows, but it also has a special ingredient: our Sugar-and-Spice Pecans. You will love the combination of heat and sweetness.
Zucchini, Squash, and Corn Casserole
There's nothing quite as delicious in the summertime as fresh zucchini, squash, and corn—and there's certainly nothing like it when that trio of fresh vegetables is baked together into one dish. Soft, white breadcrumbs double as a feather-light binder and a golden crumb topping since they brown ever so slightly atop the casserole and add a subtle crunchy texture.
Fennel-and-Potato Gratin
Jennifer Davick
This cheesy potato gratin gets a punch of flavor from nutmeg and fennel. It's impressive enough for a holiday party, but it is also easy enough to put together on a busy weeknight. It's a perfect complement to roasted turkey, sweet ham, or sliced beef. It's also easy enough to whip up en masse if you have a large group to feed.
Butternut Squash Gratin
We know and love potato gratins, but the addition of butternut squash to this beloved dish has made us fall for it all over again. Preparation tip: You'll want to slice the potatoes as you use them and place them in each layer (rather than slicing them all at once). Doing this will help to prevent oxidation in the potatoes and will ensure that your dish is as fresh as can be.
Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows, Pecans, and Cornflakes
Adding cornflake cereal to the pecan-brown sugar topping gives this casserole extra crispiness. Set this down on the sideboard for a buffet-style Thanksgiving meal, and your friends and family will be piling their plates high. They'll also marvel at how beautiful it looks with its rows of cornflakes, pecans, and marshmallows spread diagonally across the top.
Scalloped Corn Casserole
Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
This timeless dish has generous amounts of creamy corn filling blanketed by crunchy, buttery crackers for the perfect combination of textures. Cheese, cream cheese, and half-and-half make it extra indulgent.
Sweetie's Sweet Potato Casserole
PHOTO: VICTOR PROTASIO; FOOD STYLING: MELISSA GRAY; PROP STYLING: AUDREY DAVIS
Chef and restaurateur Kelsey Barnard Clark's grandmother puts a twist on the standard sweet potato casserole, and we just can't get enough. Notes of orange take this one over the top.
Creamed Greens Casserole
If you always served greens like this, there'd never be any negotiation at the dinner table ever again. Kale and collards are served up in a creamy blend of cheeses, and everyone will want seconds.
Baked Corn Casserole
While cornbread and corn pudding remain beloved side dishes, this Baked Corn Casserole can come through in a pinch. Consider it a hybrid between the pudding and bread, made easily in one skillet.
Cabbage Casserole
Our Cabbage Casserole is proof that this veggie is delicious beyond the coleslaw tub. Served warm, it hints at everything you love about a potato gratin while keeping things light and crunchy.
Easy Cauliflower Casserole
We wager the kids may have this cheesy, crunchy casserole confused with their favorite mac and cheese dish—what more could you ask for? Plus, it uses basic pantry staples, so you can pull it together on a busy weeknight.
Wild Rice-and-Greens Casserole
While the recipe calls for kale, feel free to swap in your favorite green. If you're planning on taking this to a party, it can also be made up to three days ahead.
Okra and Rice Casserole
Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham
Believe it or not, here's more than one way to eat okra, though it sure is delicious when fried. In this casserole, sautéed okra, sweet corn, Cajun spices, and garlic breadcrumbs create one flavorful side dish.
Cheese Cracker-Topped Squash Casserole
Inspired by one reader's grandchild's refusal to eat a veggie, this squash casserole will win over even the pickiest eater. You can substitute any cracker for the topping, but we love the whimsy of these fish-shaped crackers.
Corn Pudding Casserole
Cheesy and creamy, our recipe for Corn Pudding Casserole knows how to please. You might even find yourself making it on a regular weeknight.
Cheddar Cheese Grits Casserole
Grits are good, but cheesy grits are great. This recipe helps you make them for a crowd. It's a great addition to your brunch spread, but would be just as good served as a dinner side alongside tender short rib.
Reunion Pea Casserole
Packed with Italian sausage, squash, spices, cheese, and black-eyed peas, this mashup of a casserole makes for an excellent side dish but can also hold its own as a main. This makes a large amount and works great for a crowd.
Bacon-Brussels Sprout-Green Bean Casserole
Topped with a generous sprinkling of crispy fried onions and bacon, green beans and Brussels sprouts have never been tastier. Plus, you can make it in advance and pull it out on a busy evening.
Buttermilk Spoon Bread
Don't be fooled by the name. The texture produces a silky, savory pudding with a golden-brown top.
Old-School Green Bean Casserole
Creamy, savory, and crunchy, this casserole is a solid take on an old favorite. It's so good, we wouldn't blame you if you wanted to make it all year long.
Savannah Red Rice
This pilaf works well as a side with chicken, pork, and shrimp, but it can also stand on its own as a main. The secret to getting its signature layer of fluffy rice atop a bottom layer of crispy rice is to not stir during cooking. Our recipe calls for baking, so it will come out just right.
Hot Potato Salad
There’s no rule that says potato salad has to be cold. In fact, this version, served warm from the oven, just may replace your family’s favorite picnic potatoes. Bacon, cheese, and olives punch up creamy, cheesy potatoes, which are already delicious on their own.
Pimiento Cheese Creamed Spinach
Hector Sanchez
Creamed spinach makes eating our greens an indulgent treat. Adding in pimiento cheese takes this dish to a whole new level. This Southern take is unexpected but definitely appreciated.
Zucchini Potato Casserole
This layered vegetable dish is known as a French tian. Don’t reserve it only for special occasions. It cooks in the oven while you prepare the rest of the meal, and it can be served at room temperature.
Pumpkin-and-Winter Squash Gratin
Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox
Potatoes bake with butternut squash and pumpkin in a creamy, cheesy sauce. Topped with homemade breadcrumbs, this dish makes a comforting side dish to pork or chicken.
Squash and Green Chile Casserole
Put your slow cooker to use for your side dish instead of your main dish. Create a sauce of green chiles and tomatillos to cook the squash, zucchini, and rice in. Finish this Southwest casserole by stirring in sour cream and cheese.
Herbed Breadcrumb-Topped Macaroni and Cheese
Do you need another macaroni and cheese recipe? Yes, yes you do. This version uses cubes of Cheddar cheese that melt during baking. Combine those cheesy pockets with an herbed topping, and this is one side you’ll make on repeat.
Chipotle Scalloped Potatoes
Add some spice to ordinary weeknights with these cheesy scalloped potatoes infused with smoky chipotles. Chipotle cream sauce is layered with potatoes and Cheddar cheese for the ultimate side. Top with more cheese and crumbled bacon.
Two-Potato Gratin
If you can’t decide between regular potatoes and sweet potatoes, this casserole is your answer. Thinly sliced Yukon gold potatoes and sweet potatoes bake in a decadent herbed sauce topped with Gruyere and Parmesan cheeses.
Savory Sweet Potato Bread Pudding
Hector Manuel Sanchez; Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham
Here’s an unexpected but delightful roasted sweet potato side. It makes a great accompaniment to chicken and pork, or even to your breakfast main meal. With chunks of sweet potato, bread, and spinach baked in Parmesan custard, it will go fast.
Tasty Tex-Mex Mashed Potato Bake
Jennifer Davick
Chorizo sausage is a savory, fantastically flavorful addition to mashed potatoes that conjures a Southwestern, Tex-Mex-inspired flair. Pepper Jack cheese and green chiles add spice. Just stir in the additions before baking for this variation.
Smoky Sweet Potato Mashed Potato Bake
Jennifer Davick
The simple addition of chipotles in adobo sauce kicks up the flavor of everyday mashed potatoes. The combination of mashed Russet potatoes and sweet potatoes makes this mashed potato casserole a new comforting classic.
Savory Sweet Potato Casserole
VICTOR PROTASIO; FOOD STYLIST: TORIE COX; PROP STYLIST: HEATHER CHADDUCK HILLEGAS
You don’t need the bag of marshmallows for this sweet potato casserole. This savory version is finished with a Parmesan cheese-laced, herbed breadcrumb topping. Pecans add crunch.
Mini Cheese Grits Casseroles
Don’t reserve individual servings for fancy holiday meals. They make any meal special. Make these mini casseroles the night before, and bake while you prep the rest of the meal.
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