These make ahead Thanksgiving casserole recipes can be prepared in advance and refrigerated. Then, just reheat in the oven for delicious and easy holiday side dishes!
Hosing a big Thanksgiving dinner takes lots of prep work! From setting up the table centerpiece to cleaning out the refrigerator to making sure that your baseboards are clean so as not to embarrass yourself in front of your in-laws… so the last thing you need to worry about is preparing the juiciest turkey and the most delicious casseroles on Thanksgiving Day!
The kitchen is busy enough on the Thanksgiving holiday, so why not get some of the prep work knocked out in advance, and save yourself some stress in the process?!
If you’re hosting Thanksgiving dinner this year, then do yourself a favor and make as much of the food ahead of time as you possibly can… and maybe even sneak your favorite store-bought pecan pie on to a fancy glass plate to make it look like it was homemade. Your little secret!
Along with making the pie crusts in advance, brining the turkey, and boiling the potatoes, casseroles are another fantastic dish to make ahead, saving yourself time and valuable cooking space on the big day.
This round-up of Thanksgiving casserole recipes can all be made ahead and refrigerated. Then, on the big day, just put them in the oven and bake! So grab your free printable Thanksgiving grocery list and add some of these casserole recipes to your dinner menu:
Make Ahead Potato Casseroles for Thanksgiving
Who says mashed potatoes have to be a last-minute affair?
Picture this: creamy mashed potatoes mixed with sour cream, cheddar cheese, and a hint of garlic, all baked to perfection. Make a big batch, freeze it in a casserole dish, and pop it in the oven on the big day. The result? A potato masterpiece that’ll leave your guests wondering if you’ve secretly enlisted the help of a gourmet chef.
Here are some awesome make ahead potato casserole recipes for Thanksgiving:
These make ahead mashed potatoes are perfect for preparing in advance, because the butter and cream keep them nice and moist! Just bake in the oven on Thanksgiving Day for a delicious and creamy potato side dish!
If you’ve never had Cracker Barrel’s iconic hashbrown casserole, then you’re missing out! This copycat hashbrown casserole recipe is just like the dish served at the popular country restaurant, and it’s sure to be a hit at dinner time.
This loaded hash brown casserole has all of the flavors of a loaded baked potato, but baked in a casserole dish! What’s not to love?!
Twice baked potatoes are a family-favorite in our house, so we’ll definitely be trying this twice-baked mashed potato casserole this holiday! Make this casserole ahead and reheat it when you’re ready to serve it, perfect for entertaining on the big day.
This Dauphinoise potato gratin recipe is a fancy French recipe that’s sure to impress your holiday guests, but it only takes 6 ingredients to prepare! And with this easy recipe, there’s no need to boil the potatoes first, saving you valuable time during your Thanksgiving prep!
Sweet Potato Casserole Recipes to Make Ahead
Sweet potato casserole is a Thanksgiving staple, but who has time to peel, chop, and mash on the big day? These dessert-like casseroles are some of the best side dishes to make ahead for Thanksgiving, because potatoes reheat so well, and your guests won’t even know they were made in advance!
Here are some awesome make ahead casserole recipes with sweet potatoes, a Thanksgiving staple, as the star ingredient:
Fans of the upscale restaurant Ruth’s Chris will be pleasantly surprised to see this copycat sweet potato casserole on the dinner table! With a sweet pecan topping and perfectly tender potatoes, this easy make ahead side dish is sure to delight!
This delicious sweet potato soufflé is topped with a sweet pecan streusel topping, almost like a pecan pie! It doesn’t get much better than that!
Marshmallows and sweet potatoes go together like, well, turkey and gravy! And this sweet potato casserole with marshmallows is a fantastic, classic Thanksgiving side dish to add to your menu.
When you think of sweet potato recipes, you probably think of brown sugar and marshmallows, but this sweet potato casserole is actually savory instead! With an assortment of herbs and a parmesan cheese cracker crust, this side dish definitely deserves a spot on your dinner table.
Most cooks pair sweet potato recipes with pecans, but this delicious sweet potato casserole with walnuts incorporates a different type of nut for a surprise twist!
Make Ahead Stuffing Casseroles
You can’t have Thanksgiving dinner without stuffing! And we can debate all day about whether or not Thanksgiving dressing is actually a “casserole”, but if you bake it in a casserole dish, I’d say that’ll suffice!
Here are some awesome stuffing recipes that you can make ahead and pop in the oven before the holiday dinner is served:
This cornbread dressing recipe uses a mixture of store-bought stuffing mixes to get the “dressing” on the table even faster! By combining the classic stuffing ingredients with a bagged mix, you’ve got a delicious Thanksgiving side dish with less work!
This make ahead corn stuffing is another awesome Thanksgiving side dish to try this year! Creamed corn and turkey broth get added to this delicious dressing recipe, making it extra moist and tender!
If you want a truly made-from-scratch stuffing recipe, then try this Southern cornbread biscuit dressing! The entire dish is scratch-made, and includes day-old cornbread and fluffy biscuits!
Want a stuffing recipe that’s just like Grandma used to make? This classic homemade bread stuffing is a family favorite recipe that will remind you of Grandma’s cooking!
This sausage apple and cranberry stuffing is as beautiful as it is delicious! With all of the best fall flavors, this make ahead stuffing recipe is the perfect accompaniment to your turkey!
This Cajun cornbread dressing incorporates some non-traditional ingredients for a Southern, soul food twist on the classic stuffing side dish! Packed with flavor thanks to blackening seasoning, this Creole side dish is a creative casserole recipe to try this holiday!
Green Bean Casserole Recipes to Make Ahead
This classic green bean casserole includes cheese and crispy fried onions… everything you want in a make ahead Thanksgiving casserole recipe! This casserole is flavorful, creamy, and it will have your dinner guests coming back for seconds!
The best thing about this make ahead green bean casserole is that it only requires 6 ingredients… and that’s including salt and pepper! Talk about a great budget-saving side dish!
If you’re hosting Thanksgiving dinner for a crowd, chances are you’ll have a few guests with dietary restrictions, so it’s nice to have at least one side dish without common allergens. This dairy free green bean casserole is delicious, and as an added bonus, it’s vegan and gluten-free as well!
This easy green bean casserole recipe has an ingredient that you don’t often find in the classic Thanksgiving side dish, cream cheese! But that secret ingredient makes this make ahead casserole creamy, rich, and flavorful!
Here’s another ingredient that you may not have tried in your Thanksgiving casserole recipes yet – artichokes! This green bean artichoke casserole is packed with flavor thanks to the savory notes of the artichoke, and the dish is gluten-free, grain-free, and low carb also!
Make Ahead Mac and Cheese Casseroles for Thanksgiving
I don’t know if mac and cheese qualifies as a “casserole” but since this delicious baked mac and cheese is technically oven-baked in a casserole dish, I’d say it works! This cheesy baked noodle dish is the perfect side dish to make for the kids at your dinner table, too!
This butternut squash mac and cheese is creamy and delicious, and it sneaks in a Fall vegetable, too! A great casserole recipe for both the kids and adults!
Classic mac and cheese gets a major upgrade with this Cavatappi mac and cheese recipe! Fancy spiral noodles and a delicious and creamy sauce made with three different cheeses will have your guests coming back for seconds (and maybe thirds!).
Here’s another classic mac and cheese recipe that deserves a spot on your Thanksgiving menu! And this one includes one of my all-time favorite casserole toppings – panko breadcrumbs!
Gouda is one of our family’s favorite cheeses, so we’ll definitely be trying this smoked gouda mac and cheese recipe this Thanksgiving! This delicious pasta casserole dish can be prepared in just 30 minutes, so it’s perfect for the busy holiday season.
This pumpkin mac and cheese with brown butter and sage is another fancy take on the classic Thanksgiving casserole! The pecan topping adds something wonderfully unexpected to this beautiful dish!
Thanksgiving Broccoli and Cheese Casserole Recipes to Make Ahead
Broccoli and cheese casserole is one of my all-time favorite Thanksgiving side dishes! And truth be told, the broccoli is probably the only green vegetable that I eat on Thanksgiving Day, even if it is swimming in butter, cream, and cheese! Here are some easy make ahead broccoli cheese casseroles that your guests will love:
This Velveeta broccoli casserole is perfectly browned on top with buttery crackers, and it has a cheesy, creamy center! This easy side dish may even get my kids to eat their vegetables, so I’d call that a WIN!
Baked cheese crackers are the perfect, unexpected topping for this broccoli casserole recipe! With tender broccoli and a cheesy sauce, this side dish will surely become a family-favorite!
This broccoli cheese casserole is a classic favorite side dish to serve on Thanksgiving. With buttery crackers and a whole lot of flavor, this make ahead Thanksgiving side dish will be a hit with your family… and there’s no mayonnaise or canned soup in the recipe!
Other Vegetable Casseroles to Make Ahead for Thanksgiving
This low carb squash casserole is a side dish that our family has been making for years! And you’ll never guess what the crispy topping is made from! When the yellow squash is plentiful in our garden, this make ahead Thanksgiving casserole is our favorite way to use it.
This corn pudding recipe is light and fluffy, more like a corn soufflé than a heavy casserole or cornbread. And it contains simple, real ingredients… no cream of this or that!
This mixed vegetable casserole is a colorful addition to your Thanksgiving dinner table! With frozen peas, corn, carrots, and green beans, this make ahead side dish is simple to make, too!
This easy squash casserole recipe has Ritz crackers and french fried onions for extra crunch! Combine that with fresh yellow squash and a variety of cheeses for an awesome side dish for the big day!
Here’s another delicious squash casserole to try for Thanksgiving. This recipe has a mixture of sour cream and cheeses, and it’s topped with a casserole favorite, butter crackers!
Low carb cauliflower mac and cheese is cheesy, creamy, and just as delicious as regular mac and cheese, but without the carbs! So you can save more of your “cheat” for pumpkin pie!
This cheesy corn casserole is another delicious way to serve the inexpensive vegetable this year! And you can assemble it up to 3 days before serving, making it a great make ahead Thanksgiving casserole recipe!
Spinach casserole is one of my most favorite side dishes, whether it’s a holiday dinner or a regular Sunday, and this creamed spinach recipe doesn’t disappoint! Use frozen spinach and make this easy side dish ahead of time, so you have one less thing to worry about on Thanksgiving Day.
Cheesy sweet corn casserole… even the name sounds decadent! And it’s so easy to prepare – just mix the ingredients together, pour in a casserole dish, and bake!
This Southern-style corn pudding is another fantastic make ahead side dish recipe for Thanksgiving! And you can easily customize it with your favorite add-ins like jalapenos, bacon, or chopped green onions.
Want to add a new vegetable to your Thanksgiving side dish line up? This rutabaga and butternut squash casserole has a creamy, cheesy white sauce, and it’s the perfect casserole to serve with your turkey this year!
I absolutely LOVE roasted brussels sprouts, but put them in a casserole dish with some butter and cheese, and that’s even better! This brussels sprouts au gratin recipe is a creative way to eat the vegetable, and it’s low carb, too!
This loaded cauliflower casserole is just like your favorite potato casseroles, but minus the extra carbs! Creamy cheese sauce and crispy bacon gets all baked up in a casserole dish for a fantastic side dish that all your guests will enjoy!
And there you have it… a HUGE list of some of the best make ahead casserole recipes to serve on Thanksgiving (or any busy holiday meal!).
With these make-ahead casseroles in your arsenal, you’ll not only survive the holiday madness but emerge victorious, with a table full of delicious dishes and enough time to actually enjoy the feast with your loved ones.
And don’t forget to PIN this post for when it’s time to plan your holiday dinner menu:
