Casserole Recipes & Ideas

Ooh la la.

A creamy, dreamy mac & cheese that you can prep days ahead of time and just pop in the oven.

Sweet potato casserole is one of the most popular Thanksgiving side dishes for a reason: It serves up the vegetable in a creamy, sweet, and decadent way, and as we pile it onto our plates, it makes us feel like a kid again. Unfortunately, it’s often overthought and over-complicated, riddled with too many unnecessary steps and ingredients (I’m guilty of it, too, although this classic, meringue-topped version is delish).

Everything I know about cornbread dressing — and Thanksgiving — I learned from my mother, which she in turn learned from her mother. It is a long line of resourceful Southern cooks, and I trust them with this important meal completely. The secret? It’s all about the butter! My very wise nanna once said, “Whatever the amount of butter called for in a dressing recipe, double it, triple it, heck, even quadruple it!

On Thanksgiving, I don’t think any dish inspires quite as much love and jealousy as classic stuffing. Or, for that matter, technical debate over stuffing vs. dressing. Sure, if it’s baked inside the turkey it’s stuffing, and if it’s not, it’s dressing. But to me, it will always be stuffing — it sounds so much more satisfying than dressing, which brings to mind vinaigrette. And on my table, the stuffing is always some version of this classic sage and onion mix.

Sweet plantain + cheese = perfection

I could eat it every night.

The secret ingredient comes from the freezer.

Like the boxed stuff, but so much better.

It uses 2 pounds of zucchini.

Yes, you really can make baked ziti (well, “baked” ziti) in your slow cooker. And the result isn’t just good — it’s amazing. What it lacks in the crispy-edges department it gains in the ooey-gooey comfort-food department: tender noodles coated in marinara sauce and mixed with a double dose of melty cheese. Pasta in the slow cooker has a reputation for being overcooked and soggy — a result of too much liquid in the slow cooker or too long of a cook time.

The buttery cracker topping is everything.

It's the most comforting thing you'll make all week.

We're not kidding when we say they taste like potato mac and cheese.

lasagna's lazier cousin.

It’s the ultimate comfort food.

The perfect make-ahead meal.

If you love creamy mashed potatoes, you’ll love colcannon, a traditional Irish dish. Keeping with tradition, we didn’t mess with the potatoes or cabbage, but swapped the plain melted butter that is typically served in a pool on top for fragrant browned butter. We just couldn’t help ourselves! The nutty browned butter is a wonderful warm contrast to the sharp green onions that get scattered before serving, giving this dish an easy, elegant twist.

If you grew up on Tuna Helper, this will delight you.

Store-bought biscuits for the win.

It’s a comfort-food classic.

This vegetable jambalaya is faster and just as good, in my opinion, as traditional jambalaya (which typically has andouille sausage, chicken and/or seafood). With the “holy trinity” of vegetables, juicy tomatoes, and long-grain rice, this is a fantastic main dish (with some optional add-ins, if you want) or a hearty side dish to serve alongside your favorite main.

Only the cheesiest grits will do.

Pure comfort food.

You can prep it the day before.

Take your pick of mix-ins.

You had me at crispy bacon and gooey cheese.

I can’t think of a brunch dish classier than a good slice of quiche. With a savory, custardy filling — often speckled with all types of cheeses, veggies, and meats — and a buttery-rich crust, quiche is downright showstopping. It’s the dreamiest dish to dig into for a special family breakfast, a weekend brunch, or simple lunch or dinner.

It tastes just like Hamburger Helper.

A big casserole dish filled with baked pasta is the easiest (and tastiest) way to feed all of your family and friends.

Answering the question "What's for dinner?" has never been this easy.

Sweet but not *too* sweet.

Worth waking up for.

There's a secret pantry staple that makes it the best ever.