27 Summer Casserole Recipes You'll Love All Season Long

Baked Ziti with Summer Vegetables
Photo: Alison Miksch

All Southerners know that casseroles are truly one-dish wonders. Quick to prepare, easy to make ahead (and even easier to clean up), plentiful enough for a crowd, and portable. It's no wonder these comforting dishes have always been a regional favorite. Though casserole recipes frequent our holiday menus each fall, these delicious, easy-to-make dinners and side dishes often fall off our recipe radars when the weather turns warmer. But, with fresh zucchinis, tomatoes, corn, and more waiting at your local farmers' market, begging to be baked, it just might be time to crown summertime the new casserole season.

With a house full of kids and their friends all summer, it's always good to have a made-ahead dish on hand. From our Zucchini-and-Spinach Lasagna to our Spinach-and-Herb Pastatta, some of our favorite summer casserole recipes will help you prepare for everything from last-minute summertime entertaining to a fun family dinner. To help you get started, here are some of our favorite reasons to start popping casseroles into your oven this summer.

01 of 27

Roasted Tomato Macaroni and Cheese

Roasted Tomato Macaroni and Cheese
Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Roasted Tomato Macaroni and Cheese

Fresh plum tomatoes top this cheesy favorite and add rich, juicy flavor.

02 of 27

Baked Ziti with Summer Vegetables

Baked Ziti with Summer Vegetables
Alison Miksch

Recipe: Baked Ziti with Summer Vegetables

This vegetable medley will have you loving summer and its fresh flavors.

03 of 27

BLT Pain Perdu Casserole

BLT Pain Perdu Casserole
Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Christine Keely

Recipe: BLT Pain Perdu Casserole

Instead of making a big batch of sandwiches for a crowd, use fresh tomatoes to serve up the same flavors in casserole form.

04 of 27

Reunion Pea Casserole

Reunion Pea Casserole
Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Reunion Pea Casserole

In the summer, look for Whippoorwill, Lady Cream, and Pinkeye beans at the market and substitute them into this recipe.

05 of 27

Macaroni Corn Casserole

Macaroni Corn Casserole
Will Dickey; Prop Styling: Christina Daley; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners

Recipe: Macaroni Corn Casserole

This recipe calls for thawed, frozen corn kernels but you can use fresh kernels when in season.

06 of 27

Zucchini Lasagna

Zucchini Lasagna
Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Tina Stamos

Recipe: Zucchini Lasagna

Give lasagna a fresh makeover for summer by layering in fresh zucchini.

07 of 27

Old-School Squash Casserole

Old-School Squash Casserole
Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Old-School Squash Casserole

The key to this casserole is to make sure you get as much liquid as you can out of the squash during the initial cooking phase before adding it to the casserole dish.

08 of 27

Heirloom Tomato Pie

Heirloom Tomato Pie Recipe
Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer

Recipe: Heirloom Tomato Pie

While this recipe calls for a homemade Parmesan-Buttermilk Pie Crust, you can use a store-bought base in a pinch.

09 of 27

Okra and Rice Casserole

Okra and Rice Casserole
Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham

Recipe: Okra and Rice Casserole

Sautéed okra, sweet corn, Cajun spices, and buttery garlic breadcrumbs make this summer casserole shine.

10 of 27

Cheesy Ham, Corn, and Grits Bake

Cheesy Ham, Corn, and Grits Bake
Hector Manuel Sanchez

Recipe: Cheesy Ham, Corn, and Grits Bake

This breakfast bake is here to prove that corn can be a great addition to the menu for your first meal of the day.

11 of 27

Zucchini Rice Gratin

Zucchini Rice Gratin
Linda Pugliese; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Looking for a way to use summer zucchini? This recipe calls for 2 pounds of the vegetable and serves 10 people.

12 of 27

Tomato, Cheddar, and Bacon Pie

Tomato Pie Recipe: Tomato, Cheddar, and Bacon Pie
Hector Sanchez

Recipe: Tomato, Cheddar, and Bacon Pie

Choose whatever assortment of fresh tomatoes you would like for this tomato pie, but we love the look of mixed color varieties.

13 of 27

Tee's Corn Pudding

50 Best Thanksgiving Tee's Corn Pudding
Jennifer Davick

Recipe: Tee's Corn Pudding

You'll make use of a good amount of fresh summer corn in this casserole, 12 ears to be exact.

14 of 27

Pasta-Chicken-Broccoli Bake

Pasta-Chicken-Broccoli Bake
Iain Bagwell

Recipe: Pasta-Chicken-Broccoli Bake

With broccoli and red bell peppers, and even colored tortellini if you'd like, this casserole is full of summer color.

15 of 27

Cheese Cracker-Topped Squash Casserole

Cheese Cracker-Topped Squash Casserole Recipe
Hector Sanchez

Recipe: Cheese Cracker-Topped Squash Casserole

Cheese crackers will entice every member of the family to eat this veggie-packed casserole. We're talking 3 pounds of squash and 2 pounds of zucchini.

16 of 27

Cheesy Broccoli-and-Rice Casserole

Cheesy Broccoli and Rice Casserole
Hector Sanchez

Recipe: Cheesy Broccoli-and-Rice Casserole

Fresh broccoli is the secret to this delicious and surprisingly good for you casserole.

17 of 27

Eggplant Rollups

Eggplant Rollups
Photo: Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Cat Steele

Recipe: Eggplant Rollups

Thinly sliced eggplants make the perfect rollups. They're filled with ricotta cheese to make Italian-style dinner.

18 of 27

New Tuna Casserole with Potato Chips

New Tuna Casserole
Greg Dupree

Recipe: New Tuna Casserole with Potato Chips

Fresh veggies add pops of color while potato chips add the perfect crunch to this dish.

19 of 27

Squash and Green Chile Casserole

Squash and Green Chile Casserole
Greg Dupree

Recipe: Squash and Green Chile Casserole

Green chiles and tomatillos add Southwestern flavor to this spin on classic squash casserole.

20 of 27

Zucchini, Squash, and Corn Casserole

Zucchini, Squash, and Corn Casserole
Hector Sanchez

Recipe: Zucchini, Squash, and Corn Casserole

If you're looking for a true summertime trio, look no further than this side dish that is fulled with zucchini, squash, and corn.

21 of 27

Zucchini-Potato Casserole

Zucchini-Potato Casserole
Iain Bagwell

Recipe: Zucchini-Potato Casserole

This pretty layered presentation is a wonderful vegetable addition to a summer menu.

22 of 27

Zucchini-and-Spinach Lasagna

Zucchini-and-Spinach Lasagna
Jennifer Davick

Recipe: Zucchini-and-Spinach Lasagna

Did you fill your Farmers' Market basket to the brim with zucchinis? Pair your market picks with fresh basil and spinach, and bake with ricotta and flavored cream cheese for the perfect vegetarian casserole.

23 of 27

Chicken-and-Wild Rice Skillet Casserole

Chicken-and-Wild Rice Skillet Casserole
Hector Sanchez

Recipe: Chicken-and-Wild Rice Skillet Casserole

This filling one-dish chicken casserole recipe is a flavorful twist on a classic chicken and rice dinner.

24 of 27

Spinach-and-Herb Pastatta

Spinach-and-Herb Pastatta
Melina Hammer

Recipe: Spinach-and-Herb Pastatta

An original Southern Living creation, pastatta is a comforting cross between a frittata and baked pasta.

25 of 27

Two-Cheese Squash Casserole

Two-Cheese Squash Casserole
Jennifer Davick

Recipe: Two-Cheese Squash Casserole

This two-cheese combo lets your summer squash take center stage.

26 of 27

Texas-Style Enchilada Casserole

Texas-Style Enchilada Casserole
William Dickey

Recipe: Texas-Style Enchilada Casserole

Fit for a summertime fiesta, this casserole will help your serve something with a bit of a kick this season.

27 of 27

Summer Squash Casserole

Summer Squash Casserole
Laurey W. Glenn

Recipe: Summer Squash Casserole

This summer side dish is a cinch to prepare and pairs perfectly with fried chicken for a true, Southern summertime lunch or dinner.

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