Crystal Valley Blog

Our Favorite Fall Casseroles!

POSTED October 1, 2019

As much as we like to grill (and believe us, we’ll be grilling well into winter!) we like what fall and winter add to mealtime variety – including an endless array of soups and casseroles. We searched high and low for new and tasty-sounding casserole recipes for fall – the kind mom used to make and the kind only Martha can create – and here’s the bounty of goodness we found!

Grandma’s Favorite Casseroles

Leave it to Taste of Home to come up with 30 hearty, stick-to-your-ribs casseroles that grandma used to make from Oven-Baked Shrimp and Grits and Pizza Casserole to the classic-with-a-twist Tuna Noodle Bake. 

From an 80-year-old in Iowa who taught her grandkids how to cook, here’s the ultimate Bacon-Colby Lasagna – with you guessed it, Colby-Jack cheese instead of the traditional mozzarella. And grandma’s Corn Pudding, which is more of a side than an entrée, is a snap to prepare with cornbread mix, corn and butter, sugar, sour cream and eggs. If you’re in the mood for comfort food – this one’s a winner!

Titled simply Mom’s Recipe from All Recipes, this easy-to-make casserole that feeds a crowd is also great to freeze! It takes 25 minutes to prep and another 45 to cook, with ground beef and onions, garlic and both cream cheese and cheddar. It’s full of protein AND fat, but you can make it low-fat and low-calorie by using ground turkey, fat- free sour cream and reduced-calorie cream cheese.

The Baked AND Slow Cooker Recipes

Our grandmas were the original Crockpot queens, creating recipes in the slow cooker to serve night after night to their brood, neighbors and guests. Spend With Pennies, the easy home-cooked source for all kinds of comfort food, offers up more than 75 recipes from traditional Mac n’ Cheese and Creamy Chicken Enchiladas, to Scalloped Potatoes with Ham and Taco Lasagna. For anyone who’s ever racked his or her brain for something to fix for dinner, this website is the go-to for fall and winter recipes for busy home chefs!

Sweet and Savory Meals has countless options for casseroles for large crowds that are easy to get together quickly. One of the instant favorites has been blogger Catalina’s Cheesy Crack Chicken Casserole. Loaded with chicken, pasta, lots of cheese and bacon, we’re pretty sure the name is tied to how incredibly addictive it is! Don’t miss the other crowd pleasers from Sweet and Savory Meals, like Sausage Pesto Tortellini, Chicken Spaghetti casserole or Turkey Tetrazzini – all delicious options for busy weeknights when you only have 45 minutes to pull it together and serve!

Blogger Kristen at A Mindfull Mom grew up in the Midwest during a time when cream-of-something-soup casseroles were all the rage, but she learned from her mom and grandmoms how to make casseroles from scratch. She shares her secret recipes for chicken, beef, breakfast, veggie and side dish casseroles. We like the looks of Kristen’s Chicken Pot Pie, Healthy Chicken Poppy Seed Casserole and Buffalo Chicken Bake. 

Vegetarian and Heart-Healthy Casseroles 

From her vegetarian casserole recipes like Leek Bread Pudding and a twist on the Italian favorite Eggplant Parm, Martha gathers 40 recipes for people looking for a meatless Monday dish. Her Potato Mushroom Pie with two cheeses is a tasty alternative to her similar but meaty Colcannon Shepherd’s Pie.

Among the 17 easy casserole recipes from Good Housekeeping is Cherry Tomato and White Bean casserole which looks as tempting as any meat dish. Baked into it is plenty of potassium, folate (tomato nutrition!) and fiber, B12, vitamin C and magnesium (thanks to the cannellini). GH’s Spinach and Gruyere Potato casserole is another winner – with potatoes (skins left on), a sprinkle of fresh basil and plenty of gooey goodness.

Just add dinner rolls and a leafy salad of romaine, endive and/or arugula to most of the above and you’ve rounded out your meal with a few delicious carbs and vitamin-packed greens! 

Fall Foods in Crystal Valley

The new kitchens in the master-planned community of Crystal Valley will be put to good use this fall and winter in the new homes from Richmond American Homes, Kauffman Homes, Century Communities and D.R. Horton. Set in natural surroundings with easy access to nearby amenities, find the new home-chef’s kitchen, in the home of your dreams in either a ranch and two-story model, priced from the $300s. 

accent

Keep Me Informed about Crystal Valley

Our community enjoys a year-round schedule of events and activities. Register to receive the latest progress and news of upcoming events at Crystal Valley.

Download Brochure

Want to learn more? Simply fill out the fields below and we’ll send you a community brochure all about the Nature of Happiness here in Crystal Valley.

Keep Me Informed about Crystal Valley

Our community enjoys a year-round schedule of events and activities. Register to receive the latest progress and news of upcoming events at Crystal Valley.

Relocating to Colorado?


Schedule A Private Tour