20 Southern Casserole Recipes We Learned from Grandma (2024)

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20 Southern Casserole Recipes We Learned from Grandma (1)Lisa KaminskiUpdated: 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

    5/19

    Taste of Home

    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

    My husband is a meat and potatoes guy, so I try new combinations for variety. In this dish, twice-baked potatoes and potato skins make a scrumptious casserole. —Cyndy Gerken, Naples, Florida

    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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    11/19

    Taste of Home

    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

    20 Southern Casserole Recipes We Learned from Grandma (20)

    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, you'll find her working on embroidery and other crafts.

    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.

    Why were casseroles popular in the 1950s? ›

    Casseroles provided affordable sustenance during the Depressions of the 1890s and 1930s and the shortage of food items during both World Wars. In the 1950s, the widespread use of oven-proof cookware and canned foods made casseroles a simple, quick and inexpensive way to feed the whole family.

    What are 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!

    Are casseroles popular in the South? ›

    Few dishes have a closer link to Southern home-cooking traditions than the casserole. Recipes, ingredients, and methods vary from kitchen to kitchen, but the idea of mixing different food items, baking in a deep and sturdy dish, and serving to friends and family is near and dear to many Southerners' hearts.

    What is the oldest dish we still eat? ›

    The World's 10 Oldest Dishes And Where They Are Today
    • Indian curry, circa 2200-2500 B.C. ...
    • Pancakes, circa 11650 B.C. ...
    • Linzer Torte, circa 1653. ...
    • Tamales, circa 5000 B.C. ...
    • Burgers, circa 100 century A.D. ...
    • Mesopotamian Stew, circa 2140 B.C., and bone broth, circa 400 B.C. ...
    • Rice dishes, circa 4530 B.C. ...
    • Beer, circa 3500 B.C.
    Sep 2, 2023

    Why is John Wayne casserole called that? ›

    That's right, the iconic John Wayne Casserole is named after none other than the actor himself. Typically, you'll find that most recipes call for refrigerated biscuits or Bisquick, onions, red bell peppers, jalapeño peppers, sour cream, mayonnaise, ground beef, tomatoes, taco seasoning, and Cheddar cheese.

    What was the most popular dish in the 1950s? ›

    As you can see from the decade's top recipes, the 1950s were all about the intersection of comfort food and convenience—casseroles and quick dishes like Chicken a la King and Welsh rarebit reigned supreme.

    Are casseroles a southern thing? ›

    Southerners celebrate and commemorate the ups and downs of life with one powerful tool—casseroles. Rich or poor, 22 or 92, Tennessean or Texan, most of us have at least one 13x9-inch glass Pyrex in the bottom of our cupboards (likely nested with its sisters of diminishing sizes).

    What was people's favorite food in 1950? ›

    You'd find hearty main dishes like Salisbury steak, beef stroganoff and meat loaf on a '50s dinner menu, plus scrumptious sides. Casseroles were also popular, particularly those featuring seafood or ham.

    What is a 9 by 13 casserole dish? ›

    But the standard rectangular, 13-by-9-inch (or 3- to 5-quart) dish is the most basic and versatile, because the shape is so great for entrées like macaroni and cheese or enchiladas, and for baked goods like bar cookies and coffee cakes.

    What is the key to making a good casserole? ›

    1. Choose the right baking dish. If you're all about the crunchy topping, use a shallow dish. ...
    2. Undercook your pasta. ...
    3. Drain your meat. ...
    4. Beware of mushy vegetables. ...
    5. Know your cheeses. ...
    6. Master the art of casserole assembly. ...
    7. Don't skip the topping. ...
    8. Make it now, but bake it later.
    Nov 1, 2021

    Are casseroles an American thing? ›

    Although their name comes from the French word for saucepan, casseroles feel distinctly American, routed in a love for comfort food and often shaped by a desire for easy, tasty home-cooked meals. Here's everything you need to know about casseroles and cooking them, along with great recipes for all kinds of occasions.

    Why do Southerners love casseroles? ›

    It's a dependable crowd-pleaser that comes together with simple ingredients. “A potato casserole goes with just about any main dish, so it's an easy thing to bring, even if you're not sure what's on the rest of the menu. And it's super comforting, which is another hallmark of Southern cooking," explains Cericola.

    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.”

    What was the first food ever made? ›

    Bread. Bread is one the very first foods made by mankind. It is believed that bread was first made some 30000+ years ago.

    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.

    What do they call a casserole in Minnesota? ›

    The term “hot dish” first appeared in a cookbook in 1930 by a Mankato, Minnesota church group called Grace Lutheran Ladies Aid. Also, a fun fact, in the 1950s, Ore-Ida needed a way to use leftover potato scraps, and thus behold came the tator tot. They marketed them as a topping for casseroles and they really took off.

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