28 Thanksgiving Casserole Recipes

Casseroles do the heavy lifting on Thanksgiving. They bake while the turkey rests, they travel well to potlucks, and most of them can be assembled a day ahead.

This list gathers 28 of the best, from scratch-made green bean casserole and marshmallow-topped sweet potatoes to cheesy squash, cornbread dressing, and loaded hashbrowns.

There are a few mains for the leftovers and two breakfast bakes for Thanksgiving morning too.

1. Green Bean Casserole From Scratch

No canned soup here. The creamy sauce starts with butter, diced onion, fresh mushrooms, and garlic, then thickens with flour, whole milk, and a spoonful of chicken bouillon.

Three cans of cut green beans go in, so prep stays at about five minutes. A generous layer of French fried onions bakes on top for the crunch everyone expects.

It bakes at 350°F and is ready in under an hour. Six servings, and it tastes noticeably better than the classic condensed-soup version.

Source details: daringgourmet.com

2. Cheesy Bacon Green Bean Casserole

A full pound of hickory smoked bacon sets this one apart. It crisps slowly in a cast iron skillet, and the drippings become the base of the sauce.

Baby bella mushrooms, onion, and garlic brown in that bacon fat before flour, whole milk, and sharp cheddar turn it into a thick cheese sauce. A pinch of red pepper flakes adds heat.

Thawed green beans simmer right in the skillet until the sauce thickens. Half the bacon is stirred in and the rest goes on top. Serves eight in an hour.

Source details: theslowroasteditalian.com

3. Sweet Potato Casserole With Pecan Topping

Four pounds of sweet potatoes bake whole until soft, then peel and mash with brown sugar, melted butter, milk, eggs, and vanilla. A little salt and pepper keeps the filling from tasting like dessert.

The topping is a crisp cinnamon pecan crumble made with flour, brown sugar, and more melted butter. It bakes at 350°F for about 40 minutes, with a foil tent for the last 10 so the pecans don’t scorch.

This one feeds twelve and is a true Thanksgiving staple.

Source details: cookingclassy.com

4. Sweet Potato Casserole With Marshmallows And Pecans

Why choose between marshmallows and pecans when you can have both? The mashed sweet potato base is spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves and sweetened with sugar, a little maple syrup, and vanilla.

A buttery brown sugar pecan crumble goes on first, then a whole bag of mini marshmallows toasts golden on top. The two textures together are what make it a family favorite.

You can assemble it the night before Thanksgiving. It makes 16 servings, so it’s built for a crowd.

Source details: carlsbadcravings.com

5. Funeral Potatoes

Thawed hash browns get tossed with sour cream, cream of chicken soup, melted butter, garlic powder, scallions, and two cups of cheddar. That’s the whole filling, mixed right in a 9×13 dish.

Crushed corn flakes stirred with the rest of the butter form the crunchy golden topping. It bakes uncovered at 350°F for 40 to 50 minutes until hot and bubbly.

Ten servings for very little money, and it pairs with everything on the table. Expect it to become a repeat request.

Source details: saltandlavender.com

6. Turkey Broccoli Casserole

Source details: upstateramblings.com

7. Creamed Corn Casserole

Made without a boxed mix, this version builds its own base from cornmeal, flour, a little sugar, baking powder, and onion and garlic powder. Whole kernel corn, creamed corn, heavy cream, eggs, and melted butter go into the wet side.

White cheddar is split, half stirred in and half melted over the top in the last five minutes. The texture lands somewhere between a soufflé and cornbread, slightly gooey and slightly firm.

It’s a stir-and-bake side you can make in advance. Serves eight.

Source details: averiecooks.com

8. Turkey Stuffing Casserole

Source details: cookingwithjanica.com

9. Loaded Cauliflower Casserole

Keto-friendly guests will thank you for this one. Steamed cauliflower florets get folded into a creamy mix of cream cheese, sour cream, sharp cheddar, and Monterey Jack, seasoned with garlic and onion powder.

Half of the crispy bacon and most of the chives go into the mixture, and the rest lands on top. It bakes uncovered at 425°F for 20 to 25 minutes until the cheese melts.

It serves twelve in 45 minutes total, so it fits a busy Thanksgiving kitchen nicely.

Source details: smalltownwoman.com

10. Twice Baked Potato Casserole

Six large russets bake until fork-tender, then get scooped and mashed with butter, half and half, sour cream, and a cup of cheddar. It’s twice baked potato flavor without stuffing individual skins.

The mixture spreads into a 9×13 dish and gets topped with chopped bacon and another cup of cheese. It bakes covered at 350°F for 20 minutes, then uncovered for five until golden.

Chopped green onions finish it. This comfort food side serves eight.

Source details: momsdish.com

11. Cheesy Squash Casserole

Two pounds of thinly sliced yellow squash cook down with sweet onion in bacon grease, then drain well so the casserole never turns watery. That draining step is the secret.

The squash folds into cream of chicken and mushroom soup, sour cream, and two cups of sharp cheddar. About 30 crushed buttery crackers tossed in melted butter cover the top.

It bakes at 350°F for 25 to 30 minutes and rests ten minutes before serving. Ten servings of pure Southern comfort.

Source details: southernbite.com

12. Brown Butter Butternut Squash Casserole

Cubed butternut squash, caramelized onions, and browned butter make a side that smells incredible before it even hits the table. Dried thyme, salt, and cracked pepper are the only seasonings.

The squash bakes covered at 375°F for 50 minutes until tender. Then a sleeve of crushed butter crackers goes on top and it returns to the oven for 15 minutes to form a golden crust.

Only seven ingredients, eight servings, and good enough that you’ll want it beyond Thanksgiving.

Source details: asouthernsoul.com

13. Butternut Squash Casserole With Cranberries And Apples

Here’s a lighter, fruit-forward option. Cubed butternut squash, a chopped green apple, and fresh cranberries get tossed with melted coconut oil, brown sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

It bakes covered at 350°F for about 20 minutes, gets a quick toss, then bakes another 30 minutes until the squash and apples are fork-tender. Letting it rest 10 to 15 minutes thickens the syrupy juices in the bottom of the dish.

Pumpkin works in place of the squash. Makes five side servings.

Source details: theyummybowl.com

14. Cheesy Carrot Casserole

Carrots rarely get the casserole treatment, which is exactly why this one stands out. Two pounds of baby carrots steam until just halfway tender so they finish cooking in the oven with a little bite left.

A homemade cheese sauce comes together from butter, onion, flour, dry mustard, and milk whisked in a quarter cup at a time, then a cup of sharp cheddar. It pours over the carrots in a 9×13 dish.

Bread crumbs or crushed Ritz go on top before 25 minutes at 350°F. Serves eight.

Source details: numstheword.com

15. Green Bean Stuffing Casserole

Source details: thisisnotdietfood.com

16. Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes

Over 60 five-star reviews back this one up. Thinly sliced russets simmer in a sauce of chicken broth and heavy cream flavored with butter, minced onion, garlic, fresh thyme, and bay leaves.

Shredded cheddar melts through the layers for a creamy, cheesy, deeply savory result. The big selling point is that it’s a make-ahead side that can be frozen and baked later, which frees up oven space on the day.

It has been a holiday dinner fixture in the author’s family for years. Serves six.

Source details: borrowedbites.com

17. Southern Pineapple Casserole

Sweet, savory, and steeped in Southern tradition. A can of pineapple tidbits with its juice gets stirred gently with flour, sugar, and a cup of grated sharp cheddar.

The mixture goes into a buttered 8×8 dish, then crushed Ritz crackers spread across the top and the whole thing is dotted with butter. It bakes at 350°F for 20 to 30 minutes until bubbly.

Let it cool 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Skeptics become believers after one bite, and it serves eight.

Source details: lanascooking.com

18. Thanksgiving Mac And Cheese

Three cheeses make this the richest mac on the list: sharp cheddar, Gruyère, and mozzarella melted into a roux of butter, flour, warm whole milk, and cream. Dijon, smoked paprika, and a pinch of cayenne sharpen the sauce.

Elbows are cooked a minute short of al dente so they finish in the oven. A reserved cup and a half of cheese and a panko, Parmesan, and garlic butter crust go on top before baking.

Assemble it the day before and bake fresh. Serves ten.

Source details: lenaskitchenblog.com

19. Southern Cornbread Dressing

Ten minutes of prep is all this dressing asks. Seven cups of crumbled cornbread get combined with cream of celery soup, cream of chicken soup, two cups of chicken broth, a finely chopped onion, salt, and pepper.

The mixture spreads into a 13×9 dish and bakes uncovered at 350°F for 30 to 45 minutes until the top is golden brown. The inside stays moist while the edges crisp.

It’s a family-favorite shortcut on the classic Southern recipe and serves eight.

Source details: southernbite.com

20. Sausage Stuffing Casserole

Fresh herbs are the difference here: a tablespoon each of chopped rosemary, sage, parsley, and thyme. A pound of bread cubes dries in the oven first so it soaks up the broth without turning to mush.

Onion, carrots, and celery sauté in olive oil, then a pound of bulk pork sausage browns in the same skillet. Everything gets tossed together with vegetable broth until the stuffing feels slightly soggy.

It bakes covered at 350°F for 30 minutes, then uncovered for 15 to brown. Serves eight.

Source details: theurbenlife.com

21. Brussels Sprouts Wild Rice Casserole

Elegant enough to double as a vegetarian main. Quartered Brussels sprouts blanch for just 20 to 30 seconds and drop into an ice bath, so they stay bright green in the finished dish.

The sauce is built on butter, scallions, garlic, a splash of dry white wine, and half-and-half, then loaded with sharp white cheddar. Two cups of cooked wild rice blend get stirred in with the sprouts.

Slivered almonds on top bake crunchy at 375°F in 25 to 30 minutes. It can be made ahead and serves six.

Source details: fromachefskitchen.com

22. Brussels Sprouts Gratin

Gruyère, bacon, and breadcrumbs turn two pounds of Brussels sprouts into a casserole even skeptics reach for. Three slices of thick-cut bacon crisp first, and one tablespoon of the drippings cooks the sprouts and onion until golden.

A light sauce of butter, flour, 2% milk, fresh thyme, and a pinch of nutmeg keeps it on the healthier side. Whole wheat breadcrumbs and crumbled bacon cover the top.

It finishes at 400°F for 10 to 15 minutes until bubbly. Serves eight.

Source details: wellplated.com

23. Turkey Tetrazzini

Leftover turkey finds its best second act in this pasta bake. A pound of spaghetti gets coated in a rich sauce of butter, olive oil, onion, garlic, flour, chicken broth, and milk seasoned with Italian herbs.

Cream cheese and a cup and a half of Parmesan melt in for serious creaminess. Four cups of chopped cooked turkey go in next, then everything moves to a 9×13 dish with more Parmesan on top.

It bakes at 350°F for 30 to 45 minutes until the top browns. Serves eight.

Source details: jocooks.com

24. Friendsgiving Chicken Stuffing Casserole

Made completely from scratch, this chicken and stuffing bake starts by simmering chicken thighs with onion, garlic, carrot, celery, peppercorns, and fresh herbs into a homemade stock.

That stock then goes into a creamy sauce of butter, minced celery and onion, flour, heavy cream, and sour cream. Herb-seasoned stuffing mix moistened with melted butter and more stock forms the topping.

It bakes at 350°F for about 30 minutes and feeds eight. Perfect for a Friendsgiving table or the hungry crowd that shows up the day after.

Source details: laurenslatest.com

25. Leftover Turkey Casserole

Every leftover on the counter earns a layer here. Two cups of stuffing go into an 8-inch dish first, followed by four cups of chopped turkey.

A mix of mayonnaise and whole berry cranberry sauce spreads over the turkey, which is the trick that makes dry turkey moist again. Leftover mashed sweet potatoes blended with more mayo and shredded mozzarella make the creamy top layer, with the rest of the stuffing to finish.

It bakes at 375°F for about 40 minutes and serves six.

Source details: cutefetti.com

26. Ultimate Green Bean Casserole

Source details: southernbite.com

27. Paula Deen’s Corn Casserole

Source details: thecozycook.com

28. Overnight French Toast Casserole

Thanksgiving morning breakfast, prepped in ten minutes the night before. A day-old loaf of country bread gets chopped into big chunks and spread in a buttered 9×13 dish.

A custard of half and half, eight eggs, brown sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon pours over the bread. It soaks in the fridge for at least three hours, or overnight for the fluffiest result.

In the morning it bakes at 375°F for 30 to 40 minutes until puffed and golden. Cut into twelve thick pieces and serve warm.

Source details: aspicyperspective.com