14 Holiday Casserole Recipes Just Like Grandma Used To Make and Love

These casseroles are special and nostalgic, made for sharing.

By
Devan Grimsrud
Devan Grimsrud
Devan Grimsrud

Devan Grimsrud is a Berlin-based writer, editor, and recipe developer originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota. After working in television production with James Beard Award-winning chef Andrew Zimmern, she relocated to Berlin and became the managing editor at Kitchen Stories, an international digital cooking platform with millions of active users. 

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Published November 20, 2024
Devan Grimsrud
Serving of spinach florentine breakfast casserole lifted from a casserole dish

Simply Recipes / Photo by Fred Hardy / Food Styling by Jennifer Wendorf / Prop Styling by Lindsey Lower

The holiday season tends to be a time of year where nostalgia swells. Whether you have fond memories of holiday dinners past or are making new ones with friends, this season is the time where sharing truly is the highest form of caring.

These 14 special, and likely nostalgic, casseroles will carry you through the season with ease, so find the first one you want enjoy—whether it's for breakfast, dinner, or dessert—and make sure to read the helpful tips and tricks from our editors, contributors, and readers along the way.

  • Monte Cristo Croissant Casserole

    Monte Cristo croissant casserole in a casserole dish and in the surroundings, a serving on a small plate with a fork, a container of jelly, and cups of coffee

    Simply Recipes / Photo by Fred Hardy / Food Styling by Jennifer Wendorf / Prop Styling by Lindsey Lower

    "Buy your croissants in advance, as stale ones will soak up the egg mixture better." —Jasmine Smith, Simply Recipes Recipe Developer

  • Cheesy Funeral Potatoes From Scratch

    Funeral Potatoes with Real Potatoes
    Sally Vargas

    "Adapt this recipe to suit your time, needs, and preferences: frozen shredded potatoes can be substituted for fresh, and canned cream of chicken soup can be substituted for homemade." —Summer Miller, Simply Recipes Contributor

  • Spinach Florentine Breakfast Casserole

    Serving of spinach florentine breakfast casserole lifted from a casserole dish

    Simply Recipes / Photo by Fred Hardy / Food Styling by Jennifer Wendorf / Prop Styling by Lindsey Lower

    "You’ll need to allow an hour for the assembled casserole to rest before you bake it. Use that to your advantage; you can assemble and refrigerate the casserole up to 12 hours before baking." —Jasmine

  • Huevos Rancheros Casserole

    Huevos rancheros casserole at a table setting with a stack of plates and utensils, a cup of coffee, a small bowl of herbs, and a spatula

    Simply Recipes / Photo by Fred Hardy / Food Styling by Jennifer Wendorf / Prop Styling by Lindsey Lower

    "Use the back of a spoon to create a well in the middle of each salsa dollop, this makes the perfect place for each egg to bake through." —Sara

    Continue to 5 of 14 below

  • Sweet Potato and Yukon Gold Bake

    Sweet Potato Yukon Gold Bake
    Elise Bauer

    "Look for sweet potatoes that are small in diameter, long, and uniform in shape." —Elise Bauer, Simply Recipes Founder

  • Corned Beef Tater Tot Casserole

    Slice of corned beef casserole lifted from casserole dish using a spatula

    Simply Recipes / Photo by Fred Hardy / Food Styling by Jennifer Wendorf / Prop Styling by Lindsey Lower

    "For convenience, the recipe calls for canned corned beef, but if you have leftovers from a meal like corned beef and cabbage, by all means, dice or shred those up and use them instead." —Sara

  • Apple Bread Pudding

    Slice of Apple Bread Pudding on a Plate with Sauce Drizzling

    Simply Recipes / Hannah Zimmerman

    "This recipe is great for prepping ahead of time. You can assemble the bread pudding completely, cover the casserole dish with plastic wrap, and place it in the refrigerator overnight. Make the sauce and store it separately in the refrigerator." —Hannah Zimmerman, Simply Recipes Contributor

  • Denver Omelette Hashbrown Casserole

    Slice of Denver omelette hashbrown casserole lifted from a casserole dish, and in the surroundings, a stack of plates and a mug

    Simply Recipes / Photo by Fred Hardy / Food Styling by Jennifer Wendorf / Prop Styling by Lindsey Lower

    "You can assemble this casserole in advance and refrigerate it, covered, for up to 12 hours before baking." —Jasmine

    Continue to 9 of 14 below

  • Twice Baked Potato Casserole

    Twiced baked potato casserole in casserole dish

    Alison Bickel / Simply Recipes

    "Bacon crisps as it cools, so you’re looking for a darkened color change on your bacon rather than crispy strips as a sign that it’s ready to pull out of the oven." —Brianne Ross, Simply Recipes Contributor

  • Sweet Potato Casserole With Pecans

    A staub dish with sweet potato casserole being served
    Lisa Lin

    "Sweet potato casserole is a side dish, but it often tastes like a little bit of dessert on your dinner plate. There's no shame in eating in reheated or cold as a dessert later that night or over the next few days. Feel free to top it with a little whipped cream or vanilla ice cream." —Lisa Lin, Simply Recipes Contributor

  • Noodle Kugel

    Noodle Kugel

    Coco Morante / Simply Recipes

    "The cornflake topping is optional, really, but definitely worth the little extra effort. I make mine while the noodles are cooking, so everything comes together easily." —Coco Morante, Simply Recipes Contributor

  • Everything Bagel Sandwich Casserole

    Everything bagel sandwich casserole in a casserole dish at a table setting with a serving on a plate, utensils, and cups of coffee

    Simply Recipes / Photo by Fred Hardy / Food Styling by Jennifer Wendorf / Prop Styling by Lindsey Lower

    "Unlike many breakfast casseroles, this recipe doesn’t work well when you assemble and refrigerate it in advance of baking." —Sara Bir, Simply Recipes Senior Editor

    Continue to 13 of 14 below

  • Baked Blueberry French Toast Casserole

    Baked French Toast with Blueberries
    Cindy Rahe

    "We recommend a hearty, rustic loaf for this casserole. But you can use some other types of bread as well. Just be sure to let the bread dry out a bit (a day or two in advance) before using." —Cindy Rahe, Simply Recipes Contributor

  • Potatoes Au Gratin

    Potatoes Au Gratin on a Plate with a Fork

    Simply Recipes / Sally Vargas

    "I personally love the creamy texture of yellow waxy potatoes like Yukon golds in this gratin, but many people like floury russet (baking) potatoes because they soak up a lot of cream. You can use either in this recipe." —Sally Vargas, Simply Recipes Contributor

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