23 Thanksgiving Casseroles You Can Make Ahead of Time

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Updated on November 3, 2022

Reviewed by Dietitian

Jessica Ball, M.S., RD

Cornbread & Oyster-Mushroom Stuffing

Make cooking Thanksgiving a little easier with these make-ahead casserole recipes. You can easily prep parts of the casserole, if not the whole thing, a few days ahead of the big meal. Whether it's riffs on the classic side dishes like Vegan Scalloped Potatoes or Cornbread & Oyster Mushroom Stuffing, these casseroles are healthy, seasonal and delicious.

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Cornbread & Oyster-Mushroom Stuffing

Mushrooms are a rich, meaty addition in this healthy cornbread stuffing recipe. Here we use oyster mushrooms, but you can use any variety you like. If you have time, bake the cornbread a day or two in advance so it has time to dry out a bit, which lets it absorb the flavors more readily.

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Cauliflower Casserole with Everything Bagel Seasoning

The cheesy-seedy crust that tops this healthy cauliflower casserole recipe evokes everything bagels. Serve for the holidays or as a hearty side dish with roast chicken.

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Vegan Scalloped Potatoes

These scalloped potatoes are surprisingly rich and creamy even though they're made with no dairy (milk, butter or cheese)—vegan comfort food at its best. We use almond milk, herbs and spices to make a flavorful sauce and finish the dish with a crunchy almond topping. This makes a satisfying side dish if you're cooking for dairy-free or vegan diets.

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Healthy Green Bean Casserole

Typical green bean casseroles bathe ingredients in a heavy cream sauce and top them with buttered breadcrumbs or cheese. Our healthier version saves about 160 calories and 12 grams of saturated fat compared to a traditional recipe.

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Cauliflower-Broccoli Gratin

This creamy broccoli-and-cauliflower casserole is a hassle-free side dish that just about everyone loves. Our healthier version skips the heavy cream and butter found in most recipes—saving about 160 calories and 12 grams of saturated fat compared to a traditional version.

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No-Sugar-Added Sweet Potato Casserole

Instead of loading up this comfort food side with tons of brown sugar and marshmallows, we have turned to sweet spices, vanilla and inherently sweet dried fruit to enhance the natural sweetness of the sweet potatoes. A topping of pecans and pepitas replaces traditional marshmallow topping to keep it healthy and add texture and color for a beautiful casserole.

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Scalloped Sweet Potatoes

If you're looking for a twist on classic scalloped potatoes, this recipe using roasted sweet potatoes and melty Gruyère has all the creaminess of the original with a new flavor twist. The sweet potatoes and lightened sauce—made with flour and low-fat milk—keep it healthier than butter- and cream-laden versions. Don't cut your sweet potatoes too thin—they'll turn mushy under the sauce.

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Creamed Spinach Casserole

This creamy spinach casserole recipe is a more sophisticated cousin to creamed spinach. It's perfect for weekend entertaining or as a holiday side dish.

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Meringue-Topped Sweet Potato Casserole

Meringue-Topped Sweet Potato Casserole

This lightened-up take on the classic Thanksgiving sweet potato casserole is spiked with crushed pineapple and toasted pecans. We top it with an airy, slightly sweet meringue. You can pipe the meringue to make it look fancy or simply spread it neatly with a rubber spatula.

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Carrot-Parsnip Gratin

Make this creamy carrot-and-parsnip casserole for your next holiday meal—everyone will beg you for the recipe! Our healthier version skips the heavy cream and butter found in most recipes—saving about 160 calories and 12 grams of saturated fat compared to a traditional version.

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Wild Rice Stuffing with Apple & Sausage

This amazing wild-rice stuffing recipe is bursting with rustic fall flavors, including rye bread, sausage, apples, dried cherries, pecans and fresh herbs.

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Brussels Sprout Gratin

A creamy Brussels sprouts casserole is a delightful accompaniment to any holiday meal. Our healthier version skips the heavy cream and butter found in most recipes—saving about 160 calories and 12 grams of saturated fat compared to a traditional version.

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Hasselback Sweet Potatoes with Marshmallows

Hasselback Sweet Potatoes with Marshmallows

These hasselback sweet potatoes are like mini marshmallow-topped sweet potato casseroles drizzled with sage-infused butter. The hasselback technique, slicing the potato but leaving it whole, makes for a tender potato with a crispy top—the best of both worlds.

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Layered Mashed Potato & Mushroom Casserole

Fancy up regular mashed potatoes with a layer of mushroom duxelle—a sauté of finely chopped mushrooms and shallots. We omitted the traditional butter in the duxelle and added chard for a nutritional boost. Serve this hearty side in place of mashed potatoes at any holiday feast or enjoy it as a vegetarian main dish.

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Cabbage Roll Casserole

Cabbage Roll Casserole — Brie Passano

This casserole has all the elements of cabbage rolls—ground beef, onion and rice cooked in tomato sauce—and skips the fuss of rolling. The cabbage is chopped instead and layered with the saucy filling, then topped with cheese, for a satisfying and easy casserole. Feel free to substitute other ground meats, such as turkey, for the ground beef—this recipe would also be great with a vegetarian meat substitute.

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Sweet Potato Mac & Cheese

Fiber-rich sweet potato is used as the base for the cheese sauce in this healthy, homemade macaroni and cheese recipe. The bright orange color tricks your eyes into thinking this healthy macaroni and cheese recipe is loaded with cheese, but there's actually only about half as much cheese as compared to a traditional recipe.

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Turkey-Vegetable Bake

Need to use up leftover turkey from the holidays? Make this low fat casserole. It's made with brown rice and lots of vegetables.

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Kale-Butternut Squash Gratin

This colorful gratin dish livens up any holiday plate. Creamy melted Gruyère is comforting, while a blend of cumin, nutmeg, and cayenne pepper lends a warm, spicy note.

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Chicken, Mushroom & Wild Rice Casserole

In Minnesota, chicken, mushrooms and wild rice are often bound together in a casserole with cream of mushroom soup. We forgo the sodium-rich canned soup and make a light, creamy sauce that gets depth of flavor from dry sherry and Parmesan cheese. If you already have cooked chicken, use 4 cups and skip Step 2.

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Loaded Broccoli Casserole

Loaded Broccoli Casserole — Jason Donnelly

We take the traditional loaded baked potato toppings—bacon, Cheddar cheese and sour cream—and toss them with roasted broccoli instead. The result is a cheesy side dish that will have everyone rushing to eat their vegetables.

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Loaded Sweet Potato Casserole

Loaded Sweet Potato Casserole — Photography / Brie Passano, Styling / Sammy Mila / Holly Raibikis

We take all the classic toppings of a loaded potato—bacon, Cheddar and sour cream—and use them in this cheesy sweet potato casserole that everyone will love.

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Cornbread-Topped Corn Casserole

Cornbread-Topped Corn Casserole — Photography / Caitlin Bensel, Food Styling / Ruth Blackburn

This sweet cornbread-topped corn casserole with spicy pepper Jack and smoky poblano peppers is sure to become your new favorite side dish! The natural sweetness of the corn is balanced by a dash of hot sauce, which adds pep and acidity that brings everything together.

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Artichoke-Potato Gratin

This gratin dish has all of the craveable flavors of artichoke dip in a more sophisticated form. It makes a terrific side with any roasted meats or poultry.

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