Holidays & Occasions 4th of July Make-Ahead 4th of July Casserole Recipes To Add To Your Cookout Menu By Jenna Sims Jenna Sims Jenna Sims is a Digital Editor for Southern Living and joined the team in 2014. She writes, produces, and ideates content with a focus on email growth and commerce content. She covers a range of topics in the lifestyle space from holiday gift guides to new product launches to tips for cooking with your air fryer. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Published on April 24, 2021 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Photo: Hector Sanchez; Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham We don't think it's ever too early to start planning and prepping for a holiday gathering with family and friends. Recipes for make-ahead casseroles are an easy way to make sure you have enough food to serve everyone without stressing on the day of your 4th of July cookout. Plus, casseroles are easy to transport if you need a dish to bake-and-take along with you to a potluck party. From baked beans to macaroni and cheese and more, there are plenty of classic barbecue side dishes that can be prepped in advance and reheated just before serving. 01 of 12 Baked Beans Antonis Achilleos Recipe: Baked Beans This recipe starts with convenient canned pork and beans. The addition of onion, dry mustard, molasses, Worcestershire sauce, and brown sugar transform them into flavor-packed baked beans. 02 of 12 Squash Casserole Aaron Kirk; Prop Styling: Sarah-Elizabeth Cleveland; Food Styling: Julia Levy Recipe: Squash Casserole No potluck is complete without this classic side dish casserole. 03 of 12 Homemade Green Bean Casserole with Crispy Leeks Linda Puglies; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Homemade Green Bean Casserole with Crispy Leeks When making the recipe ahead of time, you can prepare through Step 3 and wait to fry the leeks until the day you'll be serving the casserole. 04 of 12 Southern Pimiento Mac and Cheese Hector Sanchez Recipe: Southern Pimiento Mac and Cheese Get the flavors of two Southern favorites in one dish with this recipe. 05 of 12 Rum Baked Beans Photo: Hector Sanchez; Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham Recipe: Rum Baked Beans Preparing these beans up to two days in advance will allow the flavors plenty of time to come together. 06 of 12 Broccoli Cheese Casserole Linda Pugliese; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Broccoli Cheese Casserole Sneak some veggies onto the menu with this cheesy casserole that can be prepared ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for up to one day. 07 of 12 Twice Baked Potato Casserole Alison Miksch; Prop Styling: Sarah Elizabeth Cleveland; Food Styling: Melissa Gray Recipe: Twice Baked Potato Casserole Get all the flavors of a baked potato without having to fool with setting out all of the toppings for your guests. 08 of 12 Mac and Cheese with Ham Beth Dreiling Hontzas; Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine Recipe: Mac and Cheese with Ham Kids and adults will come back for a second serving of this homemade macaroni and cheese. 09 of 12 Hashbrown Casserole Southern Living Recipe: Hashbrown Casserole This dish can be frozen before or after baking so all you have to do the day of your holiday cookout is pull it out of the freezer to be reheated. 10 of 12 Savory Corn Pudding Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Savory Corn PuddingAny summertime gathering should have fresh corn on the menu and this casserole is a delicious way to enjoy the best the season has to offer. 11 of 12 Macaroni Pudding Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck; Food Styling: Erin Merhar Recipe: Macaroni Pudding This recipe is a creamier and richer version of macaroni and cheese. 12 of 12 Classic Parmesan Scalloped Potatoes Beth Dreiling Hontzas Recipe: Classic Parmesan Scalloped Potatoes With a short ingredient list, little hands-on time, and the ability to make it ahead, this recipe is the perfect companion for a busy day. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit