14 Hearty Casseroles You'll Want to Bake All Winter

Casseroles weren't really a thing in my Chinese-American household. When I learned how to make a tuna noodle casserole in my ninth grade home economics class, I enthusiastically recreated it for my family. Unfortunately, my excitement was met with their disdain for the canned tuna and condensed cream of mushroom noodle masterpiece I had prepared. That, however, didn't stop me from developing my love of casseroles, and today, they're what I make when I need a dose of comfort. Below, you'll find test kitchen-approved casseroles, including creamy pastas, vegetable gratins, and a sweet, custardy bread pudding that will warm you up inside and out. You'll want to keep these casserole recipes on rotation...so get ready to fire up your oven.

Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

Mac and cheese is always a good idea, but there's just something about an ultra-creamy baked mac and cheese casserole—complete with a buttery, crispy panko topping—that just hits different when it's cold outside. In this wintry riff, we went all out with fontina, extra-sharp cheddar, Gruyère, and our "secret sauce"...roasted puréed butternut squash.

King Ranch Casserole

You don't have to be a Texan to love a King Ranch casserole, which some might describe as a cross between chilaquiles and creamy chicken noodle casserole (minus the noodles). This simple, from-scratch version has tender-poached chicken, toasted cumin, bell pepper, tomatoes, chiles, crisp tortillas chips, sour cream, and lots of melty Monterey Jack cheese.

Traditional French Cassoulet

One could argue that traditional French cassoulet is the granddaddy of casseroles. While there are several well-known and complicated regional variations of this dish, our easier at-home version calls for soaked cannellini beans, chicken legs, salt pork, pork shoulder, garlic sausage, and some store-bought duck fat. And, like the classic cassoulet from Languedoc, ours emerges from the oven with the requisite rich, dark brown crust.

No-Boil Baked Ziti

This baked ziti is dead-simple to make and incredibly satisfying. For easier baked ziti, don't cook the pasta—just soak it briefly, then combine it it with marinara sauce, heavy cream, and ricotta cheese. Adding diced mozzarella to the mix creates nice, gooey pockets of melted cheese

Classic, Savory Shepherd's Pie (With Beef and/or Lamb)

Shepherd's pie is British comfort food at its best. Our version features creamy mashed potatoes, a hearty meat sauce studded with carrots and peas, and a few non-traditional ingredients like red wine, tomato paste, and Parmesan cheese for depth of flavor. You can use either ground beef or lamb, or a combination of both.

The Best Squash Lasagna

This meatless lasagna takes full advantage of seasonal produce by layering kabocha squash, apple, and no-boil pasta with plenty of cheese for the ultimate cold-weather casserole.

Hasselback Potato Gratin

It might take a little bit more effort to slice the potatoes, but it's so darn worth it: By arranging the potatoes accordion-style, you get an ultra-crispy top with a creamy, tender center. Plus: It makes for an absolutely stunning gratin.

Cauliflower Gratin

Cauliflower is great roasted or grilled, but when the temperature drops, I want mine smothered in rich, savory mornay sauce and topped with buttery breadcrumbs. Here, white miso paste in the mornay intensifies the flavor of the Gruyère and Parmigiano-Reggiano and lends a slightly sweet, nutty flavor, while za’atar in the breadcrumbs adds brightness to offset the richness of the gratin.

Sweet and Savory Corn Casserole

Corn may be a summer ingredient, but this corn casserole is also perfect for the winter: It's simple, comforting, and satisfying, and in a baked casserole, the starchiness of out-of-season corn is actually quite nice. Lightly browned onions, red bell peppers, and sugar add back some of the sweetness, and cornmeal gives the casserole a hearty rather than a custardy texture. If you can't get your hands on fresh corn, just go with frozen.

Tater Tot Casserole (Hotdish)

Tater Tot hotdish is unequivocally the most epic version of hotdish. The Midwestern one-pot staple typically consists of ground beef mixed with canned or frozen vegetables, is covered in condensed soup, and topped with frozen Tater Tots. Here, we make a rich, creamy mushroom béchamel by steeping the milk with roasted mushrooms. Adding Worcestershire sauce to the browned ground beef gives it extra depth and umami, while spicy Dijon mustard to perks everything up.

Cheesy Sausage Breakfast Casserole

This cheesy vegetable and sausage breakfast casserole is a satisfying way to start the day and a wonderful way warm up your kitchen. Prep the casserole the night before, so all you have to do is pop it in the oven in the morning, or streamline things by making it ahead of time.

French Onion Strata (Savory Bread Pudding)

We've repackaged the flavors of French onion soup into this hearty, cheesy bread pudding by combining deeply caramelized onions with buttery Gruyère cheese. There's no need for stale bread here, unless you happen to have a loaf you want to repurpose. Just pop fresh slices of bread in a low oven to dry, which helps them better soak up the savory custard.

Make-Ahead Challah Breakfast Casserole

If you're looking for something on the sweeter side to warm you up on a chilly morning, this easy challah breakfast casserole will fill your home with the scent of brown sugar, butter, and dried fruit. Custard-soaked challah studded with dried fruit and topped with a sweet crunchy streusel—now how inviting is that?

Hot Chocolate Bread Pudding

This bread pudding is like cozying up to a mug of hot chocolate...only better. Cocoa powder and bittersweet chocolate give the casserole bold chocolate flavor, while bittersweet chocolate chunks nestled into the bread pudding melt into molten pockets. Top it off with some sweetened whipped cream, then dig into the pudding with a spoon.