50 Make-Ahead Casseroles You’ll Want To Dig Right Into

Break out your best casserole dish because there’s nothing better than homemade comfort food — especially when it can be made ahead and saved for that moment you need it most. From breakfast casseroles that can feed a crowd to creative takes inspired by other popular dishes, these recipes are layered with flavor — and sure to satisfy. You can't go wrong with any of the recipes in this roundup but we love a good mashup like this one. With hash browns, ground beef, canned tomatoes and green chiles, taco seasoning and gooey cheese, it can't be beat. It's the ultimate hands-off meal. And since everything's tossed together right in the baking dish, there's very little cleanup. Simply garnish with your favorite taco toppings and dinner is served. If you're lucky enough to have leftovers, try wrapping them in a tortilla for a quick burrito.

Low maintenance and packed with flavor, this creamy casserole transforms dorm-friendly ramen noodles into a satisfying casserole for a crowd.

This cheesy, layered beauty that tastes like nachos, but better! It’s made a bit easier thanks to rotisserie chicken and features crunchy tortilla chips along with all the seasonings you’d expect in a plate of nachos. The trick that really takes this casserole over the top, though, is the creamy salsa verde sauce that coats the chicken. It’s irresistibly delicious and so full of flavor.

If your first thought when you hear the word “casserole” is heavy or indulgent, Valerie’s healthy dish will change all that. Her take on the chicken casserole is hearty and satisfying—but full also of good-for-you kale.

Try a new take on the casserole — a standby one-dish dinner. This one combines hearty ground beef with cheddar and egg noodles.

Trisha smothers shredded chicken, Cheddar cheese and tortillas in her special, homemade gravy for a warm and comforting dish that fans call, “absolutely delicious”.

This creamy tuna-noodle dump dinner is made entirely in one baking dish, egg noodles included. It tastes just like the casserole you grew up eating but requires less equipment (and cleanup). Instead of using the classic cream of mushroom soup, we opted for a combination of cheese, broth, heavy cream and sour cream, which provides the same velvety texture.

With just a little day-before prep work, this creamy casserole comes together quickly with mushrooms, poached chicken and cauliflower.

This dish has everything you love about a traditional bagel breakfast sandwich, but it's all baked into a casserole that can be made the night before.

Pulsing potato tots in a food processor keeps their crispy texture and turns them into a crunchy topping. Genius!

Giada's colorful veggie casserole, full of potatoes, yams, bell pepper and zucchini, would be excellent alongside grilled steak. Thanks to the crusty Parmesan-breadcrumb topping, it's filling enough to serve as a vegetarian main course, too.

Eat spaghetti and meatballs by the slice instead of the bowl. Each slab of this kid-friendly casserole has tiny meatballs and pockets of gooey cheese. Add slices of leftover cooked Italian sausage if you have it.

Cauliflower just got loaded — like a baked potato, that is. All the familiar flavors of your favorite stuffed spud are in this cheesy casserole that is low in carbs and high in flavor.

All your favorite Tex-Mex flavors in a comforting casserole that's fast and easy to throw together.

Creamy, cozy and oh-so-delicious, Molly’s casserole is the ultimate make-ahead meal. She stores her casserole in the freezer and pops it in the oven for just 30 minutes when she needs a heat-and-eat dinner.

Just dump a box of pasta, bag of shrimp and a few other pantry staples into a dish and bake. Right before serving, stir in the heavy cream and top with grated cheese and fresh parsley for a rich and creamy weeknight dinner in a flash.

This copycat hash brown casserole is an incredibly comforting side dish you'll want to make for both breakfast spreads and dinner parties alike. We opted to ditch the canned creamed soup and make a homemade cheese sauce instead. The result is a homey rendition of the classic Cracker Barrel dish.

A classic made modern and fresh, Alton ditches the traditional cream of mushroom soup and canned green beans, instead using real mushrooms, half-and-half and fresh green beans.

We love creamy Havarti cheese for this comforting casserole. The mild Danish cheese is widely available in different flavors — try dill or caraway for extra punch.

Instead of filling each individual potato skin, Ree reinvents cheesy, bacon-laced twice baked potatoes as a comforting casserole.

Tackle Giada's traditional lasagna by making each of the separate components before layering.

For this cozy feast, the chicken will do double duty: once with the meat in the filling and once with the bones to enrich some store-bought broth. And that cheddar crust? Totally worth making from scratch.

Trisha's veggie lasagna is anything but boring. Black beans, tofu ricotta and fire-roasted tomatoes make for a comforting, flavorful meal that's vegetarian and dairy-free.

Skip cooking a big pot of rice and throw the ingredients into a casserole dish instead for an easy dump-dinner meal. The basmati rice and chickpeas absorb all the delicious flavors of ginger, garlic, curry powder and coconut milk. Finish with a quick drizzle of yogurt along with fresh cilantro leaves and lime wedges for a simple and complete meal.

We nicknamed this the "broken enchilada" casserole because the soft layer of cooked tortilla chips on the bottom reminded us of enchiladas. The best part? This dish is so much easier to make!

“A bag of frozen tots lays the foundation for this hearty, cheesy winner of a breakfast casserole,” says Ree.

Make this crowd-pleasing favorite the classic way: with buttery mashed sweet potatoes and a crunchy pecan topping.

“This dish is perfect for a crowd, and it’s just as good with ground turkey or chicken,” says Trisha.

Trisha’s make-ahead sausage casserole is just as good for dinner as it is for breakfast. Use sage sausage for fragrant, herby results.

Rachael's enchilada sauce with poblano peppers, tomatillos and cumin has just the right amount of heat and all the cheesy goodness you crave.

If tomato soup and grilled cheese is your go-to comfort food, then we have the casserole for you. Using the broiler instead of the stovetop makes the work of grilling the bread and cheese easier-try it method when you're cooking sandwiches for a crowd.

Get all your favorite breakfast foods in one bite! And change up the cheese if you want — try Pepper Jack for a little spice.

Have bananas with your flapjacks. Oh, and chocolate, too. Add a few sliced strawberries or a handful of raspberries for an extra pop of flavor and color!

Trisha mixes pork, beans and barbecue sauce in this simple casserole that easily serves a crowd.

Nestle cooked spaghetti into an egg mixture in a skillet, then top it with a layer of mozzarella and Parmesan.

As Molly says, this dish is “like sweater weather in food form.” She whips up a homemade biscuit dough to bake on top of her bacon, apple and butternut squash casserole.

Skip the store-bought pierogi and make Michael’s five-star casserole instead. He layers a homemade pasta dough with mashed potatoes, caramelized onions, bacon and cheese for the ultimate comfort dish.

If you love an all-American breakfast with hash browns, eggs, sausage and peppers, then this is the recipe for you! Besides being downright delicious, the cheesy casserole can cook overnight. Assemble all the ingredients in your slow cooker, set it on low and wake up to a hearty meal that's ready first thing in the morning for hungry houseguests.