Easy Casserole and Hotdish Recipes

A blanket of gooey cheese and the oven-crisped pepperoni make this casserole a guaranteed kid pleaser. Of course, you can switch up the ingredients as easily as the toppings on a pizza. Classics like sweet pepper, black olives and sausage are all fair game—but we'd hold the anchovies!

This six-ingredient hotdish recipe from an Appleton, Wisconsin, reader features an all-star lineup of Wisconsin foods, including bratwurst, cheddar cheese and potatoes. "It's a quick, easy recipe," our reader says. "There's not much you can mess up."

This comfort food hotdish offers a new twist on the usual hash brown casserole. Try it for everyday meals as well as potlucks!

Related: Easy Potluck Recipes

You don't get much easier than this recipe from Jan Valdez of Chicago! Saute a few ingredients, stir in cream cheese to make a sauce, and dump it all over frozen pierogis in a casserole dish. (You don't even need to thaw the pierogis!) 

Rich cream sauce stands in for canned soup in Minnesota chef Amy Thielen's spin on classic chicken and wild rice hotdish. The recipe comes from Amy's book The New Midwestern Table (clarksonpotter.com).

Related: Top Chicken Casserole Recipes

Pair Mexican flavors with pasta for this comfort-food casserole that includes sausage, salsa and Monterey Jack cheese.

This might be the easiest casserole you ever make, with just four ingredients and 15 minutes of prep time. The recipe comes from an Elkader, Iowa, reader. Kids of all ages will probably douse the stick-to-your-ribs meal with ketchup.

Doctored with onion, chili powder and cocoa, canned sauce becomes a stepping-stone to something deeper.

Related: Sizzling Mexican and Tex-Mex Recipes

This from-scratch deep-dish chicken casserole comes from a Caledonia, Michigan, reader. "It's not your run-of-the-mill chicken pie," says the reader, who adds a bit of pork sausage for farm-hearty flavor. "Anyone who tries it just can't get enough of it."

The combo of butternut squash, rigatoni, bacon and smoked cheese makes for a delicious twist on traditional mac and cheese.

Related: Easy and Delicious Butternut Squash Recipes

A flurry of curry adds zest to this classic casserole combo of chicken, broccoli and cheese. 

This is a great recipe for entertaining. If you're thinking about holding a wine-tasting party, the flavors of the red meat sauce and cheese-spinach layers in this colorful lasagna will complement the wines.

This make-ahead egg casserole features lasagna noodles, Alfredo sauce and hash brown potatoes, making it great for brunch or a simple dinner.

Related: Our Best Breakfast Casseroles

Diced green chile peppers give this cheesy baked dish character with some hotness. We like the crunch from the saltine crackers, too. 

A Waukegan, Illinois, reader contributed this homespun ground beef-and-noodle hotdish recipe. Make-ahead directions are included at the end of the recipe.

This taco-flavored main dish is a potluck favorite from a Fargo, North Dakota, reader. Serve it with tortilla chips so your guests can scoop and eat.

Your family won't be able to resist the flavor combo of this macaroni and cheese casserole! 

Combine Italian meatballs, three kinds of cheese, pasta and sauce for this easy, crowd-pleasing casserole.

Related: Warm and Cheesy Recipes