Ree Drummond's Best Casserole Recipes

Ree Drummond is the host of Food Network's popular series The Pioneer Woman, and she's known for her comforting foods, best-selling books and stories of life on her family's working cattle ranch in Oklahoma. Ree knows how to please any appetite, whether she's making brunch for friends, delivering lunch to hungry cowboys or just putting dinner on the table every night. We've rounded up some of her top-rated recipes, so read on to find your favorites, like the green bean casserole shown here.

Skip the cream of mushroom soup when you make Ree's version of an American classic. Follow her directions or customize her Legendary Green Bean recipe to suit your tastes. It's easy to make her mushroom sauce with heavy cream or update her plain white sauce with some of your favorite cheeses. Short on time? Substitute frozen green beans for fresh. Ree tops this dish with her recipe for crispy fried onions, but you could use store-bought fried onions, panko breadcrumbs or crushed potato chips. It's a delicious side dish for Thanksgiving, but don't wait for a holiday or other special occasion. Ree says it's great to serve with a roasted chicken or other meat at any meal.

Take out an aluminum foil baking dish and a glass baking dish to make two batches of this tasty casserole: one for eating right away and one to freeze for another day. Ree's recipe calls for browning ground beef, garlic and onions in a skillet and heating enchilada sauce, chicken broth, cumin, salt and pepper in a saucepan. When the sauce simmers, she stirs in the meat mixture and pours half into each of the two baking dishes. After baking, one dish is topped with cheese-flavored chips (such as Doritos), shredded romaine lettuce, diced tomatoes, sour cream, green onions and black olives. The other dish is allowed to cool and covered with foil before it's stored in the freezer. She scatters the fresh toppings on it just before serving.

Making French toast for breakfast, brunch or any other crowd takes time, because you can only squeeze so many slices of egg-and-milk-soaked bread into one skillet. Ree gets around the time factor by turning this lemony treat into a casserole. She cuts potato bread into triangles, slightly overlaps them in a buttered baking dish and pours in a custard made from eggs, milk, brown sugar, mascarpone and flavorings. The custard is baked until it sets and the bread becomes crispy, and then it's ready to plate up with a lemony, sweet glaze.

Southern cooks have heard about (or made) a dish called Million Dollar Spaghetti that features two sauces. It's a favorite that inspired Ree to create her own recipe with three sauces: a meat sauce, an Alfredo sauce and pesto. Her meat sauce combines spicy breakfast sauce with ground chuck steak, and she flavors it with tomato paste, marinara sauce, diced bell pepper, onion and jalapeño, olive oil and fresh rosemary. Melted, salted butter, heavy cream, salt and pepper, and grated Parmesan complete the Alfredo sauce. For the third sauce, she tosses the cooked spaghetti noodles with pesto from a jar.

This recipe is a keeper; it's a hand-me-down from Ree's mother, who served it at some of the dinner parties she hosted in the 1970s. Seafood lovers, this one's packed with lump crabmeat, lobster and cooked shrimp, stirred together with mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, a tablespoon of sherry and a little seafood seasoning, such as Old Bay. Ree added one touch to her mother's original: she uses hot sauce to taste. The casserole, topped with crushed potato chips and chopped parsley, takes about 30 minutes to bake. A side salad is a delicious accompaniment that Ree dresses with olive oil, lemon juice, chives, honey, salt and pepper.

Ree turns French onion soup into a family meal with this casserole, and stirs in some shredded rotisserie chicken to keep the meat lovers happy. We love it because you can bake it, store it in the freezer and heat it up when you're in a hurry to get something on the table. Minced fresh herbs like oregano and thyme give this dish extra flavor, and a sprinkle of chopped, bright green parsley gives the casserole a colorful finish.

When you and your family and ranch hands live in Oklahoma, you can't have enough dishes that reflect the local Tex-Mex culture — and this rice casserole is filled with familiar flavors. Ree makes hers with long-grain rice, chopped onion, chicken broth, garlic, diced tomatoes, green chiles and spices like turmeric, cayenne pepper, cumin and cilantro. Grated cheddar cheese scattered over the mixture melts when she slides the dish into the oven to bake.

Gardeners know zucchini plants are prolific, but instead of leaving a basket of all your surplus zucchinis on a neighbor's doorstep, ringing the bell and running away in the night, saute a few with olive oil and onions to make this nutritious, flavorful casserole. It features the usual lasagna suspects (cottage cheese, grated Parmesan, eggs, mozzarella and seasonings). Ree adds cooked spinach and uses store-bought marinara for a quick finish. Share the recipe with your neighbors and watch them start growing their own zucchinis.

Egg noodles are so versatile, Ree keeps them on hand for a variety of casserole recipes. This one starts with browned ground chuck, a can of tomato sauce, salt and pepper. The noodles cook separately and are set aside to drain while Ree combines sour cream, cottage cheese, green onions, black pepper and a just pinch of red pepper flakes. She layers the noodles, half of the meat mixture and some grated cheddar cheese; the layers are repeated before the dish goes into the oven to bake and melt the cheese on top.

When a friend challenged Ree to whip up an easy meal with only three ingredients, she created this can't-miss sausage casserole. All it requires is a package of spicy breakfast sausage, some cream cheese that's been allowed to warm to room temperature and a box of frozen puff pastries. (Be sure to thaw the pastries the night before you plan to make this dish.) Ree likes to slice this comfort-food casserole into squares and serve them while they're warm. It's great for any time of day.

Break out a bag of frozen tater tots for this casserole that you can serve for breakfast, brunch or even dinner, if you're feeding breakfast-for-dinner fans. Made with spicy breakfast sausage, finely diced onion, and red and green peppers, it features Ree's signature cheesy touch; she likes cheddar and pepper Jack for this combination. Start the day before, so the tater tots have time to soak overnight in an eggy mix of seasonings, half-and-half and some grated cheese. It bakes in about 25 minutes after it's out of the fridge.

Ree's twice-baked potato casserole is a hearty side dish that can satisfy a crowd. She likes to bake starchy russet potatoes for this recipe, but says you can substitute Yukon golds. After the potatoes are baked and sliced, the insides are scraped into a bowl and smashed with a potato masher; for a smoother result, she uses a ricer. The nutrient-rich potato skins can go in, too, along with cheese, seasonings, milk, sliced green onions, sour cream and crispy bacon. Not a bacon fan? Ree suggests omitting it or using finely diced ham or some other meat. No sour cream? Try buttermilk or heavy cream. Ree calls this casserole a must for Thanksgiving or Christmas, but it's also delicious with steak or pot roast on any night of the week.

You can mix up this easy, cheesy casserole in about 30 minutes, pop it in a 375-degree F oven for another 30 minutes, and dinner is served. It starts with two bags of diced frozen hash brown potatoes combined with grated sharp cheddar cheese, grated Monterey Jack cheese and slices of fried, chopped bacon tossed on top. Diced green chiles, jalapeños, a poblano chili and onions give it a punch without being overpowering.

Named for one of the world's largest working ranches, the King Ranch in South Texas, this casserole is satisfying and hearty. And yes, it's based on chicken, although the King Ranch raises cattle. Ree warns that you may find the recipe for her soup/tomato mixture a little strange, but urges you to trust her. She combines cream of mushroom soup, cream of chicken soup, diced tomatoes and chiles with chicken broth and seasonings. Corn tortillas, torn into pieces, are layered in a baking dish and covered with half the mixture and diced onion, red bell pepper, and jalapeño and everything is sprinkled with grated cheddar cheese. The layers are repeated, the dish is covered with foil, cooked for 45 minutes, then uncovered and cooked some more. For a quick future meal, wrap the cooked, cooled casserole and pop it into the freezer.

When her family is home for the holidays, Ree preps this easy casserole ahead of time and pops it into the oven, but it's ideal for every day, too. This comforting dish is made with breakfast sausage, onions, potatoes, eggs, two kinds of cheese and other ingredients. Pickled jalapeño slices on top add a little bite. Ree warms a few tortillas, scoops about one-eighth of a cup of the casserole onto each one and rolls them up. After covering the dish with foil, she pops it into the oven to bake for about 25 minutes; then, she takes off the cover and lets it cook for about 20 to 35 minutes more. They're served on the table with a bowl of salsa, so they can be topped with as much as anyone wants.

Tuna noodle casseroles are classic American comfort foods: they're easy on your budget, simple to make, filling and family-friendly. Ree's version uses staples you'll probably have in your pantry, like egg noodles, panko breadcrumbs and a few cans of white albacore tuna packed in water. She drains the tuna and cooks it in a sauce made from whole milk, dry sherry, chopped mushrooms, diced onions coated in flour and other ingredients. Bring it to the table along with a fresh green salad and a loaf or slices of warm, crusty bread.

Feed your family or a gathering with Ree's golden-brown French toast casserole. Start with a crusty bread, like French bread or sourdough. Ideally, it will be a day old so it can soak up a rich mixture of eggs, milk, heavy cream and vanilla. Ree also uses white and brown sugars for a sweet, caramelized note. While the mixture sits overnight in the refrigerator, she preps an aromatic streusel topping. Once the custard-soaked bread comes out of the fridge, the streusel is sprinkled on top and the dish is baked for 45 minutes for a pudding-like texture, or an hour for crispy toast. Don't hold back; offer this with fresh fruit, syrup, honey, whipped cream or other toppings.

Pick your favorite short pasta for this recipe, such as trofie, penne or gemelli. Ree puts this casserole together quickly by using frozen diced butternut squash, frozen peas and a jar of chopped roasted red peppers. It also includes a small cauliflower head, grated on the large side of a box grater, some mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses, and four ounces of fresh goat cheese, broken into little pieces. Fresh minced parsley adds a note of color and a bright, slightly peppery taste.

This casserole might remind you of the yummy 8-Layer Dip Ree makes with beans, green chiles, grated cheese, tomatoes, cilantro, avocados and other ingredients, all served with tortilla chips for easy scooping. But this recipe subs refried beans for the ranch-style kind and uses ground beef and taco seasoning instead of slices of thick-cut bacon. The Drummond Ranch cowboys love its spicy Tex-Mex flavors, she says, and she can serve it to them from the back of her truck while they're out on the prairie. Because it's a one-dish meal, it makes a quick and easy working lunch.

Broccoli is so nutritious. Filled with antioxidants, vitamins A, K and C, fiber and minerals like calcium and iron, researchers say it's good for your heart, bones, eyes, digestion and immune system. Ree makes a creamy casserole using this veggie and cooked long-grain rice. First, she prepares a sauce with diced, cooked onion, a grated garlic clove, milk, small broccoli florets, cream cheese, three kinds of cheeses and other ingredients. Half of the cooked rice goes into the bottom of a large baking pan. It's topped with half of the sauce, another layer of rice and finished with the rest of the sauce and a scattering of grated sharp cheddar.

This make-ahead egg casserole is another delish dish from Ree's mom, so you really can hit your snooze button and get up late. Butter, cheese and ciabatta torn into chunks make it ideal for breakfast, brunch or another meal. Allow time for a mixture of eggs, milk, onions, chives, mustard, cayenne and salt to chill overnight in the fridge. When you're awake enough, prepare a baking dish and pour the mixture over the ciabatta chunks, add small pieces of cream cheese and sprinkle the top with grated cheddar cheese. The omelet, as Ree calls this casserole, is covered with foil and goes into the oven for about 45 minutes. After the foil comes off, it bakes for 10 to 15 minutes more, or until it's set.

Hominy is made from dried, processed kernels of yellow or white field corn. It's a key ingredient in Mexican pozole, and in the South, it's ground to make grits or added to dishes like cooked shrimp. Ree starts her hominy casserole by frying bacon and cooking a chopped onion and red bell pepper in the grease. She stirs in hominy, some half-and-half for richness and hot sauce to taste. The fried bacon is chopped and tossed in, too, along with two kinds of cheeses and some kosher salt and pepper. It all goes into a buttered baking pan where it's layered with more cheese and breadcrumbs, and baked until it's bubbling and golden brown.

This casserole has all the Southwestern flavors you could want in one dish. Ree's recipe calls for rice, garlic, chili powder, onions, paprika, cumin, cooked chicken cut into bite-sized pieces and other ingredients. She saves prep time by using store-bought salsa verde and enchilada sauce (or you can use her enchilada sauce recipe and make your own). Cans of kidney and pinto beans add protein. After the ingredients are cooked and combined, they're spooned over half a package of tortillas (choose corn or flour). The dish is topped with the remaining tortillas, salsa verde, enchilada sauce and grated cheese.

Raid your cabinets for more egg noodles to make this casserole. It's rich and delicious, made with cottage cheese, sour cream, cheddar cheese and sliced green onions (save some of the onions for garnish). Ree likes to add plenty of freshly ground pepper to this dish. Instead of breadcrumbs, her casserole boasts a crunchy topping of crushed potato chips. The casserole is shown here on a plate of Roasted Pork Tenderloin With Bacon Jam and fresh arugula tossed with olive oil and lemon juice.