20 Southern Casserole Recipes We Learned from Grandma (2024)

Home Recipes Casseroles

ByLisa Kaminski

Taste of Home's Editorial Process

Updated: Feb. 14, 2024

Southern grandmas seem to know the best comforting dishes to make and these Southern casserole recipes are definitely some of their best!

1/19

Chicken Potpie Casserole

I always have leftover chicken broth on hand and use it for many things, including this comforting family favorite. You can bake your own biscuits as I do or buy them at the store. I like to bake extra biscuits to eat with butter and jam. —Liliane Jahnke, Cypress, Texas

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2/19

Vegetable Beef Casserole

This easy one-dish recipe has been a family favorite ever since my husband's aunt handed it down to me decades ago. Try using whatever vegetables you have on hand. A simple salad goes nicely with this entree. —Evangeline Rew, Manassas, Virginia

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3/19

Taste of Home

Easy Cheesy Loaded Grits

A tasty bowl of grits inspired me to develop my own recipe with sausage, green chiles and cheeses. It just might be better than the original. —Joan Hallford, North Richland Hills, Texas

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4/19

Coconut-Bourbon Sweet Potatoes

What is it about sweet potatoes that unnerve some people? For those who firmly state they hate a yam because of the color or texture, the rich addition of coconut, bourbon and spices might just win them over. —Rebecca Anderson, Driftwood, Texas

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Hot Brown Turkey Casserole

If you've ever tried the Hot Brown Sandwich at the Brown Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky, you'll love this version. It can be assembled ahead and refrigerated; just adjust baking time accordingly if cold. —Diane Halferty, Corpus Christi, Texas

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6/19

Taste of Home

Chicken and Rice Casserole

Everyone loves this dish—I consider it the best chicken and rice casserole recipe because it's a tasty combination of hearty and crunchy ingredients mixed in a creamy sauce. It's a time-tested classic. —Myrtle Matthews, Marietta, Georgia

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7/19

Loaded Red Potato Casserole

This potato casserole has the same flavor of the potato skins you can order as a restaurant appetizer. It's an ideal dish for tailgating and potlucks. —Charlane Gathy, Lexington, Kentucky

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8/19

Cranberry-Apple French Toast

My husband's breakfast club at work raves about this make-ahead French toast. Pop it in the oven in the morning to get your day off to a sweet, bubbly start. —Mara Faulkner, Martinsburg, West Virginia

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9/19

Loaded Twice-Baked Potato Casserole Recipe photo by Taste of Home

Loaded Twice-Baked Potato Casserole

Creamy, cheesy and loaded with bacon, this comforting casserole immediately makes guests feel at home. —Cyndy Gerken, Naples, Florida

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10/19

Blend of the Bayou

My sister-in-law shared this recipe with me when I first moved here. It's been handed down in my husband's family for generations. It's quick to prepare, nutritious and flavorful. I've passed it on to my children too.—Ruby Williams, Bogalusa, Louisiana

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Breakfast Burrito Casserole

A friend gave me this burrito casserole recipe and I modified it to fit our family. It's perfect for a brunch, because you can prep it the night before and bake it the next morning. —Krista Yoder, Due West, South Carolina

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12/19

Taste of Home

In the South, everyone loves three things: bacon, cheese and grits! After playing around with this recipe, I took it to my first family party as a newlywed, and it was a huge hit. This recipe has become a family tradition that I'm sure will be passed down for generations. —Melissa Rogers, Tuscaloosa, Alabama

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13/19

New Orleans-Style Scalloped Corn

This colorful casserole is very popular among family gatherings in many New Orleans homes. I started making it years ago, and now my sons include it in their menus.—Mrs. Priscilla Gilbert, Indian Harbour Beach, Florida

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14/19

Cornbread Chicken Bake

To make the most of leftover cornbread, try this hearty main dish casserole. It's moist, delicious and good on any occasion. —Madge Britton, Afton, Tennessee

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15/19

Calico Squash Casserole

I love to try out different recipes for the squash I grow in my garden. It's fun to bring this beautiful casserole to potlucks because I know it'll go fast. Even the little ones like it. —Lucille Terry, Frankfort, Kentucky

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16/19

Taste of Home

Chili Beef Cornbread Casserole

This recipe is my potluck standby. And when I hear that someone may need a comforting home-cooked meal, I bring them this casserole. —Lorraine Espenhain, Corpus Christi, Texas

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17/19

Taste of Home

Chiles Rellenos Breakfast Bake

My family loves anything with a Southwestern flavor, so I turned classic chiles rellenos into a breakfast casserole. They became fans in an instant. —Joan Hallford, North Richland Hills, Texas

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18/19

19/19

Taste of Home

Pepper Jack Hash Brown Casserole

I found myself in need of an impromptu potato dish, but I had no potatoes. Frozen hash browns and the plethora of cheeses I had in the freezer offered me the solution to my side-dish dilemma. —Cynthia Gerken, Naples, Florida

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Originally Published: March 05, 2020

Author

Lisa Kaminski

Lisa is a formerTaste of Home editor and passionate baker. During her tenure, she poured her love of all things sweet (and sometimes savory) into Bakeable, Taste of Home's baking club. Lisa also dedicated her career here to finding and testing the best ingredients, kitchen gear and home products for our Test Kitchen-Preferred program. At home, yo...

20 Southern Casserole Recipes We Learned from Grandma (2024)

FAQs

What is the oldest known casserole? ›

Macaroni and cheese is the oldest written casserole recipe found in 1250.

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What are the 5 components of a casserole? ›

Let's talk anatomy: A standard dinner casserole usually includes a protein, a starch, a vegetable, a sauce (or other binding ingredient), and cheese. But making a casserole is not an exact science, and you can definitely break away from this formula. Check out some fun side-dish casseroles and desserts below!

Do you cook vegetables before putting in casserole? ›

Using Fresh Vegetables: Fresh vegetables should be steamed or cooked until softened before adding them in. (Not too cooked through, but about 90% of the way.) Crispy Fried Onions make a great alternative topping option as well!

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Do you bake casserole with or without lid? ›

Uncovering the foods promotes browning and crisping, and reduces the amount of liquid in the finished dish. If a casserole looks soupy when it's ready to bake, you probably should bake it uncovered unless the ingredients include pasta or rice, which absorb liquid.

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What is the most Southern meal? ›

A traditional Southern meal may include pan-fried chicken, field peas (such as black-eyed peas), greens (such as collard greens, mustard greens, turnip greens, or poke sallet), mashed potatoes, cornbread or corn pone, sweet tea, and dessert—typically a pie (sweet potato, chess, shoofly, pecan, and peach are the most ...

What is Southern cooking called? ›

The diversity of the American South, with its many different cultures and traditions, has led to a wide range of different foods, and Southern cuisine reflects that diversity. Southern American cuisine is usually associated with soul food. Soul food uses many different ingredients to create rich, flavorful dishes.

Who invented the first casserole? ›

And a piece by Langdon Reid in a Staunton, Virginia, newspaper says: “History tells us that a French Canadian immigrant Elmire Jolicour is credited with inventing the casserole, this wonderful dish of culinary breakthrough, in Berlin, New Hampshire, in 1866.”

Who made the first recipe? ›

The earliest known written recipes date to 1730 BC and were recorded on cuneiform tablets found in Mesopotamia. Other early written recipes date from approximately 1600 BC and come from an Akkadian tablet from southern Babylonia. There are also works in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs depicting the preparation of food.

When did people start making casseroles? ›

Baked dishes have existed for thousands of years. Early casserole recipes consisted of rice that was pounded, pressed, and filled with a savoury mixture of meats such as chicken or sweetbread. Sometime around the 1870s the casserole seems to have taken on its current definition.

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Why is it called a John Wayne casserole? ›

John Wayne first wrote the casserole recipe, but it looks a little different today. John Wayne Casserole was first popularized by the 1979 cookbook, "Cooking with Love from Cara and Her Friends," a collection of different celebrities' favorite dishes.

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