35 Christmas Casseroles To Feed The Whole Family This Holiday Season
There's only 25 days of Christmas, and that time is best spent celebrating with friends and family, not drudging away in the kitchen. Yet dinner's still gotta get on the table. To help save you time to spend on what really matters (like eating ALL those Christmas desserts 😉), we’ve gathered this list of Christmas casseroles. They’re perfect for unexpected dinner parties, holiday potlucks, and weeknight meals all season long.
Casseroles are the ultimate in comfort food, but that doesn’t mean they can’t also be dressed up and served to dinner party guests this holiday. For those occasions, try our tricolore skillet lasagna, our chicken cordon bleu casserole (with prosciutto bread crumbs), our Caprese chicken & polenta bake, or our shepherd's pie. Serve them alongside some simple veggies (and some wine!) for an unforgettable holiday meal.
If you are looking for something more chill (to serve to your siblings, your cousins, AND their kids, perhaps?), you’ve got to check out our Philly cheesesteak casserole (use red & green peppers to keep things festive), our chicken pot pie casserole, our shepherd’s pie, or our pizza casserole. Bonus: The leftovers make for great next day lunches.
As a gift to you, we've also included some breakfast casseroles here. Mornings should be spent going to holiday markets, ice skating, or opening presents on the big day, not cooking up eggs or pancakes just the way everyone likes them. Instead, make our overnight French toast, our cranberry bread pudding, our breakfast strata, or our chocolate chip pancake bake. They save time and taste delicious so everyone will love them, you most of all.
Want even more Christmas inspiration? Check out our top Christmas dinners, our favorite Christmas side dishes, and our best Christmas appetizers too.
Shepherd's Pie
In England, the birthplace of this hearty dish, shepherd's pie is most often made with a ground lamb filling. In the States, it's more common to use ground beef. Both are delicious, so use whichever you prefer.
Get the Shepherd's Pie recipe.
Creamed Brussels Sprouts
We'll take Brussels any which way, but we also love giving them the traditional holiday treatment—with plenty of butter, cream, and cheese. This method upgrades even the most humble vegetables while still allowing them to be the star of the show—even skeptics will be asking for seconds.
Get the Creamed Brussels Sprouts recipe.
Caprese Chicken & Polenta Bake
Gnocchi lovers, this dish is for you, but it has a little spin—rather than using gnocchi made from potatoes, it’s prepared with polenta instead. We then added spinach and chicken cutlets to turn this into a meal-in-one casserole you'll love.
Get the Caprese Chicken & Polenta Bake recipe.
Cranberry Bread Pudding
With bright pops of cranberries, almond- and clove-scented custard, and a sweet orange icing, this bread pudding is impressive enough to serve for dessert at a dinner party, and not to sweet to serve as breakfast. It's also a cinch to whip up and is sure to please your Christmas crowd.
Get the Cranberry Bread Pudding recipe.
Funeral Potatoes
The story goes that these bubbling beauties were named so after becoming a traditional comfort food for post-funeral gatherings. While we can get behind that—they are basically comfort in a pan—we prefer to eat them on happier occasions too, especially holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Get the Funeral Potatoes recipe.
Tuscan Butter Gnocchi
Tuscan butter is perfect on everything. Literally. We love it on shrimp, salmon, chicken, and now, gnocchi!
Get the Tuscan Butter Gnocchi recipe.
Philly Cheesesteak Casserole
Love Philly cheesesteaks but need to serve a crowd? This festive (red and green) casserole to the rescue! You could even make it a little more veggie-heavy by adding some tomatoes and spinach. (Just don't tell your friends from Philly 😜)
Get the Philly Cheesesteak Casserole recipe.
Gnocchi Stuffing
Heading to a Christmas potluck and need a fun, different dish? This gnocchi stuffing is a creative twist on classic stuffing everyone will love. Using gnocchi instead of bread gives you dumpling-like bites with all the traditional flavors.
Get the Gnocchi Stuffing recipe.
Mashed Potato Casserole
Mashed potato casserole is the ultimate holiday side dish you've been waiting for. We bet it'll find its way onto your holiday dinner table at some point during the season—it's creamy, cheesy, and best of all, great for a crowd!
Get the Mashed Potato Casserole recipe.
Breakfast Strata
This healthy casserole will fuel you and your family all Christmas Day long. Everyone will be so into the sausage, eggs, and bread here, they won't even notice we snuck in some mushrooms and spinach too!
Get the Breakfast Strata recipe.
Tricolore Skillet Lasagna
This easy skillet lasagna has everything we love about the original, but without the confusing layering steps. Instead, you'll toss the cooked noodles in an oniony marinara sauce, dollop with pesto, and top with fresh mozzarella and a shower of grated Parmesan. Bonus: It's red & green, perfect for Christmas.
Get the Tricolore Skillet Lasagna recipe.
Broccoli Rabe & Italian Sausage Lasagna
Sausage and broccoli rabe are a classic pasta combination. It felt right to feature the dynamic duo in this decadent white lasagna, held together by a creamy mornay sauce. (AKA béchamel + Parmesan.) It's extra special, perfect for the holidays.
Get the Broccoli Rabe & Italian Sausage Lasagna recipe.
Overnight French Toast Casserole
We've got three words for you that are going to change your Christmas breakfast and brunch game forever: Overnight. French. Toast. It's comically delicious, thanks to a long overnight soak in a heavy cream-infused custard, which transforms the sliced challah into a pudding-y delight.
Get the Overnight French Toast Casserole recipe.
Homemade Mac & Cheese
The perfect macaroni & cheese recipe has to nail three things: be extra creamy, plenty cheesy, and paired with a golden, crunchy topping. This tried-and-true recipe aces all of these requirements (and more!) with flying colors!
Get the Homemade Mac & Cheese recipe.
Ratatouille Casserole
Ratatouille, a classic end of summer dish from the South of France, takes on a new wintery form in this beautiful spiraled casserole. Instead of cooking the ratatouille on the stovetop, enjoy it right out of the oven.
Get the Ratatouille Casserole recipe.
Chicken Pot Pie Casserole
If chicken pot pie excites you, but pie crust intimidates you, you’ve arrived at the perfect recipe. Classic chicken pot pie filling is baked into a stress-free casserole and, best of all, topped with biscuits for that tantalizing golden brown finish.
Get the Chicken Pot Pie Casserole recipe.
Copycat Cracker Barrel Hash Brown Casserole
When your Christmas brunch visitors come over, do you really see yourself frying up hash browns for everyone at the table? Enter this casserole: This bacon-y, cheesy bake is a cornerstone of the Cracker Barrel breakfast menu, and it's foolproof if you’re making it at home too.
Get the Copycat Cracker Barrel Hash Brown Casserole recipe.
Cheesy Croissant Casserole
The contrast here between the crispy, flaky edges of the croissants and the soft, cheesy middle is very special. If you're able to, assemble everything on Christmas Eve, then bake it off the next morning.
Get the Cheesy Croissant Casserole recipe.
Bread Pudding
This rich, custardy dessert is a guaranteed Christmas morning crowd-pleaser. We love challah for its subtle sweetness and light, airy texture, but any [stale] bread will do. Though raisins are optional, we think they add a nice pop of sweetness and texture.
Get the Bread Pudding recipe.
Scalloped Potatoes
When it comes to crowd-pleasing holiday comfort foods, you can’t beat scalloped potatoes. Rich, creamy, and refreshingly unfussy, this versatile side dish is great for everything from potlucks to Christmas family dinners.
Get the Scalloped Potatoes recipe.
Boursin Baked Ziti
Many white baked ziti recipes call for swapping out the marinara for béchamel sauce, but a mixture of Boursin, ricotta, and heavy cream is much simpler—and super-delicious. The Boursin, which is packed with garlic and herbs, adds instant flavor to the sauce, and it melts like a dream.
Get the Boursin Baked Ziti recipe.
Classic Stuffing
When it comes to a big holiday feast, we consider the roast turkey or ham and the vegetable casseroles as sides to the STUFFING. A good stuffing can make or break your dinner, and this one will absolutely make your holiday meal all the better.
Get the Classic Stuffing recipe.
Vegetable Casserole
For this recipe, we wanted to gussy up the idea of a holiday casserole by combining two French dishes: ratatouille and potatoes au gratin. This combination makes for a luxurious and delicious way to get in some extra veggies to your meal (but don't worry, there's LOTS of melty Gruyère too 😉).
Get the Vegetable Casserole recipe.
Garlic Bread-Topped Chicken Pot Pie
Nothing is more comforting than chicken pot pie topped with a buttery crust. Swap out the crust for garlic bread, though, and now we are really talking. This is a killer unexpected addition to any holiday meal (and is especially great for potlucks!).
Get the Garlic Bread-Topped Chicken Pot Pie recipe.
Cheesy Brussels Sprout Bake
This is one side dish that will everyone freak out about (and run for seconds). If you have vegetarian holiday guests, feel free to skip the bacon! We're usually all about the smoky flavor, but for this dish, it's all about the CHEESE.
Get the Cheesy Brussels Sprout Bake recipe.
Pizza Casserole
From the realms of cheesy pizza and bubbling baked pasta comes a new family favorite: pizza casserole. Loaded with sausage, veggies, and plenty of cheese, this easy weeknight dinner has all of the cheesy, tomato-filled goodness of your favorite take-out pizza, neatly packaged in a 13"-by-9" pan.
Get the Pizza Casserole recipe.
Chicken 'n' Waffles Casserole
Southern chicken & waffles are the BEST, but getting everything out at the same time can be tricky. When you need to feed a crowd quick (and get to opening presents ASAP), use our freezer waffle and breaded chicken hack instead!
Get the Chicken 'n' Waffles Casserole recipe.
Keto Breakfast Casserole
The classic combo of Italian sausage, broccoli rabe, and basil lends itself to a recipe that’s easy to whip up for an impressive Christmas breakfast or brunch. Trust us on the nutmeg: It adds a subtle, mysterious note that will have everyone (keto or not!) wondering why it's so delicious.
Get the Keto Breakfast Casserole recipe.
Egg & Hash Brown Casserole
Listen, we love a big breakfast featuring all the usual suspects—fluffy scrambled eggs, crispy hash browns, a plate of breakfast sausage, and a pile of sautéed spinach for good measure. Enter this casserole, which delivers all those classic breakfast foods in ONE single dish.
Get the Egg & Hash Brown Casserole recipe.
Homemade Lasagna
Based on the traditional lasagna alla Bolognese from the Emilia-Romagna province in Italy, we grabbed what we loved most about the timeless, classic recipe and simplified it to make it hectic-holiday-friendly.
Get the Homemade Lasagna recipe.
Eggnog French Toast Bake
If you love eggnog (and even if you don't!), this is the perfect make-ahead breakfast for friends and family visiting over winter holidays.
Get the Eggnog French Toast Bake recipe.
Chicken and Mushroom White Lasagna
Few things are more pleasing than a melty, cheesy square of lasagna. This creamy white version, made extra luxurious from a cheesy béchamel-type sauce called Mornay, is packed with chopped chicken, spinach, mushroom, and fresh herbs—and a few time-saving secrets.
Get the Chicken and Mushroom White Lasagna recipe.
Creamy Kale & Gnocchi Bake
Fans of creamed spinach will absolutely love this hearty, creamy dish that puts the classic side front-and-center on your plate with gnocchi as the main attraction.
Get the Creamy Kale & Gnocchi Bake recipe.
Green Bean Casserole
It's not just for Thanksgiving, folks! For this recipe, we ditched the canned cream of mushroom soup and went for fresh instead. By sautéing mushrooms with thinly sliced onion in butter, you're building a base with some serious depth of flavor you can enjoy all season long.
Get the Green Bean Casserole recipe.
Ruth's Chris Sweet Potato Casserole
Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse prepares their killer casserole with layers of mashed, soufflé-like sweet potatoes topped with a crunchy, sweet brown sugar and pecan crust and baked into a winning combination of textures. Pssst: Turn this into a holiday dessert with a scoop of vanilla ice cream too!
Get the Ruth's Chris Sweet Potato Casserole recipe.
Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole
All the flavors you love in chicken cordon bleu are here in this cozy casserole. Topped off with prosciutto bread crumbs(!), it's the perfect comfort food for a crowd.
Get the Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole recipe.
Sweet Potato Casserole
If you’re in the anti-marshmallow camp, then this sweet potato casserole recipe is here for you. In place of the fluffy addition is a buttery pecan topping that’s still plenty sweet (thanks to the brown sugar), but not enough to make it taste like straight-up dessert.
Get the Sweet Potato Casserole recipe.
Twice Baked Potato Casserole
We will never be able to match the genius of the person who invented twice baked potatoes; however, we think we've gotten pretty darn close with this casserole. We transform the foil-lined side into a creamy, cheesy casserole that instantly will become a holiday weeknight meal staple.
Get the Twice Baked Potato Casserole recipe.
Baked Mostaccioli
Mostaccioli is essentially an easier version of lasagna made with penne. 😍 Try it topped with plenty of cheese, and we bet you'll soon have a new favorite to add to the holiday weeknight rotation.
Get the Baked Mostaccioli recipe.
Meatball Sub Casserole
Serve meatball subs to a crowd with these easy-to-make ahead casserole. We love using baguette for this, but any thick-cut crusty bread will work!
Get the Meatball Sub Casserole recipe.
Broccoli Cauliflower Casserole
Filled with plenty of veggies and feel-good flavors, there’s something in this dish for everyone (including veggie haters!). Some versions of broccoli cauliflower casserole include chicken. If that's your jam, fold in 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken along with the veggies.
Get the Broccoli Cauliflower Casserole recipe.
Everything Bagel Casserole
This casserole is a GREAT alternative to a bagel bar, especially for those who can't handle cutting bagels (or are just indecisive!). If you can't find everything bagels (the horror!), just use extra everything bagel seasoning.
Get the Everything Bagel Casserole recipe.
Chocolate Chip Pancake Casserole
We're dying over this casserole with its layers of fluffy pancakes sprinkled with chocolate chips and showered in powdered sugar. Best part? You don't have to stand over a hot stove flipping individual breakfasts for everyone on Christmas morning.
Get the Chocolate Chip Pancake Casserole recipe.
Cinnamon Roll Casserole
Store-bought cinnamon rolls combined in a baking dish with an egg-milk mixture is officially the easiest way ever to serve brunch to your Christmas crowd.
Get the Cinnamon Roll Casserole recipe.
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