16 Cozy Casseroles You Can Make with Pantry Ingredients
Avoid another trip to the grocery store with one of these casseroles that use pantry ingredients like canned or frozen veggies, rice and eggs for a cozy main or side dish. With these recipes in your back pocket, you can have something delicious any night of the week, from a spanakopita-inspired skillet to a low-carb twist on chicken enchiladas. Recipes like our Baked Eggs in Tomato Sauce with Kale and Chicken & Stuffing Casserole are simple pleasures that everyone will enjoy.
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Baked Eggs in Tomato Sauce with Kale
You can make these three-ingredient tomato-simmered eggs with things you probably already have on hand in your freezer and pantry. To make these baked eggs more like eggs in purgatory, look for a spicy tomato sauce and don't forget some whole-wheat bread for dipping.
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Quick King Ranch Chicken Casserole
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.
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Mini Loaded Cauliflower Casseroles
You'll love this low-carb mini casserole version of loaded baked potatoes! Tangy sour cream coats chopped cauliflower and bakes with Cheddar cheese, bacon and onion in ramekins for you to enjoy your own personal comfort-food casserole.
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Chicken & Stuffing Casserole
Stuffing is not just for Thanksgiving with this easy chicken and stuffing casserole. And speaking of Thanksgiving, if you have leftover turkey, feel free to substitute it for the chicken in this comforting and healthy recipe. It's also a great use for extra carrots, celery, onions and day-old bread you might have on hand around the holidays. There's no boxed stuffing mix or canned soup in this lighter take on the comfort-food casserole, but it's still super-easy to make. Poultry seasoning helps humble bread to taste like stuffing, while thickened chicken broth takes the place of canned soup. There are plenty of veggies in this one, too, making this a healthy casserole you can feel good about serving year-round.
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Baked Beans with Ground Beef
Upgrade baked beans from classic side dish to a meaty main meal by adding lean ground beef. The final result, a superfast hearty casserole, is an easy and fast dinner option. Ground turkey or even sausage would work nicely in this dish. Just watch the sodium.
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French Onion Dip Chicken & Rice Casserole
This creamy French onion dip chicken and rice casserole topped with crispy potato chips is perfect for game day or whenever you want a comforting meal the whole family will love.
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Broccoli & Quinoa Casserole
This broccoli-quinoa casserole makes a hearty vegetarian main dish. As the quinoa absorbs water and cooks, it creates the perfect amount of steam for cooking the broccoli. Swap in tricolor quinoa, if you prefer.
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Cheesy Ground Beef & Cauliflower Casserole
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.
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Spinach, Feta & Rice Casserole
This one-pan recipe is the casserole version of spanakopita! It's hearty enough to enjoy as a vegetarian lunch or dinner, yet versatile enough to serve alongside just about any protein. To make it extra creamy, top each serving with a dollop of sour cream.
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Skillet Tuna Noodle Casserole
Known as Tuna-Pea Wiggle to some, this family-friendly tuna noodle casserole tends to be made with canned soup and whole milk, which means high fat and sodium. We remedy this by making our own creamy mushroom sauce with nonfat milk thickened with a bit of flour. Look for whole-wheat egg noodles--they have more fiber than regular egg noodles (but this dish will work well and taste great with either).
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Baked Cheesy Potatoes
These baked cheesy potatoes (aka "Funeral Potatoes") are comfort food at its best and, luckily, you don't have to be at a funeral to enjoy them. Potatoes do double duty here, with cheesy shredded hash browns baked into a creamy sauce and topped with a layer of crispy potato chips.
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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.
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Low-Carb Broccoli & Cheddar Casserole
This simple cheesy casserole is comforting while keeping the carbs in check. Serve it alongside roasted chicken or pork.
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Eggs in Tomato Sauce with Chickpeas & Spinach
Simmer eggs in a rich tomatoey cream sauce studded with chickpeas and silky spinach for a super-fast vegetarian dinner. Serve with a piece of crusty bread to soak up the sauce. Be sure to use heavy cream; a lower-fat option might curdle when mixed with acidic tomatoes.
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Cabbage Roll Chicken Enchiladas
This 5-ingredient dinner recipe uses two genius hacks to make dinner healthy and get it on the table in under an hour. First, swap in cabbage leaves for tortillas to cut the carbs and get an extra serving of vegetables. Second, use prepared ingredients--spicy refried beans and enchilada sauce--to add tons of flavor without a long ingredient list.
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Vegetarian Quinoa & Squash Casserole
An aromatic mixture of garlic, paprika, cumin, coriander, allspice and cayenne flavors this vegetarian quinoa and squash casserole recipe. Frozen squash is a super-easy topping.