‘Tis the season for using your favorite casserole dish for every occasion. From breakfast to dessert, your 13×9 casserole dish is sure to make many appearances during the holiday season. The 13×9 also makes Christmas casserole recipes easier to transport to parties and potlucks without making a mess.
Whether you need a simple recipe to serve for Christmas Eve dinner, or a make-ahead casserole for Christmas brunch, there’s something on this list for every Christmas occasion. So whip out the Christmas baking dishes and pick your favorite casseroles of the bunch—it’s time to get cooking.
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Jen Causey; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall
Packaged frozen ravioli makes this baked pasta easier to assemble than most. It requires only 15 minutes of hands-on cooking, and gets a festive pop of green from baby spinach.
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Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle
We don’t call something ‘the best’ if we don’t mean it. Loaded with sharp Cheddar and pepper Jack cheese, breakfast sausage, and shredded hash browns, each bite of the breakfast casserole is full of flavor.
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Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley
This make-ahead casserole is a busy holiday host’s dream. You can assemble the entire dish the day before and store it in the fridge, or you can freeze the assembled dish weeks in advance and then thaw it overnight the day before for Christmas, so it’s ready to bake on the day of.
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Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley
Who says enchiladas are only for dinner? To make them a breakfast crowd-pleaser, we filled the tortillas with sausage and eggs, and then enveloped the dish in a silky cheese sauce.
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Greg Dupree; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall
Lasagna is already a Christmas classic, but this seasonal twist makes the go-to holiday casserole even more festive. Opt for pre-cut butternut squash cubes from the produce section to make the prep work for this recipe a little lighter.
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Alison Miksch, Food Stylist: Karen Rankin, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle
It wouldn’t be the holidays without mac and cheese, and this version loaded with bacon is just what the season calls for. Cheese lovers will delight in the four cups of cheese packed into this hearty casserole, plus there’s even more in the crunchy breadcrumb topping.
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Alison Miksch
This hearty casserole mixes the delicious flavors of hot sausage, flaky croissants, as well as Parmesan and Gruyère cheeses. Prepping this casserole the night before Christmas will allow you to spend more time with your family in the morning instead of in the kitchen.
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Using two types of potatoes helps make this casserole one of our fluffiest potato casseroles of all time. The browned butter in this recipe gives the potatoes a delicious nutty taste.
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Whether you make this bread pudding with or without the rum, this aromatic dessert is sure to be a hit with your holiday crowd. Use fresh white bread instead of brioche for the best texture.
Credit: Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Torie Cox
For a stress-free Christmas Eve dinner, add this easy lasagna to the menu. Our Test Kitchen has found some shortcuts for a classic lasagna to save you time. But don’t worry; none of the flavors are sacrificed in this hearty casserole.
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You’ll know this savory casserole is ready to take out of the oven when the edges are golden brown. This creamy casserole classic takes a savory twist with the addition of onion and fresh thyme.
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It’s not quite a Christmas feast without green bean casserole. Homemade mushroom sauce replaces the store-bought can in this classic holiday dish.
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Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Torie Cox; Prop Stylist: Heather Chadduck Hillegas
This savory take on sweet potato casserole is topped with Parmesan-herb streusel topping instead of sweet marshmallows. While our recipe calls for day-old sourdough bread, you can make it with day-old white bread if you prefer.
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Stacy K. Allen; Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn; Prop Stylist: Christina Daley
No Southern gathering is complete without this classic dish. This creamy and rich mac and cheese is made with extra-sharp yellow Cheddar cheese and sharp white Cheddar. It can be prepared a day in advance, so you can enjoy the festivities.
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There’s nothing quite like cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning. You’ll need to cover and chill this casserole for at least 4 hours and up to 24, so you can assemble it the night before serving and just pop it in the oven on Christmas morning.
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Not only can you make this French toast casserole the night before, but it gets a festive touch from a classic holiday drink. The powdered sugar looks like freshly fallen snow on this deliciously sweet casserole.
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Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Broccoli gets an upgrade in this creamy, cheesy side dish. Skip the can of condensed soup as the base and opt for this recipe’s homemade sauce made with whole milk and Cheddar cheese, and thickened with a traditional flour-and-butter roux.
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If you’re looking to add classic oyster casserole to your Christmas dinner, our Test Kitchen combed through years of recipes to come up with the very best version. This one is made with hearty oysters and a Parmesan cream sauce, and topped with homemade breadcrumbs that will soak up all the sweet butter.
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Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall
If you’ve never tried this classic casserole, it’s just the right mix of sweet and salty and will become an instant favorite. With it’s short ingredient list, you’ll have it on the table in no time.
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Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
If you’re in charge of bringing a side dish for Christmas dinner, this casserole will never disappoint. It’s warm and comforting, and you’ll only be on your feet for 20 minutes.
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Layers of cheese, onions, and bread create a deliciously hearty twist on French onion soup. This recipe calls for Vidalia onions, Georgia’s official state vegetable.
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This scalloped potato recipe is cheesy and comforting—the two requirements for a delicious casserole. The short ingredient list makes this recipe a no-brainer to serve at your holiday meal.
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Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Okay, we know this isn’t technically a casserole dish, but since it’s baked in one, we thought it was worth mentioning. Even though this cake has a simple look, it still has plenty of flavor and is easy to transport. The mayonnaise only helps to enrich the chocolatey taste.
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This tasty casserole comes together in less than 25 minutes of hands-on time; what more could you want? Serve with a tossed salad and garlic bread for a satisfying meal.
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Greg DuPree; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Buffy Hargett
Store-bought sauces and rotisserie chicken will help this casserole come together in a jiffy during the busy, holiday season. Garnished with basil and paprika, this creamy chicken alfredo casserole will surely delight your crew.
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Best of both worlds, this casserole is a mixture of two family-favorite dishes. This recipe makes a large batch, so your family will be pleased when there is plenty of casserole left over for a second helping. Plus, you can prepare it to bake up to three days in advance.
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No one would argue that there’s nothing more nostalgic than a dish of chicken pot pie, but this recipe takes it up a notch and tops your 9×13 with tasty homemade biscuits. Chives, chopped bacon, and lots of sharp cheddar cheese are the key ingredients to these inviting stand-alone biscuits.
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Victor Protasio, Food Stylist: Karen Rankin, Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen
This classic casserole showcases hearty ingredients like butter, cheese, chicken, pasta, and a dash of hot sauce. It’s a satisfying well-rounded meal, and just comforting enough for Christmas Eve dinner.
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Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Red gelatin will add a pop of festive color to the dessert table. This “salad” is made with layers of salty pretzels, thick and delectable whipped cream cheese, bright red gelatin, and strawberries. It’s topped with a final layer of sweetened sour cream and toasted pecan pieces for a must-have Christmas dessert.
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This comforting, Southern dish is perfect for feeding a crowd during the holiday season. Packing in hearty chicken, broccoli, cheese-filled tortellini, and chopped pecans, this 13×9 casserole is sure to impress with its delicious variety of textures and flavors.
King Ranch Chicken is one of our most beloved recipes, and for good reason. It’s packed with flavorful ingredients like green chiles, smoked chicken, and sharp Cheddar.
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Victor Protasio, Food Stylist: Margaret Dickey, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley
Yes, this chicken enchilada casserole is as good as it looks. Enjoy different flavors on Christmas Eve by serving enchiladas for the holiday meal. Precooked rotisserie chicken and canned enchilada sauce help you get this on the table in under an hour. Serve with all your favorite Mexican sides—think homemade salsa, charro beans, and rice.
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Hannah Zimmerman / Southern Living
Unbaked, these mashed potatoes can be refrigerated for up to two days, which will take one more thing off your already full plate on Christmas Day. Cream cheese and sour cream are the dairy that makes these mashed potatoes so incredibly rich and velvety.
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Brittany Conerly; Prop Stylist: Christina Brockman; Food Stylist: Karen Rankin
Look no further than this tried-and-true recipe for a classic dish that’s sure to please everyone. This comfort food staple pairs well with a roasted veggie of your choice and homemade dinner rolls.
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Christmas morning just got a whole lot better. Spend more time with your family and less time flipping pancakes with this make-ahead casserole that’ll please any crowd. Your loved ones will be begging you to make this recipe again and again.
Dining and Cooking