23 Dump and Bake Casserole Recipes for Easy Weeknight Dinners

These easy dump and bake dinner recipes will help you get a meal on the table fast.

Shawarma Casserole
Photo: Carson Downing

Pressed for time on a busy weeknight? No problem! Our easy dump and bake recipes for delicious casseroles provide a hearty meal with almost no prep time. Simply combine your ingredients, dump them into a casserole dish, and let your oven do the rest. Keep these dump and bake recipes handy for when you need a low-fuss homemade meal.

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Chicken Alfredo and Rice Casserole

Chicken Alfredo and Rice Casserole
Andy Lyons

Chicken and rice are a classic (not to mention kid-pleasing) combo. Add in creamy Alfredo pasta sauce, and you've got a super-easy, scrumptious dinner that's ready with no fuss. We added peas and roasted red bell peppers into this chicken dump casserole for a more flavorful and more nutritious meal.

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Swiss Vegetable Medley Casserole

Swiss Vegetable Medley
Andy Lyons

Need a veggie-packed casserole ready in a hurry? This oh-so-easy dish is full of frozen vegetables and cream of mushroom soup. French-fried onions on top add satisfying crunch. Any vegetarians in the crowd will love this healthy dump casserole. For a family of meat-lovers, you could easily toss in some leftover shredded chicken.

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Hot Chicken Salad Casserole

Hot Chicken Salad Casserole
Blaine Moats

Dress up cold chicken salad with this super-simple, extra cheesy version. Cream of chicken soup and yogurt provide chicken salad's classic creaminess; crushed cornflakes and sliced almonds bring delicious crunch. It's got everything we love about lunchtime chicken salad turned into a satisfying oven casserole you can toss together on a weeknight.

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Twice Baked Potato Dump Casserole

Twice Baked Potato Casserole
Matthew Clark

This easy dump and bake casserole recipe has all of your future potato sidedish needs covered. Need potatoes for a holiday meal? Check. Scrambling for a last-minute potluck dish? Done. Thanks to the gooey cheese on top and bacon throughout, there won't be any leftovers to bring home.

05 of 23

Smoky Cheesy Chicken-Potato Casserole

Smoky Cheesy Chicken-Potato Casserole
Blaine Moats

Cheesy potatoes capture our hearts at almost every holiday meal, so it's a treat to get them in a weeknight dinner. Make this oven casserole heartier by adding smoked or roasted chicken with the hash brown potatoes and smoked cheddar cheese. The recipe says croutons on top are optional, but we say they're a must.

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Hot and Cheesy Chicken Dump Casserole

Hot and Cheesy Chicken Casserole
Andy Lyons

This easy casserole oozes with three different kinds of melted cheese. It's great for a weeknight dinner because this recipe requires almost no prep. The trick to pulling this easy chicken dump casserole together so quickly is to mix frozen veggies and leftover chicken (even a rotisserie chicken could work) with cream of chicken and nacho cheese soups.

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Shawarma Casserole

Shawarma Casserole
Carson Downing

A hearty mix of ground turkey, rice, and spices is the start to this easy dump and bake dinner idea. Finish the dish with crunchy pita chips, Greek yogurt, lemon wedges, and plenty of fresh herbs. As on BHG home cook raved, "This recipe is such a fun twist on a casserole and the smells were amazing."

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Denver Potato Casserole

Denver Potato Casserole
Kritsada Panichgul

You need only five ingredients to make this yummy potato casserole. Smoky ham, green bell pepper, and yellow onion give this easy dump casserole rustic flavor. Naturally, we added a handful of cheese. Because it's so speedy, you could toss it together for breakfast, brunch, or even for your next breakfast-for-dinner night.

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Easy Huevos Rancheros Casserole

Easy Huevos Rancheros Casserole
Marty Baldwin

Egg casseroles are great for breakfast and brunch. We think they're delicious at dinnertime too. The zesty kick from chunky salsa will have you craving this spicy egg and potato casserole. Adding lots of Mexican cheese on top of this dump and bake casserole will make it a popular request at your table.

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Hash Brown Casserole

Hash Brown Casserole
Blaine Moats

This hearty ham and potato casserole can star at any meal. You could serve it alongside a salad and fruit for a quick weeknight meal, or you can employ this easy dump casserole as a last-minute holiday side dish. Plus, you can swap the cornflake topping for a different kind of crunch, like French-fried onions or crushed potato chips.

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Meat Lover's Pizza Tot Casserole

Meat Lovers Pizza Tot Casserole
Adam Albright

When you're craving pizza but don't want to resort to takeout, opt for this dump casserole. The process does require a browning step for the meat and veggies, but it all happens in one pot. That means once it's done on the stove, you just dump the rest of the ingredients and pop it in the oven.

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Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole

Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole
Matthew Clark

You know from the name that this dump and bake recipe features chicken, bacon, and ranch, but that's only the start of the deliciousness. Pasta bulks up each bite so it's hearty enough for dinner. Broccoli, mushrooms, and tomato make a healthier casserole recipe. And of course, we have to mention all the cheese—cheddar, mozzarella, and Parmesan form a delightfully gooey layer on top.

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One-Step Ham Casserole

One-Step Ham Casserole
Jason Donnelly

Preheat your oven, stir together the ingredients, bake. That's all it takes to make this dump and bake casserole recipe. You don't even have to chop anything. Start with leftover (or store-bought) diced ham, then make this casserole gooey, creamy, and delicious by adding in shredded cheese, macaroni, and cream of celery soup.

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Turkey-Vegetable Casserole

Turkey-Vegetable Casserole
Andy Lyons

This dump and bake recipe is pure comfort food. Leftover turkey, home-style gravy, and frozen veggies served in individual casserole dishes feel like getting an extra dose of Thanksgiving dinner. A pinch of nutmeg gives this cozy meal extra of the fall flavors we crave.

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Farmer's Casserole

Farmer's Casserole
Blaine Moats

Hash browns, melted cheese, smoky ham, and eggs—this casserole combines everything we love about breakfast and brunch. However, we can't think of a single time of day when we wouldn't be happy with cheesy hash browns and eggs.

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Alfredo-Bacon Tot Casserole

Alfredo-Bacon Tot Casserole
Blaine Moats

Everything you need for a successful weeknight dinner is in this dump and bake recipe. For starters, this chicken Alfredo casserole comes together fast, like all of our dump dinner recipes. But the best part is all the yummy ingredients: potato tots, bacon, Alfredo sauce, and chicken. Dress it up with juicy cherry tomatoes on top.

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King Ranch Crunch Chicken Casserole

King Ranch Crunch Chicken Casserole
Jason Donnelly

King ranch chicken is a nostalgic comfort food dating back to the '50s. Here, we've turned it into an easy casserole dinner idea that you dump and "bake" in the slow cooker. Melty cheese and chicken are layered between tortilla chips for an irresistible savory dinner that takes just 15 minutes to toss together.

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Red Bean, Cheese, and Triple-Chile Casserole

Red Bean, Cheese, and Triple-Chile Casserole
Jason Donnelly

One of the great things about using red beans as the protein in this dump and bake casserole is that they don't require any cooking. Unlike ground beef, which you usually have to brown first, beans go right in with the cheese and diced chile peppers. Top the baked casserole with chopped tomatoes and crushed tortilla chips for freshness and crunch.

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Spicy White Bean Casserole with Calabrian Chiles

Spicy White Bean Casserole with Calabrian Chiles
Carson Downing

The easy casserole starts with inexpensive ingredients like cream cheese, canned beans, and broccoli. A crunchy chili-panko topping adds texture and color to the cheesy casserole. Looking for a vegetarian dump and back casserole recipe? Omit the pancetta and swap in vegetable broth.

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Quick Chicken Tortilla Bake

Quick Chicken Tortilla Bake
Andy Lyons

This easy chicken dump casserole has all of the flavor of your favorite chicken tacos, minus the hassle. Instead of setting up a taco assembly line for everyone to make their own, combine the tomatoes, tortillas, chicken, and cheese into one delicious dish. This zesty dump and bake taco casserole can be on your table in an hour.

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Chicken, Wild Rice, and Vegetable Casserole

Chicken, Wild Rice, and Vegetable Casserole
Scott Little

This delicious chicken and rice casserole can be made ahead of time and frozen for up to 2 months before baking. When you're ready for dinner, pop this chicken dump casserole in the oven and set the table (or work on a quick side salad). Topping it with cheddar cheese makes it completely irresistible.

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Creamy Meatball Casserole

Creamy Meatball Casserole
Jason Donnelly

Succulent meatballs and cream of mushroom soup combine with red potatoes in this hearty main dish. Speed up this dump and bake meatball casserole by using frozen veggies and meatballs. It's a meat-and-potatoes dinner all in one pan.

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Roast Beef Tamale Casserole

Roast Beef Tamale Casserole
Andy Lyons

There's lots to love in this roast beef dump dinner. Tender beef roast and pinto beans pack in plenty of protein; poblano peppers add a hint of heat. We included zucchini and grape tomatoes to make this dump and bake casserole a little healthier.

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