Food and Recipes Dish Casserole 34 Classic Dishes You'll Find At Every Southern Family Reunion 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. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on June 14, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Christine Keely Nothing brings a Southern family together quite like a delicious spread of food, and Southern family reunions take that truth to a whole new level. These homecomings are all about getting together and celebrating our kinfolk with an impressive lineup of creamy casseroles, cheesy pasta bakes, and rich desserts. (And plenty of ice-cold sweet tea.) These classic Southern dishes help make for a great time with those we love, reminiscing on past memories and making new ones. Southerners' gift for cooking comfort food for the masses is never more evident than at these family affairs, where tables buckle and groan under the weight of our creamy and cheesy concoctions. Family reunion food is all about tradition, whether it's Nana's famous chocolate delight or Uncle Walter's lime jello salad that always manages to make an appearance. Instead of breaking bread, we're breaking out the covered dishes—but for us, that's the same thing. Here are the classic dishes you'll always catch at a Southern family homecoming. 01 of 34 Old-School Squash Casserole Photographer: Fred Hardy II, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Props Stylist: Christina Brockman Recipe: Old-School Squash Casserole Recipe While we love the squash itself, it's the creamy sauce (made from cheese, mayonnaise, and eggs) and crunchy, buttery crack topping that keeps us coming back for seconds. The bright casserole is a no-brainer for the family get-together. 02 of 34 Old-School Green Bean Casserole Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Old-School Green Bean Casserole Keep things traditional with this old-school recipe—the epic creaminess and French fried onion topping make an unmistakable Southern duo at reunions, holidays, and Sunday suppers. 03 of 34 Best-Ever Macaroni and Cheese Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Best-Ever Macaroni and Cheese Macaroni and cheese fits right in on the reunion table with the creamy casseroles and hearty carb-packed dishes. The secret to this recipe: cubes of Cheddar cheese that melt as the pasta bakes, creating pockets of gooey goodness in every bite. 04 of 34 Chicken-Spaghetti Casserole Hector Sanchez Recipe: Chicken-Spaghetti Casserole This vintage classic is Mama-approved and never fails to satisfy a crowd—you'll be catching sight of hearty helpings of this dish on your family members' plates this year, which is the true indication of success! 05 of 34 Reunion Pea Casserole Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Reunion Pea Casserole This timeless, Mama-approved casserole will stir up some nostalgia in your crew. The stuffed-to-the-brim dish is full of a delicious filling of sausage, cheese, and peas and a topping of summer squash. 06 of 34 Savory Corn Pudding Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Savory Corn Pudding Corn pudding fits in perfectly with all of the classic casseroles, like green bean and squash. This corn pudding recipe puts a savory spin on the traditional recipe with the addition of chopped onion and fresh thyme. We're loving it for reunions, potlucks, and holidays. 07 of 34 Classic Chicken Tetrazzini Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas Recipe: Classic Chicken Tetrazzini With plenty of butter, a rich sauce thickened with flour, milk, white wine, and chicken bouillon, this classic Chicken Tetrazzini is pure comfort food gold. Test Kitchen Tip: This recipe freezes beautifully. 08 of 34 Cheesy Broccoli-and-Rice Casserole Hector Sanchez; Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller Recipe: Cheesy Broccoli-and-Rice Casserole This old-school casserole never disappoints, and we can't imagine a family reunion without it on the vegetable casserole spread. We especially love this delicious version with fresh broccoli and mushrooms—and without even a dollop of creamy canned soup! It's just a tad different from your traditional recipe. 09 of 34 King Ranch Chicken Southern Living Recipe: King Ranch Chicken Spice up the family reunion spread with this crowd-pleasing casserole. The cheesy Mexican dish is full of smoked chicken, sharp Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses, green chiles, chili powder, roasted peppers, and toasted cumin. 10 of 34 Butternut Squash Gratin Iain Bagwell Recipe: Butternut Squash Gratin Take your squash casserole in a brand-new direction with this gratin recipe that uses heavy cream, sage, and nutmeg to make a truly delectable blend. 11 of 34 Ham-and-Vegetable Cobbler Iain Bagwell Recipe: Ham-and-Vegetable Cobbler This prettily latticed savory cobbler makes a welcome addition and hearty main dish for the most crowded of family reunions. Switch up the vegetables according to season, and the protein according to preference! 12 of 34 Classic Parmesan Scalloped Potatoes Beth Dreiling Hontzas Recipe: Classic Parmesan Scalloped Potatoes Cheesy scalloped potatoes will foster common ground between even the most opposing family members, making it a staple at Southern family reunions for decades past. 13 of 34 Baked Ziti with Sausage Southern Living Recipe: Baked Ziti with Sausage This family favorite is hearty, flavorful, and super quick to make—meaning it's the perfect big-batch casserole for a family reunion full of hungry Southern bellies. 14 of 34 New Tuna Casserole Greg Dupree Recipe: New Tuna Casserole This update on our classic recipe hits all of the creamy, cheesy, and crunchy notes you could want for an old-fashioned dish that everyone at the reunion will know and love. 15 of 34 Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes Southern Living Recipe: Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes If you're taking lead on planning the reunion this year, you need all the help you can get. Why not make the day of the reunion just a bit easier with these Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes? They'll be ready to place in the oven when it's most convenient. 16 of 34 Pineapple Casserole Southern Living Recipe: Pineapple Casserole Many Southerners agree that Easter just isn't right without this sweet, cheesy, and savory casserole full of chunks of pineapple. We think this unique Southern dish belongs at the family reunion too—because you might not get to spend Easter with everybody, and who doesn't deserve a yearly fix of this? Double up this recipe for a 13x9 version. 17 of 34 Hashbrown Casserole Southern Living Recipe: Hashbrown Casserole Southerners love hashbrown casserole for everything from funerals to family reunions, and this dish seamlessly transitions for any and every Southern occasion. Get your creamy, cheesy, potato-packed casserole on this year. 18 of 34 Turkey-Noodle-Poppyseed Casserole Hector Manuel Sanchez Recipe: Turkey-Noodle-Poppyseed Casserole Nothing takes care of leftovers quite like a casserole that uses a little of this and a little of that to create a delicious meal—just like this one! 19 of 34 Rum Baked Beans Photo: Hector Sanchez; Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham Recipe: Rum Baked Beans Just like Southern desserts are made all the more decadent with a splash of bourbon, these classic baked beans are oh-so-delicious thanks to the addition of rum. Since you can prep this recipe up to two days in advance and refrigerate it until you're ready to bake and take it to the family reunion, it's a busy cook's dream side dish. 20 of 34 Ham Delights Photographer: Jennifer Causey; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer Recipe: Ham Delights It would be difficult to find any gathering in the South, including a family reunion, that doesn't have a platter of these ham-and-cheese sliders on the table. "Stuffed with warm ham and oozing melted cheese and sprinkled in poppy seeds, the Hawaiian sweet roll is ever-present at Southern gatherings for all seasons of life, from baptisms to funerals," writes Features Editor Betsy Cribb. 21 of 34 Sweetie's Sweet Potato Casserole Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Melissa Gray; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis Recipe: Sweetie's Sweet Potato Casserole "I treasure my memories with her and all of the tangible reminders of the person she was," Chef Kelsey Barnard Clark says of her great grandmother Mildred Rayford Buckhaults, better known as Sweetie. This classic sweet potato casserole is Sweetie's lasting legacy on Clark's family table. 22 of 34 Hot Potato Salad Helen Norman Recipe: Hot Potato Salad Though most potato salad you expect to see at the family reunion is chilled, this old-school recipe is a warm and cheesy version, and it came from an actual Southern grandmother's recipe box. Don't skip the step of freezing the cheese: It makes it way easier to grate and ensures the best possible texture for your casserole. 23 of 34 Corn Pudding Casserole Linda Pugliese; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Corn Pudding Casserole Many Southern corn pudding recipes are on the sweet side, but this version from our Test Kitchen includes fontina or Swiss cheese, onion, garlic, and fresh herbs for a savory spin. Fresh corn works beautifully, of course, but if it's not in season, frozen is great as long as you take time to drain the thawed corn well. 24 of 34 Cheese Cracker-Topped Squash Casserole Hector Sanchez Recipe: Cheese Cracker-Topped Squash Casserole It can be hard to get the kids at the family reunion to heap a spoonful of veggies onto their plates, but not so when the vegetables are topped with cheese crackers! We like to arrange the crackers in a fun pattern for presentation purposes. 25 of 34 Scalloped Potatoes with Ham Photography: Caitlin Bensel, Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Scalloped Potatoes with Ham Heavy cream and Swiss cheese are the key to creamy, dreamy scalloped potatoes, and the addition of chopped ham makes them even more delicious. A mandolin makes quick work of getting super-thin potato slices. 26 of 34 Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake Hector Manuel Sanchez Recipe: Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake This old-fashioned cake is making a major comeback, and this simple 13x9 version makes it even easier to prepare and transport. It's super moist, creamy, and chocolatey. 27 of 34 Strawberries-and-Cream Sheet Cake Photo: Hector Sanchez Recipe: Strawberries-and-Cream Sheet Cake This bright, strawberry-speckled sheet cake gives a delicious non-chocolate and non-cobbler dessert to serve up at the family reunion this year. 28 of 34 Hello Dolly Bars Jennifer Davick; Styling: Lydia DeGaris Pursell Recipe: Hello Dolly Bars The classic Hello Dolly recipe gets a slight, chocolate-induced makeover in this delicious bar cookie recipe. Layered with a graham cracker crust, pecans, chocolate chips, coconut, and sweetened condensed milk, these bars will have your crew begging for more. 29 of 34 Texas Sheet Cake with Fudge Icing Iain Bagwell Recipe: Texas Sheet Cake with Fudge Icing This chocolatey, pecan-studded dream will please any palette; and make this baking sheet cake even more transportable by putting it in a 13x9 dish! 30 of 34 Peach Bread Pudding with Bourbon Caramel Iain Bagwell; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Peach Bread Pudding with Bourbon Caramel This indulgent dessert gives yet another carb-packed casserole to finish off the family meal. Use fresh peaches, and leave out the bourbon for a family friendly spin. 31 of 34 Strawberry Pretzel Salad Southern Living Recipe: Strawberry Pretzel Salad If you're like us, this strawberry gelatin, cream cheese, whipped topping, and pretzel creation brings back memories of church potlucks and family reunions. 32 of 34 Lemon-Lime Poke Cake Greg DuPree; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis Recipe: Lemon-Lime Poke Cake Instead of the Jello-filled poke cakes that became popular in the '70s, this 9x13 dessert uses a homemade mixture of sweetened condensed milk, buttermilk, and lemon and lime juices. Lemon and lime slices make for easy serving and adorable presentation for a summer reunion. 33 of 34 Chocolate Lasagna Southern Living Recipe: Chocolate Lasagna You don't even need to turn on the oven to serve a crowd-pleasing dessert at the family reunion. Like many retro desserts, this layered delight features instant pudding mix. 34 of 34 Chocolate Delight Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Christine Keely Recipe: Chocolate Delight "My grandmother, Ouida Walters Rasberry, was the maker and keeper of our family's recipes," writes HGTV star Erin Napier. Ouida's collection of handwritten recipes included this layered dessert, which has gone by many names at Southern family reunions over the years. You may even know it as "Better Than Robert Redford." Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit