Our Best Thanksgiving Casserole Recipes, From Classic to Creative (2024)

Cranberry-Marshmallow Sweet Potato Casserole

With or without mini marshmallows, sweet potato casserole is a must on many Thanksgiving menus across the country. In this easy Thanksgiving casserole recipe, we permeate it with marshmallow flavor without risking any burning on top by folding marshmallow creme into the buttery mashed sweet potato mixture. A cranberry and brown sugar crumb topping sweetens the deal, making this one Thanksgiving casserole recipe that can flex from side dish to dessert to brunch as you work your way through the leftovers.

Homemade Green Bean Casserole

Green bean casserole made with canned condensed soup and French-fried onions will always remind us of grandma. To keep the tradition going, that classic Thanksgiving casserole recipe makes an appearance on our holiday menu every other year. Then in alternating years, we tag in this equally-delicious homemade version made with fresh thin green beans in a semisoft cheese-infused white wine and cream sauce. Mountains of mushrooms, pancetta or bacon, plus DIY crispy shallots give a nod to tradition—while giving the dish a thoroughly modern makeover.

Pumpkin Mac and Cheese

Steal a can of pumpkin from your pie stash and put it to terrific use in the cheesy, creamy base for this holiday-worthy mac and cheese casserole. Fresh sage and a Parmesan-walnut topping turn up the volume on the fall flavor. One BHG fan deems this “the absolutely BEST macaroni and cheese ever! We serve it to company and they LOVE it!”

Buttered Stuffing with Mushrooms

Sure, you could cook stuffing inside your turkey. That’s not our Test Kitchen’s preferred method, though, since it’s tough to get the bread up to time by the time the bird is fully cooked. Instead, we recommend baking your bread blend in a dish, and this casserole recipe for Thanksgiving is one of our absolute favorite examples of this concept at play. Leeks, mushrooms, and fresh oregano punch up the flavor, while butter, egg, white wine, and stock ensure each bite is as moist as its cavity-cooked competition.

Loaded Potato Casserole Dip

We originally dreamed up this creative dip recipe as a way to refresh leftover mashed potatoes. But come holiday season, we love to whip up 1 ½ cups extra of our mashed potato side dish to feature in this unique appetizer idea to serve before the feast. Cream cheese, cheddar cheese, sour cream, bacon, and green onions join forces with the spuds, which you’ll then transfer to a round casserole pan or pie pan. Those bonus ingredients loosen—and richen—up the blend, resulting in a creamy, scoopable, savory dip. Try it with crudités or crackers to get the party started.

Thanksgiving Leftovers Casserole

Think outside of the next-day sandwich box, and transform your Thanksgiving leftovers into a family-sized feast. This day-after-Thanksgiving casserole recipe seamlessly (and scrumptiously) uses up bread stuffing, turkey, green beans, corn, gravy, mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauce all in one dish. Yes, we know that might sound like an odd combo platter, but one bite will make you a believer that these once-separate recipes are destined to be combined.

Candied Orange Sweet Potatoes

If you’re on team marshmallow-free, this bright and vibrant Thanksgiving casserole recipe might just be the sweet potato side dish you’re seeking. The fact that it asks for just 6 ingredients and 20 minutes of prep time to produce 10 saucy servings certainly doesn’t hurt. Shingle slices of sweet potatoes and oranges in a baking dish, then shower those with a mix of melted butter, sugar, vanilla, and orange juice. After a shift in the oven and a garnish of freshly-grated nutmeg, you’ll want to add this casserole to your menu much more often than just once per year.

Hash Brown Casserole

“My favorite! We call them ‘country company potatoes,’” a BHG fan says. The enticing comfort food flavors and mix of textures make this potato side dish holiday-appropriate, and a few store-bought shortcuts mean that this is one casserole recipe for Thanksgiving that won’t eat up all of your prep time. Canned condensed soup, frozen hash brown potatoes, and corn flakes, help make this cheesy casserole no-sweat to toss together.

Test Kitchen Tip: Since the rest of the spread offers ample protein, feel free to omit the cubed cooked ham, if desired.

Brussels Sprouts Casserole with Pancetta and Asiago Cheese

Even if you think you or your guests don’t dig Brussels sprouts, this Thanksgiving casserole recipe might just change minds. One home cook admits, “Brussel sprouts never tasted so good!” The supporting cast includes bacon or pancetta, carrots, shallot, onion, cheese, a mustard cream sauce, plus a crunchy panko topping. When we serve this as a casserole recipe for Thanksgiving, even picky eaters have been known to go back for seconds.

Sweet Potato-Topped Turkey Pot Pie

If, in previous years, your family members have been known to fight over who gets the majority of the leftover turkey, this next-day Thanksgiving casserole recipe can help keep the peace. Since plenty of vegetables, fresh herbs (both of which you likely also have extras of), and a mashed sweet potato topping also make an appearance, you can stretch 2 ½ cups of shredded turkey to be plenty to serve 5.

Test Kitchen Tip: Bake this in a 3-quart baking dish as a shareable pot pie, or in individual 10-ounce ramekins.

Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

This grown-up mac and cheese dish is remarkably kid-friendly, too. Alongside milk and Gruyère cheese, the butternut squash nearly disappears into the sauce; it just introduces a subtle extra layer of earthy sweetness. That pairs beautifully with the caramelized onions, bacon, and buttery bread crumb topping.

Cheesy Garlic Potato Gratin

This 5-ingredient recipe tastes far more gourmet than its slim ingredient list might suggest. Garlicky, oniony, cheesy, creamy potatoes are so tasty in their au natural glory, why hide them behind anything else? Stacks of thinly-sliced spuds feel elegant enough to make this worthy of being a Thanksgiving casserole recipe, as does the decadent flavor you’re treated to after the casserole bakes to golden-brown and bubbly. The simple shopping list and streamlined prep make it easy enough for any Sunday dinner.

Corn Pudding Casserole

With both corn kernels (frozen works great!) and cornmeal in the mix, this casserole recipe for Thanksgiving definitely delivers on the “corn” promise. Shredded zucchini, sun-dried tomatoes, and fresh parsley lend a welcome burst of summer flavors, even if you serve it on a chilly fall day. That’s actually the ideal time to dish up this cozy casserole, as eggs, whole milk, Parmesan and ricotta cheese, and a buttery panko topping make this “rich but wonderful,” according to one fan who declares it, “a winner.”

Test Kitchen Tip: If you’d like to get a head start, prepare the topping-free corn casserole up to 24 hours in advance, then chill. Then on the big day, all that’s left to do is finish that last assembly step and bake for 50 minutes.

Leftover Stuffing Breakfast Strata

Did you host some extra guests the night of Thanksgiving? Wake up and throw together this ultra-easy brunch. It converts 4 cups of leftover stuffing into an after-Thanksgiving casserole recipe that satisfies 8. Sausage and eggs turn up the breakfast vibes, while fresh kale, bell pepper, and mushroom usher in some welcome nutrition after the big feast.