27 Cozy Fall Casseroles

Once the weather cools off, a bubbling casserole is pretty much all I want for dinner. This roundup has hearty beef and chicken dinners, cheesy pasta bakes, a few slow cooker and one-pan options, some meatless mains like butternut squash lasagna, and even a lemony cod pasta bake.

Fall gets busy fast, between school nights, football weekends, and holiday hosting. A good casserole covers all of it. Many of these can be assembled ahead or frozen, and several are a smart way to use up leftover turkey or rotisserie chicken.

Big Mac Casserole

This Big Mac Casserole bakes tender potatoes and lean ground beef under melted cheddar. Then it gets topped with a creamy Greek yogurt Big Mac sauce, pickles, lettuce, and tomatoes. You get all the cheeseburger flavor without the bun, and it’s a hearty, family-friendly pick for busy fall weeknights. (Don’t skip the pickles.)

Easy Meatball Casserole

Made with penne, frozen meatballs, marinara, and a thick layer of mozzarella and Parmesan, this Easy Meatball Casserole is about as low-effort as baked pasta gets. The meatballs simmer in the sauce first so they’re hot all the way through. You can also assemble the whole thing a day ahead for a hectic fall night.

Butternut Squash Lasagna

This Butternut Squash Lasagna layers tender butternut squash, spinach, ricotta, and sharp provolone with a smoky marinara and a Parmesan top. It’s a vegetarian lasagna that tastes like fall. It’s also hearty enough to serve as a meatless main on Thanksgiving.

Wild Rice and Leftover Turkey Casserole

Featuring shredded turkey, wild rice, broccoli, and mushrooms in a homemade cheddar sauce, this Wild Rice and Leftover Turkey Casserole skips the canned soup completely. The buttery Ritz topping gets nice and crunchy. It’s a smart way to use up Thanksgiving leftovers, and rotisserie chicken works too.

Chicken and Stuffing Casserole

This Chicken and Stuffing Casserole bakes diced chicken, mixed vegetables, and garlic in a creamy sauce under a golden layer of boxed stuffing. It tastes like a mini Thanksgiving dinner and comes together in about 40 minutes. It also freezes well, baked or unbaked, for busy fall weeks.

Sweet Potato Cottage Pie

Loaded with lean ground beef, carrots, celery, peas, and fresh thyme in a rich tomato and beef stock gravy, this Sweet Potato Cottage Pie swaps the usual potato topping for creamy mashed sweet potatoes. It’s gluten-free as written. It makes a hearty Sunday dinner once the weather turns chilly.

Whole30 Tuscan Spaghetti Squash Casserole

Combining roasted spaghetti squash, kale, and homemade fennel and sage pork sausage, this Whole30 Tuscan Spaghetti Squash Casserole gets its creaminess from a garlicky cashew and coconut milk sauce instead of dairy. It’s Whole30, paleo, and gluten-free. It’s a great lighter dinner during squash season.

Venison Casserole with Wild Rice

If there’s a hunter in your family, this Venison Casserole with Wild Rice is a great use for ground venison. It’s baked with wild rice, cremini mushrooms, carrots, celery, and thyme in a from-scratch cream sauce. It also freezes unbaked for up to three months, which helps when the freezer fills up during hunting season.

Chicken and Dumplings Casserole

This Chicken and Dumplings Casserole bakes chicken, onion, celery, and peas in a homemade sage gravy, topped with fluffy buttermilk drop dumplings. You get the classic chicken and dumplings flavor without babysitting a pot on the stove. That makes it a great fit for chilly fall evenings.

Chicken Wild Rice Casserole

Featuring a long grain and wild rice blend, mushrooms, celery, and shredded chicken in a creamy sauce, this Chicken Wild Rice Casserole finishes with a buttery Ritz cracker crust. It’s a smart way to use rotisserie or leftover chicken. It also freezes for up to three months.

Quinoa Mushroom Spinach Casserole

Layered like a lasagna, this Quinoa Mushroom Spinach Casserole uses tri-color quinoa instead of noodles, with mushrooms, spinach, tomato sauce, and a ricotta layer under melted mozzarella. It’s vegetarian, has 25 grams of protein per serving, and is ready in about 40 minutes. That makes it a solid Meatless Monday pick for fall.

Hamburger Potato Casserole Without Soup

This Hamburger Potato Casserole Without Soup layers thin-sliced Yukon Gold potatoes and steak-seasoned lean ground beef in a homemade cream sauce, finished with sharp cheddar. It’s a classic meat-and-potatoes dinner for cold nights. You can assemble it up to a day ahead.

Easy Moussaka with Mashed Potatoes

Combining a smoky beef and tomato sauce with a mashed potato topping brushed with egg and Parmesan, this Easy Moussaka with Mashed Potatoes skips both the eggplant and the béchamel. It tastes even better the next day. That makes it a good make-ahead dinner for a busy fall week.

Sausage Tortellini Casserole

This Sausage Tortellini Casserole comes together in one Dutch oven with Italian sausage, mushrooms, kale, cheese tortellini, and marinara, all topped with mozzarella and Parmesan. It’s ready in about 30 minutes. Slide it into the oven if you want browned, bubbly cheese on a cool fall night.

Million Dollar Chicken Casserole (No Canned Soup)

Made with a from-scratch sauce instead of canned soup, this Million Dollar Chicken Casserole (No Canned Soup) mixes chicken and bacon with cream cheese, sour cream, and cottage cheese under a crunchy Ritz topping. You can assemble it up to three days ahead. That’s a big help on hectic fall weeknights.

Easy Chicken Broccoli Casserole

This Easy Chicken Broccoli Casserole combines broccoli, cooked chicken, cheddar, and water chestnuts in a creamy sauce with a hint of curry and lemon, all under a crunchy crouton topping. It’s a great way to use up leftover chicken. It also freezes unbaked for nights when you need dinner fast.

Stuffed Pepper Casserole

All the flavor of stuffed peppers without the stuffing step, this Stuffed Pepper Casserole cooks ground beef, bell peppers, fire-roasted tomatoes, and rice in one pot, then bakes under melted cheese. It’s ready in about 30 minutes. It’s a one-pot dinner for busy back-to-school weeknights.

Crockpot Ravioli Meatball Casserole

Frozen cheese ravioli and Italian meatballs are layered with marinara and mozzarella in this Crockpot Ravioli Meatball Casserole, which cooks on high in about three hours. It’s a dump-and-go dinner for football Sundays, and it frees up your oven entirely.

Easy Chicken Pesto Pasta Bake

This Easy Chicken Pesto Pasta Bake tosses pasta and shredded chicken with ricotta, spinach, and mozzarella, with pesto spooned over the top. A buttery cracker topping adds crunch. Since it freezes baked or unbaked, it’s an easy make-ahead dinner for the busy fall season.

Philly Cheesesteak Pasta Skillet Casserole

Loaded with shaved steak, peppers, onions, and rotini cooked right in the pan, this Philly Cheesesteak Pasta Skillet Casserole gets creamy from cream cheese before provolone melts on top under the broiler. It’s a one-pan, 30-minute dinner that fits right in on football Sundays.

Street Corn Chicken Casserole

Inspired by Mexican street corn, this Street Corn Chicken Casserole mixes corn, shredded chicken, and rice with cream cheese, lime, cotija, and chili powder under crushed tortilla chips. It’s gluten-free and uses rotisserie chicken. It’s an easy one for fall game days or weeknight dinners.

Mexican Chicken and Rice Casserole

This Mexican Chicken and Rice Casserole cooks rice in one pot, then stirs in enchilada sauce, salsa, shredded chicken, black beans, and corn. It all bakes under melted cheese. It’s gluten-free and high in protein, and it keeps the dishes to a minimum on busy school nights.

Creamy Macarona Bechamel

This Creamy Macarona Bechamel is an Egyptian baked pasta that layers penne with a beef sauce warmly spiced with cinnamon and oregano, then tops it with a thick béchamel that bakes up golden. It’s a hearty bake for chilly weekends, and you can prepare the components ahead.

Crockpot Cowboy Casserole

This Crockpot Cowboy Casserole stirs ground beef, corn, onion, cheddar, and a creamy sour cream sauce together in the slow cooker, then covers it all with frozen tater tots. It’s a dump-and-go dinner for busy fall days. Broil it for a few minutes at the end if you like your tots extra crispy.

Creamy Lemon Cod Pasta Bake

Made with flaky seared cod, roasted broccoli, and cavatappi in a creamy lemon Parmesan sauce, this Creamy Lemon Cod Pasta Bake finishes under a crisp panko and Parmesan topping. It’s the only seafood dish in this roundup. It’s a nice change of pace when you’re tired of beef and chicken.

Healthy Buffalo Chicken Spaghetti Squash Casserole

Spicy and creamy, this Healthy Buffalo Chicken Spaghetti Squash Casserole tosses spaghetti squash and shredded chicken in a buffalo sauce made with hot sauce, coconut milk, and dairy-free ranch. It’s gluten-free, dairy-free, and Whole30-friendly. It’s a lighter way to get your buffalo chicken fix on game day, and it freezes for up to three months.

Chicken Broccoli Mac & Cheese

This Chicken Broccoli Mac & Cheese tosses small shells, diced chicken, and broccoli in a homemade cheddar-jack sauce, then bakes it under toasted breadcrumbs. It’s a family-friendly dinner in one dish. It’s a great way to sneak some green onto the table on a cool fall night.\