Food and Recipes Dish Casserole The Most Comforting Casseroles You Can Make For New Moms By Kaitlyn Yarborough Kaitlyn Yarborough Part of the Southern Living team since 2017, Kaitlyn Yarborough is a Georgia native living in Austin, Texas, who covers a wide variety of topics for both the magazine and website, focusing on culture and lifestyle content, as well as travel in the South.She earned a B.A. in Journalism at the University of Georgia. She hopes to inspire your travel bucket list with her features on road trips through Texas Hill Country, bourbon tours in Kentucky, and the best beach getaways on the Gulf Coast. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on February 9, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez As far as Southerners are concerned, a casserole is a cure for all things. For illness and grief, a casserole provides comfort and warmth. For celebration and community, a casserole provides heartiness and joy. For a new mom? A casserole provides sheer sustenance. In the early days back home, new mothers face challenges beyond anything they've experienced before. From caring for her new bundle of joy (not to mention, the rest of her family) to keeping the sink clear of bottles and figuring out how to squeeze a few hours of sleep in here and there, it can feel like an uphill battle. While taking care of a new child is truly something special, it does make mealtime more about surviving than thriving for quite some time. That's where the new mom meal train comes in. Those close to the new mother can provide welcome assistance with something as simple as—you guessed it—a casserole. Taking you all the way from breakfast to dinner to dessert, we created a lineup of downright delicious, comforting casseroles to make for the new mommy in your life. All she'll have to do is pop these in the oven or the freezer for a little relief. 01 of 27 Pasta-Chicken-Broccoli Bake Iain Bagwell; Prop Stylist: Heather Chadduck; Food Stylist: Ana Kelly Recipe: Pasta-Chicken-Broccoli Bake This isn't your typical pasta bake with its cheese-filled tortellini, crunchy pecan topping, and fresh broccoli. It's completely kid-friendly, but even more appealing to the adults! 02 of 27 Breakfast Enchiladas Hector Manuel Sanchez Recipe: Breakfast Enchiladas This meatless Mexican breakfast casserole is an amazing make-ahead option that'll be perfect for a new mommy to pop in the oven as she pleases. If you want to go the extra mile, throw in a separate bag of grape tomatoes, chopped cilantro, and avocado for topping. 03 of 27 Creamy Chicken Alfredo Casserole Greg DuPree Recipe: Creamy Chicken Alfredo Casserole This hearty family dinner is so delicious, she'll never know it took you less than an hour to pull together. 04 of 27 Creamy Kale and Pasta Bake Hector Manuel Sanchez Recipe: Creamy Kale and Pasta Bake This 30-minute, vegetarian pasta bake strays from the usual Italian sausage, chicken, and ground beef for a fresh, flavorful dish. The kale becomes so tender in the creamy sauce that kids and adults will both be reaching for second helpings. 05 of 27 King Ranch Chicken Southern Living Recipe: King Ranch Chicken This Tex-Mex dish is full of smoked chicken, sharp Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses, green chiles, chili powder, roasted peppers, and toasted cumin for a full-bodied casserole that makes a regular appearance at our church suppers and neighborhood potlucks. 06 of 27 Sweet Potato Breakfast Casserole Victor Protasio Recipe: Sweet Potato Breakfast Casserole A mixture of eggs, half-and-half, and Italian seasoning will serve as the heart of this sweet potato-packed frittata that gives a fresh taste to breakfast for the new mother in your life. 07 of 27 Mexican Chocolate Pudding Cake Brian Woodcock Recipe: Mexican Chocolate Pudding Cake You can't forget about dessert for the new mom (we all know, she deserves it). This easy sheet cake combines chocolate cake, pudding, and spice with a sliced almond topping that adds awesome crunch to the ultra-moist cake. 08 of 27 Cheesy Sausage-and-Croissant Casserole Alison Miksch Recipe: Cheesy Sausage-and-Croissant Casserole This savory breakfast casserole combines a few of our favorite early-day ingredients, like hot ground sausage, flaky croissants, and Parmesan and Gruyère cheeses. 09 of 27 Old-Fashioned Chicken Pot Pie Hector Manuel Sanchez Recipe: Old-Fashioned Chicken Pot Pie Chicken pot pie is always a go-to Southern comfort dish, and this delectable version is as classic as it comes. 10 of 27 Pecan-Peach Cobbler Beth Dreiling Hontzas Recipe: Pecan-Peach Cobbler Provide a classic comfort dessert with this easy peach cobbler that gets a delicious nuttiness from pecans. You can make this cobbler ahead of time, let it cool, and then freeze it for up to one month. 11 of 27 Best-Ever Macaroni and Cheese VICTOR PROTASIO; PROP STYLING: GINNY BRANCH STELLING; FOOD STYLING: EMILY NABORS HALL Recipe: Best-Ever Macaroni and Cheese Cubes of Cheddar cheese that melt as the pasta bakes are the secret to this best-ever classic. It creates pockets of gooey goodness in every bite. 12 of 27 Baked Ziti with Sausage Southern Living Recipe: Baked Ziti with Sausage This ziti is one of our favorite casseroles to whip up for friends in need because it's hearty, flavorful, and super quick to make. The tomato sauce has a little kick thanks to the Italian sausage and seasoning. 13 of 27 Vanessa's Make-Ahead Beefy Lasagna Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas; Styling: Missie Neville Crawford Recipe: Vanessa's Make-Ahead Beefy Lasagna You can make this classic lasagna and then freeze it up to three months, making it a great option for new mothers to keep on hand during the first weeks at home—ready to pull it out anytime it's needed! 14 of 27 Chicken-and-Wild Rice Casserole Becky Luigart-Stayner Recipe: Chicken-and-Wild Rice Casserole Step away from the pasta bakes with this wild rice casserole filled with chicken, water chestnuts, sour cream, and cheese. We love the freshness of the sliced almond topping! 15 of 27 Turkey-Noodle-Poppyseed Casserole Hector Manuel Sanchez Recipe: Turkey-Noodle-Poppyseed Casserole Ah, the classic poppyseed casserole. It simply can't be beat for new mom meal trains, church suppers, or neighborhood potlucks. This casserole features our beloved traditional egg noodles with diced turkey. 16 of 27 Italian Casserole Hector Manuel Sanchez Recipe: Italian Casserole You can prepare this recipe in two smaller baking dishes, one for the new mother to enjoy for dinner and the other to freeze for a later meal. Pair it with a tossed salad and French bread for a hearty family supper. 17 of 27 Creamy Egg Strata Iain Bagwell Recipe: Creamy Egg Strata We can't stress enough the simplicity behind this crowd-pleasing breakfast casserole: eggs, bread, cheese, and a creamy filling to hold it all together. It's going to be a welcome gift for any new mother who might not be thinking ahead for hearty weekend breakfast ideas! 18 of 27 Shepherd's Pie with Potato Crust Greg Dupree Recipe: Shepherd's Pie with Potato Crust Truly wow your new mom meal train receiver with this pretty scalloped potato crust, but we think the filling is the real showstopper. Beef, vegetables, red wine, Worcestershire, and plenty of herbs meld together for a comforting supper. 19 of 27 King Ranch Chicken Mac and Cheese Becky Luigart-Stayner Recipe: King Ranch Chicken Mac and Cheese Our favorite King Ranch Chicken comes back strong with this decadent macaroni and cheese version. This dish is a hands-down family favorite, and it'll be an even bigger hit if your friend or relative has younger children to gobble it up. 20 of 27 Sloppy Joe Casserole Southern Living Recipe: Sloppy Joe Casserole This old-school classic was taken up a notch for suppertime with this pasta bake version that includes the sweet-savory blend of sauce and ground beef everyone loves. 21 of 27 Okra and Rice Casserole Hector Sanchez Recipe: Okra and Rice Casserole Tender sautéed okra, sweet corn, Cajun spices, and buttery garlic breadcrumbs come together for a fresh, flavor-packed casserole that strays from pasta bakes, but stays filling thanks to rice and breadcrumbs. 22 of 27 Creamy Tex-Mex Cornbread Bake Hector Sanchez Recipe: Creamy Tex-Mex Cornbread Bake This Tex-Mex casserole gets a Southern twist from its buttermilk cornbread topping. You're going to love the 40-minute total cook time too—so much that you might just whip up an extra treat for the new mommy! 23 of 27 Chicken-and-Collards Pilau Greg Dupree Recipe: Chicken-and-Collards Pilau Not quite a casserole, but definitely worthy of making for a new mom. This one-pot wonder is full of quick-cooking basmati rice, onion, celery, carrot, garlic, collard greens, and Cajun smoked sausage. 24 of 27 Winter Blackberry Cobbler Iain Bagwell Recipe: Winter Blackberry Cobbler We think this blackberry cobbler deserves to be made all year long. If you're feeling extra generous, drop off some vanilla ice cream for the new mom and her family to enjoy on top of the warmed cobbler. 25 of 27 Chicken-and-Green Chile Enchiladas Southern Living Recipe: Chicken-and-Green Chile Enchiladas There's something so comforting about a warm chicken enchilada casserole, which is why it's no surprise that many people make this dish during the holidays to have on hand. Deliver this delicious dinner to your new mommy friend for a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. 26 of 27 Buffalo Chicken Casserole Caitlin Bensel, Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Styling: Audrey Davis Recipe: Buffalo Chicken Casserole Turn restaurant-style chicken wings into a warm and comforting homemade meal. If your new mom already has her hands full with other little family members to feed, you're in luck. This casserole serves six. 27 of 27 Homestyle Ground Beef Casserole Southern Living Recipe: Homestyle Ground Beef Casserole Give her the gift of substance with this ground beef casserole the whole family can enjoy for days. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit