15 comforting casserole recipes to welcome fall (2024)

Grant Butler, The Oregonian/OregonLive

Nothing spells comfort like a homemade casserole, pulled hot and bubbly from the oven, often with noodles, creamy sauces and hearty vegetables. These 15 favorites are perfect for easing into fall and cooler weather.

Baked Pasta With Tomatoes, Salami, Peas and Ricotta

Christine Dias, Special to The Oregonian/OregonLive

Matthew Card created this hearty casserole, and its beauty is how easily it can be adapted. You can omit the sausage, add thin-sliced strips of roasted red pepper and a large pinch each of fennel seeds and crushed red pepper flakes. If you want a crispy topping, scatter the top of the assembled dish with one or two cups of bread crumbs tossed with olive oil, salt and pepper.

Recipe: Baked Pasta With Tomatoes, Salami, Peas and Ricotta.

Corn Tortillas Casserole

Oregonian/OregonLive file photo

Known as sopa seca, or dry soup, this casserole from Marie Simmons is the definition of Mexican comfort food. Corn tortillas, cut into strips, are layered with spicy tomato sauce, roasted poblano chiles and two types of cheese, one melting and one sharp.

Recipe: Corn Tortillas Casserole.

Truffled Cauliflower Mac

Felicia Perretti/Running Press

Sometimes you can never have enough truffle -- or macaroni. This dish is for those times. It has a very rich flavor, with a creamy truffle sauce, steamed cauliflower, and a panko topping. If you happen to have a fresh truffle, you can go crazy and shave a few ultra-thin slices into the sauce before baking.

Recipe: Truffled Caulifower Mac.

Baked Penne With Pumpkin Cream Sauce

Grant Butler, The Oregonian/OregonLive

Pumpkin is always a fall favorite, although you can enjoy this dish any time of the year. The sauce has a hint of sweetness from the pumpkin but has a nice savory flavor from the sage and onions.

Recipe: Baked Penne With Pumpkin Cream Sauce.

Baked Pasta With Cheesy Sauce

Grant Butler, The Oregonian/OregonLive

The secret to this pasta casserole is the addition of Dijon mustard to the cheesy sauce, which mellows significantly as everything comes together -- you won't be able to taste it, but you'd miss it if it weren't there. Feel free to substitute whole-grain Dijon or even brown mustard to mix up the flavors. Serve with a side green salad to round out the meal.

Recipe: Baked Pasta With Cheesy Sauce.

Wild Rice Casserole

Nathan Hostler, Special to The Oregonian/OregonLive

We tend to think of casseroles as hearty main dishes. But they can be terrific side dishes, too. One of our favorites is this easy-to-make wild rice dish, which has only five ingredients. The rice requires overnight soaking, so you have to plan ahead a little. But the combo is the perfect match for fall suppers of roast chicken or pork chops.

Recipe: Wild Rice Casserole.

21st Century Tuna Noodle Casserole

Nathan Hostler, Special to The Oregonian/OregonLive

The beauty of this dish is that you can toss it together with ingredients usually lurking in the pantry. If there's no pimento or sherry, make it without them (although it's better with them). Add any leftover, cooked vegetables, diced. A couple of carrots is especially good, but green beans, squash and corn also work. If there's no half-and-half, use milk. Sliced green or black olives also work.

Recipe: 21st Century Tuna Noodle Casserole.

Ham and Potato Casserole

Alicia Ross, Kitchen Scoop

Kitchen Scoop columnist Alicia Ross came up with this casserole that layers thinly sliced potatoes with ham and plenty of cheese. It's the perfect addition to a Sunday brunch lineup.

Recipe: Ham and Potato Casserole.

Reuben Casserole

Grant Butler, The Oregonian/OregonLive

This recipe from Hillsboro reader Joanne Odermott layers the elements of a classic Reuben sandwich in the form of a casserole. Because it's an assemblage of premade ingredients, spring for the highest quality deli meat and best sauerkraut you can find.

Recipe: Reuben Casserole.

Sloppy Joe Cornbread Casserole

Grant Butler, The Oregonian/OregonLive

Portland cookbook author Julie Hasson dreamed up this dreamy vegan combination, which is baked in a cast-iron skillet. This casserole is a fun and delicious combination of sloppy joe filling and a cornbread top. It reheats really well the next day.

Recipe: Sloppy Joe Cornbread Casserole.

Stephenson's Apple Farm Green Rice Casserole

Grant Butler, The Oregonian/OregonLive

The original recipe for this casserole side dish dates back more than 50 years and comes from the long-gone Kansas City-area restaurant Stephenson's Apple Farm. This updated version uses plant-based substitutions for the dairy and egg, without compromising the dish's vibrant flavors.

Recipe: Stephenson's Apple Farm Green Rice Casserole.

Ham and Mushroom Pizza-Pasta "Bake"

Alicia Ross, Kitchen Scoop

This easy stovetop casserole takes corkscrew pasta and dresses it up with the flavors of a mushroom and ham-topped pizza. Kids will love this.

Recipe: Ham and Mushroom Pizza-Pasta "Bake".

Baked Penne With Prosciutto and Fontina

Matthew Mead

Food Kitchenwise Baked Penne

This Jan. 11, 2016 photo shows baked penne pasta with proscuitto and fontina cheese in Concord, N.H. This dish is from a recipe by Sara Moulton. (AP Photo/Matthew Mead) AP

Sausage and Rice Casserole

Grant Butler, The Oregonian/OregonLive

This recipe from Wilsonville reader Joyce Sluss is inexpensive and easy to make, and can be prepared either on the stove or in the oven. She says it makes enough that feed a family for several days, or can be shared with a friend just home from the hospital who needs some comforting fare. Leftovers also freeze well.

Recipe: Sausage and Rice Casserole.

Ethiopian Macaroni and Cheese

Grant Butler, The Oregonian/OregonLive

Beaverton reader Daniel LeLievre created this vegan and gluten-free casserole, which infuses traditional macaroni and cheese with global flavors. An exciting Ethiopian simmer sauce and bread-crumb topping adds a layer of flavor to the creamy goodness of macaroni and cheese. And the kid-friendly dish comes together in just 45 minutes, making it perfect for weeknight cooking.

Recipe: Ethiopian Macaroni and Cheese.

-- Grant Butler

gbutler@oregonian.com

503-221-8566; @grantbutler