30 Make-Ahead Casserole Recipes for Easy Weeknight Dinners (2024)

8 Mistakes to Avoid for Casserole Perfection

Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie

A hearty mix of lentils and vegetables makes a delicious filling for this meat-free shepherd's pie. To prep it ahead, make the filling and the potato topping and refrigerate them separately. Assemble the pie while the oven heats and increase bake time by five to 10 minutes.

Beans and Spinach Tortilla Casserole

Using canned beans and jarred salsa makes putting this casserole together a snap. Combining the pantry ingredients with fresh greens—like cilantro and spinach—gives the dish layers of flavor. You can assemble the dish ahead and refrigerate, then increase the initial bake time by five to 10 minutes.

Eggplant Parmesan

Eggplant Parmesan is a crowd-pleasing dish—but one that often takes some time (which is why it's not in your weekly dinner rotation). Make it in advance, when you do have a spare moment, using our favorite recipe; either assemble the dish ahead or follow the recipe instructions for freezing it for up to three months.

Mild Curried Lamb Casserole with Almonds

This dinner casserole is deliciously different for a couple of reasons. It's a riff on the beloved South African dish bobotie. Made with ground lamb and plenty of fragrant spices—turmeric, cumin, coriander, and ginger—it's fragrant and lively, rather than creamy and cheesy.

Cheddar-Topped Shepherd's Pie

This hearty dish is easy to put together and always satisfies. Make the meat filling and the mashed potatoes a day ahead, but refrigerate them separately. Then, assemble the pie while the oven is heating.

Summer Beef-and-Rice Casserole

This quick-cooking casserole only needs 20 minutes to bake. The most time-consuming part of making it is the meat sauce—you could make that ahead and assemble and bake the casserole when you need it. Or, prep it all the night before and refrigerate—then enjoy this speedy meal on a particularly rushed weeknight.

Honeynut Squash, Leek, and Brie Gratin

Assemble this elegant gratin the night before, then bake it for dinner. The combination of honeynut squash and brie is unexpected and so good.

Chicken-and-Polenta Puttanesca Melts

A casserole-like dish that's super fast to put together—who wouldn't like that? Using precooked polenta and quick-cooking chicken cutlets saves time on prep for this comforting dinner.

Cheesy Spinach-Potato Egg Casserole

This egg casserole with spinach and potatoes is naturally gluten-free and vegetarian. Fontina cheese, nutmeg, and thyme give it a robust flavor.

Broccoli-Cheddar Hash-Brown Casserole

Here's a riff on a Swiss Rösti, where potatoes are fried and then baked. In this casserole version, you add broccoli, eggs, and a mixture of cheddar, Dijon, yogurt, and scallions. It tastes like a loaded baked potato (complete with crumbled bacon on top!) and has the crispness of hash browns.

Speedy Baked Ziti

While this shortcut baked pasta can be prepped ahead and baked when you need it—thanks to store-bought marinara sauce and a clever substitute of ricotta and heavy cream for the usual béchamel—you can also assemble it in 30 minutes and bake it in just 30 more.

Jewish-Deli Strata

A strata is one of the easiest, most reliable brunch dishes you can make, and typically consists of bread, eggs, and cheese. Here, rye bread, smoked salmon, and havarti star alongside classic bagel garnishes like capers, red onion, and lemon for a bagels-and-lox-inspired meal.

Sausage and Bean Casserole

Consider this an upgraded version of basic pork and beans, with deep flavor thanks to red wine and thyme. You can make it in two medium-sized shallow baking dishes or eight ramekins, so everyone gets their own individual portion.

Tian Provencal With Polenta

Quick-cooking polenta, a classic shortcut ingredient that doesn't taste like it, provides heft to and forms the base layer of this delicious casserole, which also includes leek, eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, and Gruyère, a cheese that always melts beautifully.

Sausage-and-Kale Stuffed Shells

Spicy pork sausage (you could certainly swap in sweet) and hearty kale come together with creamy cheese for a crowd-pleasing meal you can make hours, days, or even weeks ahead of time if you freeze it.

Hatch Chile Corn Pudding

This Monterey Jack-topped casserole is made with green chiles from New Mexico's Hatch Valley, along the Rio Grande. They're earthy and buttery-tasting, but if you can't find them, Anaheim or Cubanelle peppers work, too.

Chicken Tetrazzini

Chicken, mushrooms, and pasta unite for a delicious and easy freezer-friendly dinner. You make it using a rotisserie chicken, with the skin removed and meat shredded, which cuts down significantly on your prep time.

Mushroom and Black Bean Tortilla Casserole

To create this Tex-Mex-inspired casserole, you combine sautéed mushrooms, cooked black beans, and store-bought salsa with corn tortillas. Margaritas are optional, but highly recommended.

Chicken and Spinach Casserole

The supermarket staple of rotisserie chicken strikes again in this comforting casserole. You combine the shredded chicken with sautéed spinach in a cream sauce, pour into a baking dish, and top with torn bread.

Tuna Casserole

To prepare this classic ahead of time, make a thick, creamy, and brothy sauce, then toss with cooked elbow pasta, canned tuna, and peas. Transfer it to a baking dish and top with a panko-Parmesan mixture; all that's left to do is pop it in the oven whenever you're ready for a warming, hearty meal.

Taco Casserole

Making beef tacos ahead of time might be tricky, yet the casserole version is completely doable. Just cook the meat, vegetables, and beans, and when it's dinnertime, top with a mixture of tortilla chips and cheese and bake. Serve with sliced radishes, jalapeños, olives, sour cream, and cilantro.

Baked Polenta with Sausage and Artichoke Hearts

Use a tube of store-bought polenta and you're almost halfway with this delightful Italian-esque casserole. Sweet Italian sausage and marinated artichoke hearts are the other main ingredients.

Chicken-Sausage and Bean Casserole with Sage

There's plenty of flavorful, crispy topping on this filling dish of cannellini beans and chicken sausage. The garnish of fried sage leaves gives it an elevated touch.

Cheddar, Beef, and Potato Casserole

The not-so-secret ingredient to this beefy casserole is frozen shredded potatoes or hash browns, which provide plenty of crispy deliciousness. To make the dish ahead, prep step 1 and refrigerate. Then, add frozen vegetables and potatoes on the night you're baking the casserole.

Chicken, Leek, and Mushroom Casserole

Chicken breasts, leeks, and mushrooms—there's a lot to love about this dinner casserole. Be sure to use a denser multigrain bread in this recipe, as it's the base for the other ingredients (a lighter bread will become gummy).

Chicken and Kale Casserole

Everyone will adore this dinner casserole—even those who aren't usually keen on greens. Shredded chicken, kale, and large pasta shells are baked with two types of cheese for a comforting meal.

Cheese Enchilada Casserole

Customize this rich entrée to suit your family's taste with Tomato-Jalapeño Enchilada Sauce, Tomatillo Enchilada Sauce, or Chile-Raisin Enchilada Sauce in the cheese enchiladas. To make it ahead, prep the sauce the night before. Then, fill and bake the casserole—it only takes 20 minutes—and serve with a mix of toppings.

Sausage, Chicken, and White-Bean Gratin

This casserole feeds a crowd. It's packed with chicken breast, Italian sausage, and canned white beans. Consider it an easy riff on the French classic, cassoulet, a bean-and-meats gratin of epic proportions. Prepare the elements ahead and then assemble the gratin on the night you're baking it while the oven heats.

Creamy Chicken and Rice Casserole

Just like Mom used to make! This old-school creamy casserole starts with a rotisserie chicken, saving you all kinds of time.

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

This enchilada casserole is light on the cheese, but packed with flavor. There's tomatillo sauce, shredded chicken breasts (or use leftover roast chicken), cotija cheese, and chopped fresh cilantro for serving.