19 Christmas Casseroles Just Like Grandma Used to Make By Camryn Alexa Wimberly Camryn Alexa Wimberly Camryn Wimberly is EatingWell's Editorial Fellow. As a food and mental health blogger, Camryn explores how food and cooking can help improve mental health and also be an avenue to connect with one's culture and heritage. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Published on December 15, 2024 Close Credit: Photographer: Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Lydia Pursell When you need a comforting addition to your Christmas dinner spread, make Grandma proud with one of these flavorful main and side dish casseroles. This collection of warm and cozy casseroles ranges from cheesy scalloped potatoes to savory stuffing. Recipes like our Creamy Cabbage with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Spiced Butternut Squash & Apple Casserole are healthy and delicious options that will be welcome on any table. Love any of these recipes? Tap "Save" to add them to MyRecipes, your new, free recipe box for EatingWell. 01 of 19 Creamy Cabbage with Sun-Dried Tomatoes Photographer: Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Lydia Pursell This creamy cabbage with sun-dried tomatoes is pure comfort in a casserole dish. Tender sautéed cabbage melds beautifully with the rich, cheesy sauce, and sun-dried tomatoes add a touch of tangy sweetness that brightens every bite. Serve this warming side with roasted chicken or pork, or over brown rice or another whole grain. View Recipe Save 02 of 19 Spiced Butternut Squash & Apple Casserole Photographer: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Prop Stylist: Lydia Pursell, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf This easy dish combines the natural sweetness of roasted butternut squash with the tartness of fresh apples, finished with savory goat cheese and sweet maple-glazed walnuts. We love the tart flavor that Granny Smith apples provide, but feel free to swap in a sweeter baking apple like Honeycrisp if you prefer. View Recipe Save 03 of 19 Chicken & Green Bean Casserole Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless By adding tender, juicy chicken to the traditional ingredients of green bean casserole, we transform it into a main dish, the perfect meal for any night of the week. View Recipe Save 04 of 19 Broccoli au Gratin Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Lindsey Lower This broccoli dish is the ultimate comfort food, combining tender broccoli florets with a creamy cheese sauce and a golden, crispy topping. View Recipe Save 05 of 19 Skillet Spinach, Mushroom & Wild Rice Casserole Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless This wild rice and mushroom casserole is the ultimate comfort food, combining hearty, wholesome ingredients with rich, savory flavors all in one skillet. The earthiness of the wild rice pairs beautifully with the meaty mushrooms, while fresh spinach adds a burst of color and nutrients. View Recipe Save 06 of 19 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. View Recipe Save 07 of 19 Wild Rice Stuffing with Apple & Sausage This amazing wild-rice stuffing recipe is bursting with fall flavors, including rye bread, sausage, apples, dried cherries, pecans and fresh herbs. View Recipe Save 08 of 19 Parmesan Scalloped Potatoes with Spinach Classic scalloped potatoes get a burst of color, heartier texture and a healthy update with the addition of chopped spinach. The greens in this side dish also create a nice contrast to the creamy, velvety potatoes. View Recipe Save 09 of 19 Carrot Casserole Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Rishon Hanners, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless Carrot casserole is a great holiday side dish that’s both creamy and savory with just a touch of sweetness from the carrots. Coriander and dry mustard add lovely background flavors to the cream sauce. Microwaving the carrots gives them a jump start in the cooking process and ensures that they’re cooked through. The carrots should all be sliced thinly so they cook evenly. If you have one, a mandoline can make quick work of the slicing, but a good sharp knife will also do the trick. View Recipe Save 10 of 19 Best Sweet Potato Casserole Jillian Atkinson In this installment of Diaspora Dining, Jessica B. Harris’ series on foods of the African diaspora, the author and historian offers her version of sweet potato casserole. It’s a dish she only came to enjoy as an adult, omitting the marshmallows and adding some nutty flavor without adding nuts. View Recipe Save 11 of 19 Mushroom-Cornbread Stuffing This healthy mushroom-and-leek cornbread stuffing recipe is a lightened-up version of the must-have holiday side. Whether you call it stuffing or dressing, you can make this recipe moist or crispy. If you’re an extra-moist-stuffing type, bake it covered for the full 50 minutes; if you like some crispy bits on top, follow the recipe as written: bake covered for about 30 minutes, then uncovered for an additional 20 minutes. View Recipe Save 12 of 19 Old-Fashioned Sweet Potato Casserole Diana Chistruga Thanksgiving isn’t complete without a homemade sweet potato casserole. We like to sprinkle chopped pecans on top along with the marshmallows for a bit of texture. View Recipe Save 13 of 19 Sour Cream-&-Onion Chicken Casserole Sara Haas If you’re looking for something cozy to eat, this casserole is a delicious choice! Instead of using a can of cream of mushroom soup, we make our own simplified version here. This hearty casserole is finished with perfectly tangy sour cream and buttery crackers, which add the perfect crunch. View Recipe Save 14 of 19 Scalloped Sweet Potatoes If you’re looking for a twist on classic scalloped potatoes, this recipe using roasted sweet potatoes and melty Gruyère has all the creaminess of the original with a new flavor twist. The sweet potatoes and lightened sauce—made with flour and low-fat milk—keep it healthier than butter- and cream-laden versions. Don’t cut your sweet potatoes too thin—they’ll turn mushy under the sauce. View Recipe Save 15 of 19 Vegan Green Bean Casserole Now everyone can enjoy classic Thanksgiving favorites, like this dairy-free green bean casserole. We make a homemade vegan cream of mushroom soup using almond milk for the creamy base that’s combined with fresh green beans. Top it off with classic french-fried onions (we have a vegan recipe for that, too!) for a side dish everyone will devour. View Recipe Save 16 of 19 Sage Cornbread Dressing Johnny Autry A cast-iron skillet gives the cornbread nutty brown edges that impart extra color and flavor to the dressing. Serve this sage cornbread dressing as a holiday side or anytime you want some Thanksgiving flavors. View Recipe Save 17 of 19 Sweet Potato Soufflé This creamy sweet potato soufflé is complemented with a crunchy pecan-oat topping for a truly scrumptious side dish. The filling can be made up to five days ahead, so you just have to top it and bake it when it’s time. Whip up this healthy sweet potato soufflé recipe for Thanksgiving or any other special occasion. View Recipe Save 18 of 19 Broccoli Casserole This lightened-up broccoli casserole is sure to be a hit. Learn how to make this classic side dish healthier. View Recipe Save 19 of 19 Loaded Mashed Potato Casserole Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster This crowd-pleasing mashed potato casserole is made for entertaining. You can prep it ahead of time and pop it in the oven when you’re ready to eat. Waxy Yukon Gold potatoes yield a creamier texture than more starchy russets. Leaving their thin skin on instead of peeling them cuts down on prep time and also offers a boost of fiber. View Recipe Save Explore more: Healthy Recipes Main Dish Casserole Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit