Christmas casserole recipes are the secret to a calm holiday dinner. Everything goes into one dish, the oven does the work, and the table gets a hot, bubbling centrepiece that feeds a crowd with almost no last-minute fuss. These easy Christmas casserole recipes were picked for a real festive table: classic sides like green bean and sweet potato casserole, hearty mains like venison and ham and cheese, and a few dishes you can assemble the night before.
Christmas 2026 falls on Friday, 25 December, and every casserole below is built for the season. They use ingredients you can find in any supermarket, they reheat well, and they sit happily next to turkey, ham, or prime rib. Each recipe links to the full recipe on this site, with exact ingredients and times. If you are planning the whole meal, start with our Easy Christmas Dinner Recipes for a Crowd and our Easy Christmas Side Dishes for Holiday Dinner.
Why Casseroles Win Christmas
A casserole is the only dish that is a side, a main, and a plan all at once. You assemble it ahead, slide it into the oven while the turkey rests, and bring it to the table still bubbling — no carving, no plating, no juggling five pans at once. That is exactly what Christmas Day needs, when the kitchen is crowded and the timing matters.
Casseroles are also forgiving. They hold their heat, they survive an extra ten minutes in the oven, and most of them taste just as good reheated the next day — which makes them perfect for leftovers. And because they feed eight or more from a single dish, they are the easiest way to cook for a big family without doubling every recipe.
1. Bobby Flay Ham and Cheese Casserole
Bobby Flay Ham and Cheese Casserole
Leftover Christmas ham has never tasted this good. Cooked ham, shredded cheddar, and mozzarella bake in a rich custard of eggs, whole milk, and heavy cream with Dijon mustard, paprika, and butter, and the whole dish is ready in about an hour. It is the perfect Boxing Day main — it turns yesterday’s ham into today’s dinner — but it is just as good made fresh for Christmas Day itself. Serve it with a green salad and crusty bread, and watch it disappear before the turkey is even carved.
2. Cheesy Keto Casserole
Every Christmas table has a guest watching carbs, and this casserole is for them. Ground chicken or beef bakes with broccoli florets in heavy cream under a blanket of shredded cheddar and mozzarella, with garlic, paprika, salt, and black pepper for flavour. It is ready in about 45 minutes, it is rich and filling without any pasta, rice, or breadcrumbs, and nobody at the table will guess it is the low-carb option. Make it in a smaller dish alongside the regular casseroles so everyone has something they love.
3. Mary Berry Venison Casserole
If Christmas dinner deserves a showstopper, this is it. Venison slow-braises for about two and a half hours with onions, garlic, carrots, celery, and mushrooms in beef or game stock and red wine, with tomato paste, thyme, bay leaves, and Worcestershire sauce building a deep, rich flavour. The meat turns meltingly tender, the sauce turns glossy, and the whole house smells wonderful while it cooks. It serves six, it is best made the day before and reheated, and it pairs beautifully with mashed potatoes and the sweet potato casserole below.
4. Paula Deen Chicken Divan
Chicken Divan is old-fashioned comfort food, and Paula Deen’s version is the classic: cooked chicken and broccoli florets baked under a creamy sauce of condensed cream of chicken soup, mayonnaise, sour cream, and lemon juice, topped with shredded cheddar and crushed buttery crackers. It takes about 45 minutes, serves six, and it is the dish that turns plain leftover chicken into a proper holiday main. The lemon juice is the secret — it keeps the rich sauce bright instead of heavy. Serve it over rice or with dinner rolls to catch every drop of sauce.
5. Paula Deen Green Bean Casserole
Paula Deen Green Bean Casserole
No Christmas table is complete without green bean casserole, and this Paula Deen version is the one most families reach for. Green beans bake in condensed cream of mushroom soup with grated sharp cheddar, diced onion, melted butter, and a touch of soy sauce, then get their famous topping of crispy French fried onions — with optional sliced water chestnuts for extra crunch. It takes about 45 minutes and serves eight, so one dish covers the whole table. Assemble it the night before, add the onion topping just before baking, and it comes out golden and bubbling every time.
6. Ina Garten Sweet Potato Casserole
Ina Garten Sweet Potato Casserole
Sweet potato casserole is the sweet-savoury side that Christmas dinner needs, and Ina Garten’s version keeps it simple and perfect. Sweet potatoes mash with butter, cream, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla, then bake under chopped pecans and mini marshmallows for about 45 minutes. The top goes golden and slightly crisp, the inside stays soft and sweet, and the cinnamon makes the whole kitchen smell like the holidays. It sits happily next to turkey, ham, or the venison casserole above, and children always ask for seconds.
7. Paula Deen Jiffy Corn Casserole
Paula Deen Jiffy Corn Casserole
This is the easiest casserole on the list, and it might be the most loved. A box of Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix, whole kernel corn, cream-style corn, sour cream, melted butter, and beaten eggs stir together in one bowl — with optional shredded cheddar — and bake for about 45 minutes into a soft, golden, spoonable side that serves eight. It is sweet, buttery, and comforting, it goes with absolutely everything on a Christmas table, and it is the dish people ask for the recipe for. Make two: the first one never makes it to leftovers.
8. Cheesy Broccoli Casserole
Fresh broccoli florets bake in a creamy sauce of condensed cream of mushroom soup, mayonnaise, and egg with shredded cheddar, garlic powder, and onion powder, topped with crushed buttery crackers and melted butter for crunch. It takes about 50 minutes, it feeds a crowd, and it is the best way to get everyone — including the children — to eat their broccoli on Christmas Day. The cracker topping is the key: it goes golden and crisp while the broccoli underneath stays tender. Serve it straight from the baking dish so nobody has to wait.
9. Paula Deen Cheesy Squash Casserole
Paula Deen Cheesy Squash Casserole
Yellow squash is the summer vegetable that earns a place at the Christmas table in this casserole. Fresh squash and onion bake with sharp cheddar, eggs, whole milk, and butter under a topping of crushed buttery crackers, and the whole dish is ready in about 55 minutes. It is light enough to balance the richer dishes on the table, but cheesy enough that nobody calls it the healthy option. If your Christmas menu is heavy on meats and potatoes, this is the bright, golden side dish that brings it back into balance.
10. Pioneer Woman Cowboy Casserole
Pioneer Woman Cowboy Casserole
Cowboy casserole is the hearty, crowd-pleasing main that ends the list with a full belly. Ground beef cooks with onion and garlic, then layers with sour cream, frozen diced potatoes, shredded cheddar, milk, and paprika and bakes for about an hour — six generous servings from a single dish. It is the kind of casserole that feeds teenagers, hungry relatives, and second helpings without breaking a sweat. Serve it on Christmas Eve when the cooking marathon starts, or as a relaxed Boxing Day dinner when nobody wants to cook again.
Tips for the Best Christmas Casseroles
Assemble casseroles the night before whenever the recipe allows it. Cover the dish tightly and refrigerate it, then add cracker or fried-onion toppings just before baking so they stay crisp. Take the dish out of the fridge 30 minutes before it goes in the oven so it heats evenly, and add 10 extra minutes to the baking time if it goes in cold.
Do not overcrowd the oven. Casseroles need hot air around them to brown properly, so bake two dishes side by side rather than stacking them. If the top browns too fast, cover it loosely with foil for the last 15 minutes. And let every casserole rest for 10 minutes after baking — it sets the sauce, it is easier to serve, and nobody burns their mouth on the first bite.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make Christmas casseroles ahead of time?
Yes — most casseroles on this list are designed for it. The green bean, sweet potato, corn, and broccoli casseroles can all be assembled the night before and refrigerated, then baked on Christmas Day. The venison casserole is actually better made a day ahead, because the flavours deepen overnight. Add crunchy toppings like crackers or fried onions just before baking so they stay crisp.
How do I keep casseroles warm on Christmas Day?
Cover the baked casserole loosely with foil and keep it in a low oven at about 200°F (95°C) for up to an hour, or wrap the dish in towels and place it in an insulated cooler — it will stay hot for a surprisingly long time. Avoid the microwave for keeping things warm: it dries out the topping and heats unevenly. If the table is ready, just bring the dish out and let it rest — casseroles hold their heat well.
Can I freeze Christmas casseroles?
Most of them freeze well for up to three months, including the ham and cheese, keto, chicken divan, cowboy, and venison casseroles. Freeze them after baking and cooling, or freeze them unbaked and bake from frozen with extra time. Casseroles with cracker or fried-onion toppings are best frozen without the topping — add it fresh when you bake. Cream and cheese sauces can separate slightly after freezing, so reheat them gently in the oven rather than the microwave.
What main dish goes best with Christmas casseroles?
Casseroles are team players. The green bean, sweet potato, corn, broccoli, and squash casseroles are classic sides for roast turkey, glazed ham, or prime rib — see our Easy Christmas Turkey Recipes for the main event. The venison, ham and cheese, chicken divan, and cowboy casseroles are mains in their own right, so pair them with a simple salad and bread and dinner is done.
Final Thoughts
Christmas dinner does not have to be a juggling act. Pick one casserole to be the star — the venison for a special night, the ham and cheese for an easy one — add two or three sides from this list, and let the oven do the heavy lifting while you enjoy the day. If you want more one-dish ideas, our Easy Winter Casserole Recipes roundup has plenty more for the cold months ahead. Merry Christmas, and save room for dessert.