33 Veggie-Filled Casseroles You Can Make All Summer Long
Here's proof you CAN enjoy casseroles during the summer too!
Though we're all for shedding our winter coats, ditching the soups, and switching up our dinner routines as soon as the warm weather rolls around, we gotta be honest: Some things are hard to give up, like the convenience, comfort, and simplicity of a casserole for dinner. Fear not—we’re here to tell you that you CAN enjoy a hot, bubbly casserole in the summer. Ditch winter standbys like green bean casserole and sweet potato casserole for summery flavor combinations, fresh produce, and outdoor eating-inspired casseroles. Check out our 33 summer casseroles for ideas—don’t put away that baking dish just yet!
One of the best things about a casserole is its ability to feed a hungry crowd, and that’s no different during the summer. So to “summer-fy” our favorite comfort dish, we looked to our favorite summer activities and flavors for inspiration. Love a weeknight dinner on the grill but feeling unmotivated (or is the weather not cooperating)? Try our cheeseburger casseroles (including a “skinny” version) or our chili cheese dog casserole. They’ve got everything you crave from a BBQ without having to stand over a hot grill. Feeling a Mexican food vibe but don’t want to assemble a million individual-sized options (tacos, quesadillas, etc.)? Try our taco casserole or our chicken enchilada casserole. They’re easy to throw together, meaning you’ll have more time to whip up some margaritas to go with. Watching the game and don’t want to be stuck in the kitchen when the big play happens? Try our sloppy Joe meatball bake, our Buffalo chicken & rice casserole, or our tater tot casserole. They’re just as good as your favorite apps, but a TON less work.
During the summer, we love filling our recipes with as much seasonal produce as possible. Casseroles are great ways to use up a bounty of zucchini, eggplant, sweet corn, and even pineapple. Check out our squash casserole, our summer bowtie pasta & chicken sausage skillet bake, our pineapple casserole (trust us), or our vegetarian moussaka (think shepherd’s pie but with eggplant!) for ideas.
Want more summertime inspiration? Check out our favorite summer salads, our best summer soups, and our top summer desserts too.
Chicken Enchilada Casserole
Instead of rolling all of the enchiladas individually, this casserole speeds up the process by layering everything together in the pan. Skip the store bought enchilada sauce and make your own homemade sauce. You can adjust the heat up or down according to your preference.
Get the Chicken Enchilada Casserole recipe.
Chili Cheese Dog Casserole
Canned chili and crescent roll dough makes this recipe ridiculously easy. It can be served as a main course or as a fun addition to any game day party spread. If you've got a little more time on your hands, fancy it up by making your own homemade chili instead of the canned stuff. (Our ultimate beef chili is a good place to start.)
Get the Chili Cheese Dog Casserole recipe.
Ratatouille Casserole
Ratatouille, a classic end of summer dish from the South of France that features our favorite late-season produce, takes on a new form in this beautiful spiraled casserole that's easier than it looks.
Get the Ratatouille Casserole recipe.
Vegetable Casserole
For this recipe, we wanted to gussy up the idea of a casserole by combining two French dishes: ratatouille and potatoes au gratin. This combination makes for a luxurious and delicious way to get your daily dose of veggies this summer.
Get the Vegetable Casserole recipe.
Philly Cheesesteak Casserole
Love Philly cheesesteaks but need to serve a crowd? This casserole to the rescue! You could even make it a little more veggie-heavy by adding some tomatoes and spinach. (Just don't tell your friends from Philly 😜)
Get the Philly Cheesesteak Casserole recipe.
Turkey Zucchini Enchilada Casserole
Pineapple Casserole
Sure, on paper it doesn’t make sense: canned pineapple with cheddar and buttered Ritz crackers. Seriously? Seriously. The result is a sweet-and-savory dream and a textural paradise you can serve alongside dishes like pulled pork at your next outdoor celebration.
Get the Pineapple Casserole recipe.
Zucchini Lattice Lasagna
Yes, classic lasagna is delicious, but when we're craving something a tad less carb-heavy, we turn to this summery zucchini version. Pro tip: Zucchini releases a good amount of water, so we like to dab it with a paper towel when the lasagna is done cooking, then broil until the cheese is bubbly and crispy. 😍
Get the Zucchini Lattice Lasagna recipe.
Sloppy Joe Meatball Bake
Meatballs don’t take the sloppy out of sloppy Joes, they just turn it into a whole new, super-versatile form. Sandwich these into a hoagie roll for a saucy meatball sub, enjoy them right out of the skillet as an easy appetizer (think game day snacks!), or serve this bake as a main with fresh veggie sides.
Get the Sloppy Joe Meatball Bake recipe.
Tater Tot Casserole
This casserole is a total guilty pleasure, but we promise, it's worth it. If you're trying to lighten it up, ground turkey or chicken would be a delicious swap out for the beef. If you're really being good (we're impressed!). top the casserole with zucchini tater tots in place of the potato variety.
Get the Tater Tot Casserole recipe.
Cornbread Casserole
Though we kind of hate to admit it, we LOVE Jiffy cornbread mix. It's easy to make, and it's damn good in dishes like this chili and cornbread casserole. If you want to go the homemade route, try halving our delicious homemade cornbread recipe for this recipe. It might turn out even better.
Get the Cornbread Casserole recipe.
Buffalo Chicken & Rice Casserole
If you can’t get enough of Buffalo chicken wings, then this easy casserole is for you. This spicy, creamy chicken and rice casserole turns everyone's fave app into a crowd-pleasing weeknight dinner.
Zucchini Casserole With Garlicky Bread Crumbs
This summery vegetarian side may be quick and easy, but the colorful shingled veggies make for an impressive presentation. Even the most reluctant vegetable-eaters won't be able to resist that cheesy herbed bread crumb topping. 😋
Get the Zucchini Casserole With Garlicky Bread Crumbs recipe.
Caprese Quinoa Bake
Turn a Caprese salad into a hearty, filling dinner with the addition of quinoa! If you're unfamiliar (or could just use a refresher), check out our guide for how to cook quinoa for best results.
Get the Caprese Quinoa Bake recipe.
Summer Bowtie Pasta & Chicken Sausage Skillet Bake
We believe that summer dinners should be both quick and easy, so this skillet pasta dinner requires just a handful of ingredients—bowtie pasta, marinara sauce, chicken sausage, zucchini, bell pepper, spinach... SO EASY.
Get the Summer Bowtie Pasta & Chicken Sausage Skillet Bake recipe.
Everything Bagel Casserole
This casserole is a GREAT option for when you need to feed your crowd before heading to the beach or an amusement park this summer, especially for those who can't handle cutting bagels (or are just indecisive!). If you can't find everything bagels (the horror!), just use extra everything bagel seasoning.
Get the Everything Bagel Casserole recipe.
Chicken & Coconut Rice Casserole
Coconut milk is truly magical. It takes ordinary rice to tropical heights, turning our chicken and rice casserole into something extra flavorful and summery. We honestly might never cook our rice without it again.
Egg & Hash Brown Casserole
Listen, we love a big breakfast featuring all the usual suspects—fluffy scrambled eggs, crispy hash browns, a plate of breakfast sausage, and a pile of sautéed spinach for good measure. But it requires a lot of work, not to mention A LOT of dishes. Enter this egg & hash brown casserole, which delivers all those classic breakfast foods in one single dish.
Get the Egg & Hash Brown Casserole recipe.
Vegetarian Moussaka
Moussaka is an eggplant-based dish that is traditionally made with ground beef. We made this vegetarian by swapping the meat in for ground lentils, but don't worry, it's still FULL of flavor. It has a creamy bechamel sauce that goes on top that makes this dish extra comforting too.
Get the Vegetarian Moussaka recipe.
Cheeseburger Casserole
If you want to make burgers for more than four people, consider this incredibly easy casserole instead. It's hearty, delicious, and WAY easier than flipping a dozen patties on the grill. We topped ours with our favorite burger ingredients (including Big Mac special sauce), but feel free to make swaps!
Get the Cheeseburger Casserole recipe.
Camille Lowder is the digital food producer at Delish, otherwise known as our resident queen of recipe galleries. Previously, she attended the Natural Gourmet Institute for culinary school and worked at/managed a number of New York restaurants. She loves anything vegan, foods masquerading as other foods (hello, cauliflower), and a well-used Oxford comma.
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