20+ Cozy Dinner Casserole Recipes in 40 Minutes or Less

Dish up these comforting casseroles for a quick and easy dinner everyone will enjoy. Whether you’re in the mood for saucy baked enchiladas or a veggie-packed shepherd’s pie, these dishes are sure to please. Plus, they take no more than forty minutes to prepare, so you’ll be dining in less than an hour. Recipes like our Loaded Zucchini Casserole and Creamy Chicken & Penne alla Vodka Casserole with Peas are warm and cozy classics that hit the spot every time.

Creamy Chicken, Corn & Poblano Skillet Casserole

Photographer: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Prop Stylist: Priscilla Montiel, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling


This zesty skillet chicken casserole is perfect for a busy weeknight. A creamy sauce coats the chicken, offering a flavorful bite with a nice level of heat. Poblano peppers are generally mild, but their heat can vary. For a milder version, you can substitute green bell peppers and omit the jalapeño.

Loaded Zucchini Casserole

Photographer: Stacy k. Allen, Props: Christina Brockman, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf


This rich and creamy zucchini casserole is packed with tender zucchini and bits of bacon smothered in a savory cheese sauce. Be sure to press the zucchini slices dry with paper towels to soak up extra water to prevent the casserole from becoming watery once it’s baked.

Cheesy Chicken & Broccoli Alfredo Skillet Casserole

Photographer: Stacy k. Allen, Props: Christina Brockman, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf


This delightful one-skillet cheesy chicken Alfredo casserole combines penne pasta, tender broccoli and shredded rotisserie chicken smothered in a creamy sauce. To simplify the sauce, we opt for a pre-shredded Italian cheese blend. Though cheese blends vary, they typically contain Parmesan cheese, imparting the traditional Alfredo flavor. Seek blends with aged cheeses or blends that include sharp cheeses like provolone or Asiago for a richer flavor profile.

Creamy Chicken & Penne alla Vodka Casserole with Peas

Photographer: Jake Sternquist, Food stylist: Annie Probst, Prop stylist: Gabriel Greco


This cheesy chicken pasta casserole is perfect for a busy weeknight when you need a fast and easy dinner with minimal cleanup. Vodka sauce adds a creamy note to the sauce. If you don’t have vodka sauce on hand, add a few tablespoons of cream to regular marinara.

Teriyaki Chicken Skillet Casserole with Broccoli

Photographer: Brie Goldman, Food Stylist: Lauren McAnelly, Prop Stylist: Gabriel Greco


Whip up this quick and easy teriyaki chicken casserole in just one skillet—it’s the perfect go-to recipe for hectic weeknights that’s sure to satisfy a crowd. It’s ideal for making use of any leftover chicken and rice you have on hand. If you’re short on leftovers, a rotisserie chicken paired with a package of microwaveable brown rice is a good substitute.

Cheesy Beef & Black Bean Skillet Casserole

Photographer: Jennifer Causey, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley


Think of this creamy skillet casserole as a one-pan taco. The corn tortillas crisp up under the broiler, adding crunch to go with the creamy filling. If you enjoy a bit of spiciness, opt for hot salsa or chipotle salsa for some smoky undertones. Tomatillo salsa works well, too, adding tang and a fresh flavor to this easy skillet dinner.

Loaded Cabbage Casserole

Photographer: Grant Webster, Food Stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop Stylist: Lexi Juhl


This cabbage casserole has all of the classic flavors you love in a loaded baked potato, but with tender cooked cabbage as a base instead. The cheesy sauce coats the cabbage for a satisfying side that pairs with roasted chicken, pork or steak. Mix it up by using savoy cabbage, or use red cabbage for a fun purple hue.

Pesto Tuna Noodle Casserole

Photographer: Grant Webster, Food Stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop Stylist: Lexi Juhl


A creamy pesto sauce with sweet shallots and wilted spinach gives a light and bright spin to classic tuna noodle casserole. Albacore tuna is an ideal choice, as it holds its texture well once mixed in, although any water-packed tuna will do the job. For the best results, we recommend using refrigerated pesto for its fresh flavor which enhances the overall dish.

Chicken Piccata Casserole

Photographer: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster, Food Stylist Jennifer Wendorf


This protein-packed chicken piccata casserole brings all the flavors of classic chicken piccata together in one dish. It’s the easiest piccata you’ll ever make—no dredging or sauce required! Cooking the lemon slices in butter mellows their bite and helps jump-start the lemony flavor of the dish while helping the butter get a little brown, bringing some nuttiness to the dish.

Cheeseburger Casserole

Photographer: Rachel Marek, Food stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop stylist: Gabriel Greco


If you love a classic cheeseburger with all the fixings, you’ll love this family-friendly cheeseburger casserole. Rotini pasta picks up all the flavors of this comforting dish, but any shape pasta you have in your pantry will work well. We love the crunch shredded fresh lettuce offers, but feel free to mix it up with another green like spinach or kale, or top your casserole with Swiss cheese and sautéed mushrooms for a different spin.

Philly Cheesesteak Casserole

Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayliss


With the combo of beef, cheese and bell pepper, this easy casserole hits the nail on the head when it comes to the flavors of classic Philly cheesesteak. It’s sure to be a new family favorite that’s quick enough to pull off on a weeknight. We love the flavor smoked provolone lends to the dish, but if you want a more traditional flavor, aged provolone works just as well.

Mom’s Creamy Chicken & Broccoli Casserole

Brian Woodcock; Styling: Cindy Barr

This lightened-up creamy chicken casserole is packed with veggies. The sauce at the heart of this family-friendly casserole uses fat-free milk with a combination of fat-free Greek-style yogurt and a little mayonnaise to give it body.

White Chicken Chili Casserole

Marty Baldwin

This easy, one-skillet casserole is packed with heat thanks to two kinds of peppers, poblanos and jalapeño. If you want to increase the spice level, leave the seeds in the jalapeño. Finish with your favorite toppings like Cheddar, cilantro and crumbled tortilla chips.

Broccoli, Cheese & Rice Casserole

Ditch the baking dish and make this easy skillet broccoli, cheese and rice casserole. Cooking the casserole in a skillet keeps the flavors and textures fresh–no mushy, sad broccoli! Serve this easy side with baked chicken for a family-pleasing healthy dinner that’s ready in just 30 minutes. It would also be a great addition to your Thanksgiving spread or a party buffet.

Quick King Ranch Chicken Casserole

Christine Ma


Usually made by layering creamy chicken and tortillas (lasagna-style), this classic Tex-Mex chicken casserole gets speedier for an easy weeknight dinner when we mix everything together in a skillet, then pop the whole pan under the broiler to make the cheese topping gooey.

Cheesy Ground Beef & Cauliflower Casserole

Photographer: Brie Goldman, Food Stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop Stylist: Gabriel Greco


Ground beef and cauliflower combine to create a hearty weeknight casserole that both kids and adults will love. Serve with tortilla chips and sour cream.

25-Minute Sweet Potato & Bean Enchiladas

Antonis Achilleos

These quick sweet potato and bean enchiladas are diabetes-friendly thanks to egg wraps that are lower in carbs than traditional tortillas. The vegetarian filling is both sweet and savory, while the topping adds texture and freshness.

Easy Cauliflower Shepherd’s Pie

Brie Passano

With lots of veggie shortcuts and a cauliflower-mash topping instead of spuds, you can have this comfort-food staple in a fraction of the usual time—and save carbs too! Cook the veggies from frozen; no need to thaw. Swap ground turkey for the beef if you prefer.

Sloppy Joe Casserole

Like sloppy Joes? Then you’ll love this sloppy Joe casserole recipe. This kid-friendly dinner has the classic sloppy Joe flavors kids love, while parents will like all the veggies that are packed in to make it a healthy meal.

Sweet Potato Mac & Cheese

Fiber-rich sweet potato is used as the base for the cheese sauce in this healthy, homemade macaroni and cheese recipe. The bright orange color tricks your eyes into thinking this healthy macaroni and cheese recipe is loaded with cheese, but there’s actually only about half as much cheese as compared to a traditional recipe.

Chicken & Broccoli Casserole

Photographer: Rachel Marek, Food Stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop Stylist: Sue Mitchell


This one-pan chicken-and-broccoli recipe comes out of the oven all browned, cheesy and bubbling like a casserole, but is really prepared more like a skillet meal on the stovetop. Serve with a crunchy green salad.

Spaghetti Squash Casserole

Strands of tender squash replace pasta for a more flavorful version of spaghetti pie casserole. Not to mention, spaghetti squash is a low-carb alternative to pasta and saves more than 150 calories per serving compared to a traditional recipe. A sprinkling of nutty fontina cheese melts into a gooey topping.

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