Quick Casseroles Low on Prep Time But High in Flavor

Like a mash-up of the best of pot pie (mixed vegetables, egg-brushed pastry) and pizza (ground meat, tomato sauce, Parmesan cheese) in one, this savory pie’s little secret is hiding right in front of our eyes. To make the pie topping a cinch to layer and lattice, opt for refrigerated pizza dough. Or simply ask for a little less than a pound of dough from your favorite local pizzeria.

Prep is a breeze for this spicy, cheesy, quick and easy casserole recipe. Just simmer, build, and bake. And if you're still debating whether you should try this or not, consider this: The single-skillet taco night bakes in a mere 20 minutes. 

Buy It: Staub Pie Dish ($40, Bed Bath & Beyond)

Trick kids into thinking they're having pizza for dinner. (Well, they kind of are with this easy casserole idea.) Once they have a bite of this zucchini noodle masterpiece, they won't care that it's mostly made of veggies instead of pasta.

Whether you're hosting a stylish brunch or are just in the mood for breakfast for dinner, this simple make-ahead egg-and-veggie casserole recipe is a solid option. It's simple, low-cal, and prepped in just 25 minutes. Pretty soon, you'll be making a quick breakfast casserole for every meal. (Breakfast for dinner is never a bad idea!)

Ditch delivery tonight. This four-ingredient quick dinner casserole takes just 35 minutes to make from start to finish. Instead of sausage or pepperoni, ground beef makes each portion hearty, while store-bought biscuits act as the quick and easy “crust.”

Say au revoir to the boxed stuff and hello to the real deal. This buttery, quick, easy casserole starts with a simple white sauce and finishes with four melty cheeses: Gouda, cheddar, Swiss, and Parmesan. And when you're in the mood to mix up your mac and cheese routine, it takes only a couple minutes longer to ace one of our flavor-boosting variations, including bacon-blue cheese, butternut squash, Cajun shrimp and sausage, and jalapeño popper.

One of the most fun ways to get closer to your produce quota for the day? Tuck them inside a casserole dish alongside plenty of cheese and pasta. This easy, cheesy casserole is “a must in our household,” one BH&G reader says.

This quick and easy casserole dish would make any Italian nonna (aka grandma) proud. It’s an example of why we love made-from-scratch, classic Italian recipes: simple, versatile, and flavorful. If you have fresh herbs, some variety of ground meat, and a few pantry staples, you can coax a lot of flavor out of a one-pan dinner.

If you're a fan of Greek spanakopita, we’re pretty sure you’ll adore this cheesy spinach bake. The quick, easy casserole is crunchy, gooey, and ready in just 45 minutes. It’s a gorgeously browned side that’s special enough for company or holidays, and it can even flex as a vegetarian main dish, if you like.

Chicken salad tiptoes from lunch to dinner territory when you serve it hot. Condensed canned soup and yogurt make this one super-silky—and speedy; it clocks in at 40 minutes start to finish. To make this surprisingly low-calorie casserole a meal, pile it over a bed of rice or steamed broccoli.

Savory egg-filled quiches are the brunch entrée we turn to time and time again when we need to feed a crowd in the a.m. (or with breakfast for dinner) in a quick and affordable way. This easy casserole idea has become our new favorite because of its shareability. Since it’s built on a layer of shingled potato slices rather than a pie pastry, this Denver quiche is A-OK to share with gluten-free guests if you skip the bread crumb topping.

Need a cozy, oven-baked dinner for two? Try this hearty, mini casserole recipe topped with Italian-blend and Parmesan cheeses. If you're feeding a slightly larger crowd, this quick and easy casserole recipe is easily doubled.

The hardest part of this tuna casserole is remembering to set the semisoft herb cheese on the counter to come to room temperature 30 minutes before you plan to begin meal prep. Cooked almost entirely in the microwave, this kid-friendly quick casserole recipe warms to creamy perfection in a flash: 6 minutes. Crushed cornflakes or wheat crackers lend a lovely crunchy topping to contrast the rich, silky pasta.

Crust is great and all, but have you tried tots? That’s the swap we make in this quick dinner casserole, and the results are crunchy, speedy, and wildly crowd-pleasing. Think of this dish like a supreme pizza—complete with beef, sausage, and pepperoni—turned on its head.

Test Kitchen Tip: The original recipe calls for potato nuggets, but tots now come with broccoli, cauliflower, sweet potato, and other veggies hidden right inside. Talk about a seamless way to sneak in a little more produce.

Shepherd’s pie is one of the best solutions when you’re in need of a “food hug” type of dish. While many renditions of the stick-to-your-ribs beef recipe take all afternoon, we’ve found a way to trim the total time to 50 minutes. Frozen vegetables, canned soup, and leftover or store-bought mashed potatoes make the meal magic possible.

You’ve probably seen—and maybe tasted—chili recipes paired with corn bread, spooned over spaghetti, and in a bread bowl. In Texas and across some U.S. states, it’s also often part of a “Frito Pie;” a common stadium snack of a scoop of chili served inside an open single-serving bag of crushed corn chips. This flavorful and fast Tex-Mex casserole is a twist on that theme, with the corn chips on top, biscuits on the bottom, and a quick, easy casserole filling of ground beef, beans, and lots of spices.

Buy It: Threshold Pie Dish ($12, Target)

Store-bought stuffed pasta makes quick and easy casseroles even easier. Layers of ravioli noodles, ground beef, diced tomatoes, herbs, and shredded cheese bake together for a speedy (40 minutes!) supper your family will ask for time and time again. 

Test Kitchen Tip: If you’re sharing this with vegetarians, sautéed mushrooms or plant-based meat crumbles can absolutely replace the beef.

Bread crumbs with tender sweet onion top this recipe instead of the traditional high-fat fried onion rings. Serve the quick and easy casserole dish any Sunday with roast chicken, or, in true Thanksgiving style, with roast turkey. Since this side dish casserole is all set to scoop in 40 minutes, you can focus on preparing the main dish—and the drink pairing.

By now, you can probably guess that pizza and casseroles fall near the top of our “favorite comfort foods” line-up. In this, the speediest of all of our slice-inspired dishes, Italian turkey sausage, pizza sauce, and traditional pizza toppings and spices star in the foundation of the quick dinner casserole. For a quick-fix topping, sprinkle on some toasted bread cubes and cheese, then spice things up with oregano and crushed red pepper flakes.

Buy It: GreenPan 12-Inch Ceramic Fry Pan ($55, Williams Sonoma)

Around Thanksgiving—or as a nod to the holiday any time of year—give this sage-scented sweet potato casserole a go. Unlike its marshmallow-studded cousins that grace the holiday table, this version is decidedly savory. A semi-homemade mix of ingredients, including leftover chicken or turkey, canned soup, and frozen veggies help this quick, easy casserole become table-ready in just 35 minutes.

One of the best ways to press fast-forward on casserole prep? Make it mini! Layers of veggies plus marinara sauce (homemade or store-bought) and cheese star in this mini casserole recipe. Plus, since they're individual, you can swap out a veggie or two as needed to please a picky eater.