Easy casserole recipes that the whole family will love. They include budget-friendly simple ingredients and are great for a weeknight dinner. Take a few minutes to assemble, and let the oven do the rest of the work! This collection of cheap casserole recipes include beef casseroles, chicken casseroles, potato casseroles, and pasta recipes.
Casseroles are a great way to save money on food, and boy do they speak to my southern heart. With some odds and ends and only a modest amount of meat, a casserole is a perfect way to feed large crowds or an entire family of four dinner and lunch the next day. Alone these small portions of food may not be very appealing or filling, but with some creativity, they can be turned into cozy comfort food.
The art of building a cheap casserole
You can pretty much make a casserole out of anything. This is how I think about building one.
1. Inexpensive main ingredient: The main ingredient should be something inexpensive like rice, potatoes, or pasta. If you eat lower carbs or Paleo, you could use cauliflower rice, spaghetti squash, or zucchini noodles. It can even be leftover. Maybe you have leftover mac and cheese or leftover cooked rice. Let this be your base.
2. Add bulk: Add in some other vegetables to bulk it up and add more nutritional value. Peas, carrots, broccoli, and onions are all great frugal vegetables.
3. Protein source: Add a cheap protein source like ground beef, leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken, eggs, beans, lentils, canned tuna, etc. If you can find your meat on sale or if you are using leftover meat, that will cut down on the costs even more!
4. Add a sauce or binder: If desired, add a sauce or binder to jazz it up: homemade cream of chicken soup, cream sauce, marinara, cheese sauce, mayo, pesto, eggs, canned tomatoes, etc.
Cheap Casserole Ideas
Here are some easy casseroles and ideas to get you brainstorming.
1. Sausage potato and cabbage casserole
This cowboy casserole is similar to an old school tater tot casserole but using from scratch ingredients like real mushrooms and sour cream for the sauce. To save time you could also use frozen hash browns instead of shredding your own.
Cook in an oven safe skillet or transfer to a casserole dish. This is one of my favorite ways to use leftover chicken. It's a family favorite.
Who doesn't love chicken and rice. So comforting and delicious! Serve with a green vegetable or salad.
5. Sloppy Joe Casserole via Salt and Lavender
Ground beef, onions, bell pepper, sloppy joe sauce, cheese, and tater tots make this a comfort food meal that even your pickiest eater will enjoy.
A mixture of ground beef, vegetables, and gravy are topped with creamy mashed potatoes for a truly delicious comfort food meal.
7. Tuna casserole from scratch via AllRecipes
A classic tuna casserole, but instead of cream of mushroom soup it uses a simple sauce made from scratch.
8. French toast casserole via Belle of the Kitchen
A great casserole for breakfast for dinner, special occasions, or when you are feeding brunch for a crowd.
All the taste of a cabbage roll but without the work of cooking and rolling the cabbage rolls. Full of flavor and veggie packed.
10. Black bean and rice casserole via Plain Chicken
A quick and easy Mexican casserole that is creamy and delicious. It's a great option for a meatless main dish.
11. Egg casserole
Breakfast casseroles are great for breakfast for dinner, holidays, or even when you want to make breakfast in advance for the week. This is a base recipe, but you could also add onions, red or green peppers, or mushrooms for more vegetables.
12. Chicken and stuffing casserole
Add 2 cups of leftover or rotisserie chicken to this cornbread dressing recipe for a southern treat!
13. Chicken noodle casserole via The Seasoned Mom
Creamy chicken and noodles with vegetables topped with buttery cracker crumbs. This casserole is a kid favorite.
14. Easy taco casserole via The Cozy Cook
All the flavor of a taco with all the fixings layered into a yummy casserole. Who doesn't love tacos?
15. Chicken spaghetti casserole via The Recipe Rebel
This chicken spaghetti casserole is a healthier version of a Pioneer Woman classic that's made without canned cream soups.
16. Chicken bacon and pineapple casserole
We call this casserole Hawaiian chicken in my house. It's a yummy combination of sweet, salty, and tangy. I serve it over rice and with another green vegetable.
This chili and cornbread are both baked together to make a cozy meal perfect for a cold day.
18. Chicken parmesan casserole via Thriving home blog
Only six ingredients and comes together fast. All the flavor of chicken parmesan in casserole form.
19. Enchilada casserole via Simply Joy
All the flavor of beef and bean enchiladas but without the hassle of rolling the tortillas. Skip a step and still get all the flavor.
20. Pizza casserole via Eating on a Dime
If pizza and pasta had a baby, it would be this casserole. This will be a hit with the kids for sure!
21. Ham and potato casserole via Sally's Baking Addiction
This cheesy ham and potato casserole is perfect when you have leftover ham to use. I love a good potato casserole.
22. Caprese zucchini casserole via Eating Well
Save this one for the summer when you have zucchini and tomatoes running out of your ears.
23. Sweet potato and black bean casserole via Eating Well
A flavorful meatless casserole that highlights sweet potatoes and black beans.
24. Pesto pasta bake via Big Man's World
Minimal ingredients but big flavor thanks to the magic of pesto.
25. Potato, tomato and squash bake via All Recipes
This is garden goodness in a simple bake. Potatoes, onions, squash, and tomatoes are layered, seasoned, and baked into one delicious dish.
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