Cheap, Quick, Easy, and Delicious
Casseroles are a famously easy-to-make crowd pleaser, but they can become repetitive really fast. Even if you’re making something as universally loved as lasagna, eating it multiple times a month can become dull. Here are a few recipes to change up your casserole cooking menu to keep your family satisfied.
Chicken Spinach Couscous & Pizza Casserole
The name might be a mouthful, but so is this delicious recipe. Made by combining rotisserie chicken and baby spinach with pizza sauce, laid on a bed of whole-wheat couscous and baked off in the oven, this is the perfect quick and easy dinner for you.
Tater Tot Casserole
Tatertots are usually treated like a side, relegating them to sloppy, cheesy messes. You can easily turn them into a hefty entree by adding in ground beef (or really any protein of your choice) before baking. This recipe is sure to be a hit, especially with the kids.
An Unusual Tuna Casserole
Tuna casserole is a staple in many American homes, but what sets this recipe apart from others is the seasonings. Along with the usual canned tuna and elbow pasta, you can add dark corn syrup, stewed tomatoes, and herbs like thyme to amp up the flavours.
Pepperoni Pizza Casserole
Are your kids also pestering you for pizza every Friday night? Well, try this casserole with them. Using frozen garlic bread as a base and canned pizza sauce topped with pepperoni slices, you can make a scrumptious pizza-like casserole in the comfort of your home.
Mayo Pork Chop Casserole
A creamy way to elevate a regular old pork chop, this dish involves mixing mayonnaise with carrots, onions, mushrooms, and pork chops, and topping with a generous spritz of Gouda cheese. If someone in your family doesn’t like mayonnaise, this might be a great starter dish for them.
Pineapple Cheese Casserole
Looking for a new weeknight staple? Try this casserole, which can be made in under an hour. The contrasting flavours of the sweet pineapple and the sharp cheddar cheese, with a crispy bite from cracker crumbs, make this innovative casserole irresistible.
Pancake Lasagna
Try this for your next Sunday family breakfast. Substitute the tedious-to-make noodles with thin, crepe-like pancakes and top with eggs, bacon, and cheddar cheese. For an extra kick, you can tie it all together with a maple-bacon bechamel sauce. It’s truly a recipe that has never disappointed.
Cajun Beef Casserole
The easiest way to get your kids to scarf down vegetables is to mix them with cheese and ground beef. Incorporating a generous amount of tangy Cajun seasoning helps it hit the spot for adults. Try this nutrient-packed, flavourful casserole next time you're cooking for a large family gathering.
Chicken Pumpkin Pasta Casserole
This fall favourite can be made by using canned pumpkin to make a pumpkin sauce. Then, in a casserole, mix shredded chicken, bacon and a pasta of your choice and top it with he sauce and a mix of cheeses. Leave it to bake in the oven till everything is cooked through.
Brussels Sprouts Gratin
If the usually roasted Brussels sprouts aren’t your thing, try combining them with heavy cream, white cheddar, Swiss cheese, nutmeg, and red pepper flakes in a casserole. This creamy, cheesy iteration is sure to warm the hearts of even the most Brussels sprouts-averse people.
Seafood Casserole
Bored with the standard tuna or shrimp casserole? Why not mix in a whole lot of seafood and try something new? Toss shrimp, scallops, and lump crabmeat on a bed of homemade sourdough bread crumbs, and top with a well-seasoned sauce made from dry white wine, butter, and half and half.
Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole
Another twist on tater tots, this time, ground beef is replaced with common breakfast meats like bacon, sausages, and eggs to increase the heft. If you’re looking to combine all your favourite breakfast foods into one meal, your search ends here.
Veggie Hazelnut Casserole
A casserole for the vegetarians out there, this hearty meal is made using a freshly harvested spread of veggies—broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, spinach, and onions, to be precise– and topping it with a generous garnish of hazelnuts. Coating it with a homemade pesto can add more heft to the casserole.
Creamed Corn Casserole
A recipe made for ardent corn lovers, this casserole uses two types of canned corn—whole kernel corn and creamed corn. Milk, sugar, flour, butter, and eggs combine to make a delicious creamy sauce that tops off the corn and gives it a rich, creamy texture.
Barbecue Chicken Bread Pudding
If you’re used to the usual sweet bread pudding, this twist is going to spice up your palate. On a bed of cornbread, add diced barbecue chicken and Monterey Jack cheese to create a creamy, cheesy, savoury twist on the classic bread pudding.
Summer Squash Casserole
A summer staple for the ages, this vegetarian casserole can be made using zucchini or squash combined with bell peppers, butter, and cheese, on a bed of breadcrumbs. Finish it with chopped pecans for a crunchy bite to the casserole. This is a great recipe to put your veggie garden to use.
Baked Chinese Chicken Casserole
A dish that combines the flavours of Chinese takeout with classic American cooking techniques, this casserole is truly unique. Combine Chinese cooking wine, oyster sauce, soy sauce, and sesame oil with rice and chicken in a casserole and let it bake till fully cooked.
Mexican Casserole
If Mexican food in your home is limited to Taco Tuesdays, try switching it up with this casserole. It’s a healthy mix of Greek yoghurt, lean ground beef, beans, and tomatoes spiced up with finely chopped green chillis and served on a bed of brown rice.
Johnny Marzetti Casserole
Originating in an Italian restaurant in Ohio, and basically unknown outside of the Midwest, this casserole uses ground beef, egg noodles, mushrooms, tomato soup, and cheese to build a delicious dinner. It’s about time the rest of the country caught on to this Ohio staple.
Onion Casserole
Sounds strange? Maybe. Tastes strange? Absolutely not. Made by combining onions, sour cream, Parmesan cheese, and butter, laid on a bed of butter-flavoured crackers, this is a simple yet creamy treat of a casserole. If you can get your hands on some Vidalia onions, there can be nothing better.
Sausage and Grits Casserole
Looking for a grits casserole without shrimp, well, look no further. This breakfast casserole is an easy bake using just eight ingredients (that you probably already have lying around). Use cream cheese, butter, and cheddar to make rich and smooth grits. Then add in your sauteed sausages and veggies, and bake.
Baked Beet Casserole
Yes, most people don’t like beets; some people think they taste like feet, but this recipe makes beets taste neat. You can also make it by combining shredded beetroot with butter, horseradish, brown sugar, and breadcrumbs in a casserole and baking it till brown.
Leftover Ham Casserole
Want to make good use of your leftover holiday ham? Why not try this zesty, spicy casserole? Onions, garlic, and sweet bell peppers form the base of the aromatics, while roasted chillies and jalapenos add a spicy pang. Cook it with shell pasta to make a delicious, filling meal.
Keto-Friendly Ground-Beef Casserole
For those on a low-carb, or keto diet, substituting pastas and bread with just more ground beef and different cheeses can be a good way to make a delicious meal in less than thirty minutes. Using lean ground beef makes the casserole even healthier.
Overnight Smoked Salmon Casserole
If you’re hosting a lunch party, this is the perfect overnight entree dish for your guests. In a large bowl, toss ciabatta bread in olive oil and melted butter and transfer to a greased casserole. Sprinkle it with cheese, onions, and smoked salmon and refrigerate overnight. The next day, season it and bake for half an hour and serve.
Thai Chicken Casserole
A twist on a regular chicken and rice casserole, this recipe calls for using coconut milk to cook the rice and chicken in. if you can handle your spice, adding a green curry paste can give the casserole a burst of flavour.
Carrot & Horseradish Casserole
If this sounds odd to you, you’re not alone, but once you’ve tried it, it’s bound to become a staple. A sauce made with mayonnaise and horseradish is a great contrast to the sweetness of the carrots, topped on a traditional casserole base.
Spaghetti Casserole
Imagine the fixings of a lasagna paired with spaghetti; that is exactly what this pasta casserole entails. Sausages, onions, cottage cheese (or ricotta), and sour cream work to complement the bite of a well-made, al-dente spaghetti base in a dish that can be made in less than an hour.
French Toast Casserole
Imagine cutting into a custardy stack of French toast without having to spend an hour slaving away over the stove. Made almost exactly like a traditional French toast, his prep-ahead recipe only needs you to put your baking in the oven in the morning, and you’re done.
Fish Stick Casserole
Fish sticks are a snack for kids, right? Of course not! Anyone can enjoy a good fish stick, and with this casserole, you can adultify its flavours easily. Combine fish sticks with scalloped potatoes, frozen peas and herbs and bake till golden.
Baked & Curried Fruits
Intrigued? So are we. You can make this interesting, sweet and savoury dish by combining canned fruits with seasoned curry. For best results, make sure you drain your fruits well so that the flavours of the curry aren’t watered down. Fruits like pineapple, peaches, pears, and apricots work best for this recipe.
Baked Reuben
A Reuben might be a deli staple that many people grab on their way to work, but it can be easily turned into a great dinner meal. To make it, a rye base is topped with pastrami and sauerkraut, and seasoned with caraway seeds for an authentic touch.
Lentil Mushroom Casserole
If the only way you eat lentils is in a soup, here is your wake-up call. You can make this vegetarian casserole by combining lentils of your choice with roasted vegetables like asparagus, cauliflower, mushrooms, and green beans. Serving it with rice will make the meal even more hearty.
Baked Cheesy Hot Dog Casserole
Hot dogs, beans, pork, and cheese on a bed of biscuits covered in a thin layer of brown sugar—doesn’t that sound like childhood in a bowl? If you’re looking for a quick, delicious way to use up your hot dogs, try this for dinner.
