There’s nothing better than a heaping helping of potatoes; whether they’re Yukon Gold, russet or fingerling is entirely up to you. The hearty vegetable sometimes gets a bad rap, but potatoes are actually low in sodium, high in potassium and an important source of complex carbohydrates and vitamins C and B-6.

Make the most of this year’s potato harvest by mixing them with other rich ingredients and baking ‘em in a casserole dish. Easy to put together and full of flavor, a casserole makes for a great make-ahead meal that requires hardly any prep.

Whip up Emeril’s Twice Baked Potato Casserole for a buttery, cheesy mashed mix. The key is adding butter, sour cream, heavy cream and seasonings to the potato flesh once they’ve gone through one round of baking in the oven.

Try Sandra’s Easy Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes for a rich and decadent side dish that looks and tastes gourmet. This recipe calls for a medium casserole pan, but we say the bigger the better to savor the flavor.

Make Food Network Magazine’s Vegetable Shepherd’s Pie (pictured above) in a little over an hour. Buttery Yukon Gold potatoes pair well with carrots, celery, baby turnips and chopped veggie burgers.

Pile on the vegetables when you make Giada’s Tomato Vegetable Casserole. The delectable mix of red bell pepper, carrots, zucchini and, of course, potato makes this dish five-star worthy.

Talk to us: What’s your favorite way to eat potatoes? Tell us in the comments or join the conversation on Twitter at #cookingwith.

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