Thanksgiving Casseroles

By Food & Wine
Updated March 08, 2017
Con Poulos
Whether you're looking for a hearty vegetarian main course or an easy side dish, casseroles are a great option--and you can even make many of these ahead of time. From sweet potato casserole to green bean casserole, here are fantastic Thanksgiving casserole recipes.
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Ombré Potato and Root Vegetable Gratin

Credit: © Con Poulos
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TV chef Carla Hall layers red beets, sweet potatoes, Yukon Golds and turnips for her fantastic vegetarian gratin, which she top with a crispy Parmesan cheese crust.

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Squash Gratin

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This gratin from F&W’s Kay Chun features long spears of squash topped with panko and cheese and baked until tender and crisp.

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Tomato Gratin

Credit: FREDRIKA STJÃRNE
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Who says that casseroles have to be starchy and heavy? This lightly seasoned tomato gratin is a perfect side dish for any hearty meal.

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Green Bean Casserole with Goat Cheese, Almonds and Smoked Paprika

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Inspired by classic green bean casseroles from his childhood, F&W’s Justin Chapple put a Spanish spin on this timeless favorite by topping the creamy beans with smoky pimentón de la Vera and toasted almonds.

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Cheesy Grits Casserole

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Using old-fashioned, stone-ground grits gives the casserole a better texture and flavor than quick cooking grits.

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Broccoli and Cheddar Casserole with Leeks

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This classic is updated with deep-flavored cheddar and a crunchy topping of crumbled crackers and toasted almonds.

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Winter Squash and Gruyère Gratin

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Crookneck squash or pumpkin also works well in this recipe.

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White Polenta with Wild Mushrooms and Robiola Cheese

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With a variety of mushrooms and creamy polenta, this dish will hit the spot if you're craving something savory.

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Crispy Baked Kale with Gruyère Cheese

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Chef Sam Hayward usually tops these lush onion-sweetened greens with an excellent aged raw-milk cheese from Vermont called Tarentaise. He says Gruyère or any other Alpine-style cheese is a great substitute but if you want to try Tarentaise you can order it from thistlehillfarm.com.

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Sweet Potato Casserole

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Sweet potatoes grow in abundance in Alabama, where sculptor Sandi Stevens' family eats them year-round. This casserole is a Stevens favorite: silky pureed sweet potatoes topped with a sweet and crunchy pecan-cornflake topping. If you don't have pecans or cornflakes on hand, Stevens says the topping can be made with whatever nut or cereal is in the cupboard.

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Creamy Shrimp Casserole with Buttery Crumbs

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Hot sauce and dashes of paprika make this delicious casserole a complex-flavored dish everyone at the table will love.

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Swiss Chard Casserole with Shiitake Mushrooms

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Delicious and easy to make and serve, this frittata-like casserole is just the kind of dish that F&W’s Justin Chapple likes to serve as a first course at dinner parties. He slices the baked casserole into bite-size squares and tops them with a dollop of crème fraîche to serve with cocktails.

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Turnip Casserole with Porcini Crumb Topping

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We love the earthy porcini topping on this rich and creamy turnip gratin, but it would also be fantastic on mac and cheese or other root vegetable gratin.

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Cheesy Mixed Pasta Casserole with Mushrooms

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Melissa Rubel Jacobson created this recipe to use up extra dried mushrooms and odds and ends of pasta. While the different pasta shapes cook at different rates in the water, they all become tender once baked.

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Butternut Squash Casserole with Leeks, Prosciutto and Thyme

Credit: Alexandra Rowley
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This luscious squash-studded bread pudding is the ideal accompaniment to roasted meats and birds, or cut it into large squares and serve as a main course with a green salad on the side.

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Crunchy Baked Fennel

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Sweet roasted slices of fennel topped with herbed bread crumbs make for a fabulous freezer-to-oven side dish.

Plus: F&W's Ultimate Thanksgiving Recipes Guide

More Thanksgiving Vegetable Side Dishes

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Sweet Potato Gratin with Chile-Spiced Pecans

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Jose Garces says this dish best exemplifies his Thanksgiving menu: traditional at its core but with unexpected Latin accents. The gratin is silky and sweet, topped with gooey marshmallows and delightfully crunchy pecans flavored with chile powder.

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Broccoli and Wild Mushroom Casserole

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Photographer and Alabamian Robert Rausch grew up eating vegetable casseroles—he and his mother are both vegetarians. The broccoli casserole his family ate is a step up from the standard church cookbook recipe, which calls for using canned mushroom soup: In place of that, he uses wild mushrooms. He still relies on Ritz crackers, though, for the crispy, buttery topping.

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Butternut Squash-Polenta Gratin

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This squash gratin is a simple and fresh recipe that is perfect for fall.

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Mashed Potato Casserole with Gruyère

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Transform your leftover mashed potatoes to a delicious, cheesy casserole that is done in less than 45 minutes.

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Green Bean Casserole with Cremini Mushroom Sauce

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A sophisticated take on a holiday classic.

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Asiago and Sage Scalloped Potatoes

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Thanksgiving Make-Ahead Tip: The potatoes can be baked up to 5 hours ahead; let stand at room temperature. Rewarm in the oven before serving.

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Butternut Squash and Kale Strata with Multigrain Bread

Credit: Con Poulos
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A terrific make-ahead breakfast strata from baker and pastry chef Zoe Nathan, who uses multigrain bread to add a distinct flavor to this satisfying casserole.

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