Old-School Holiday Casseroles We Want To Make A Comeback

When the holidays roll around, casseroles come out of the woodwork. You might not eat marshmallow-topped sweet potatoes or creamy green bean casserole any other time of year, but suddenly they're everywhere. But, if you're sick of the usual suspects, you might be interested in some old-school holiday casseroles that have fallen out of favor. These have been around for a while, and maybe you've heard of them, but you won't often find them gracing holiday tables.

Rather than making a sweet potato casserole this year, perhaps you want to try out a Southern squash casserole. Same orange hue, different flavor. Or maybe you want to switch your usual mashed potatoes for funeral potatoes or kugel. Any of these casseroles would fit in perfectly with a holiday spread, giving you a change from your usuals.

Just because something is old-fashioned doesn't mean it's past its prime. In fact, some of the best holiday dishes are classics. It's time to delve into the archives and check out these old-school holiday casseroles that we want to make a comeback. You might find yourself a new holiday staple.

Corn feels holiday-appropriate and tends to be a crowd-pleaser, even when you've got kids at the table. So, a scalloped corn casserole is likely to go down a treat. It works with any type of corn that you'd eat on the cob, so you can use whatever's best in your area. You can even use frozen corn to save time, which might be appreciated in the holiday rush.

It's one of those dishes you'll find many variations of from family recipes honed over the years, but they all have some common threads. They consist of corn baked in a rich sauce made from heavy cream or milk. Many have saltine cracker crumbs mixed in for flavor and texture, and they may have eggs in the mix to help the casserole set, which gives it a custardy mouthfeel. It's creamy and crunchy with a sweetness from the corn, which makes it brilliantly well-balanced overall.

It's one of those casseroles that's easy to throw together, but ends up tasting way more delicious than it should for the amount of effort you put in. It's versatile enough to go with all kinds of holiday spreads, whether you're planning something traditional or putting together an unconventional or vegetarian feast.

Dressing and stuffing are traditional holiday fare, but you probably don't expect to find oysters in it. Oyster dressing has a long history, though. It dates back to at least the 18th century in the U.S., where it was popular in coastal New England because of the abundance and affordability of oysters.

Its history is even longer in the U.K., where the earliest written reference to it dates back to the 1600s. These days, we might think of oysters as fancy. But, in times gone by, oysters, along with lobsters, were considered working-class foods. They were easy to fish for and so plentiful that they were extremely cheap. Because of this, their number dwindled, and supply and demand meant that prices soared.

So, these days, oyster dressing is more high-end than it once was, but it could still be worth resurrecting. If you're cooking for a group of seafood lovers, it might be just the thing to elevate your meal. Oyster dressing is much the same as a regular stuffing or dressing recipe, containing herbs, other aromatics, and bread cubes or coarse crumbs. The main difference is that it also includes freshly shucked oysters. Plenty of modern recipes are out there if you want to give it a go.

Sweet potato casserole is often the starchy vegetable side of choice on holiday tables, topped with marshmallows or a pecan streusel. But Southern squash casserole was once just as popular. Back in the '70s and '80s, you could hardly pick up a cookbook without finding a recipe for this dish inside. But, over the years, it fell out of fashion. This is a shame, as it plays a similar role on the table as a sweet potato casserole, but has its own spin.

It's made using yellow squash, which is cooked with onions and mixed with cheese and mayo to make it creamy and decadent. Before baking, the casserole is topped with buttery crushed crackers, adding some crunchy texture.

This is the kind of vegetable side that people will be neglecting the main dish for, coming back for second helpings. It might be a retro classic, but it absolutely still deserves a spot at the table. Make it for the holidays and you might find yourself baking it again and again throughout the year. It's way too good to only have seasonally.

Turkey tetrazzini was once a holiday classic, but you find it less and less these days. It offers a great way to reduce food waste by using up leftovers, so it's no wonder that it was a favorite in frugal days gone by.

This dish is basically a pasta bake made with cooked turkey, spaghetti, and plenty of cheese. Other ingredients are added to bring more flavor, but can vary from recipe to recipe. They can include onions, herbs, white wine, cream cheese, and heavy cream. The dish is most commonly associated with post-holiday leftovers, but you could also eat it as a non-traditional holiday main, especially if you're cooking for a small group and don't want to make a full turkey.

Making a Tofurkey this year rather than a real bird? You can absolutely make this dish with meat alternatives, too. Everything else stays the same — just use your holiday protein of choice, and you'll end up with a tasty dish. Whether it's the main event or an easy post-holiday meal, turkey tetrazzini is worth bringing back.

Funeral potatoes might not sound particularly holiday-appropriate, but stick with us. Despite its name, this dish has a history of being enjoyed at all kinds of communal gatherings, including holiday celebrations. And once you've tried them, you'll always want them to be a part of your seasonal menu.

Funeral potatoes originated from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) community. By the late 1800s, the Relief Society, which is an LDS women's service organization, regularly prepared food for large communal events, including funerals. They focused on dishes that were easy to cook in volume, transportable, affordable, and comforting — and funeral potatoes fit the bill.

While there are versions in which everything is made from scratch, the classic recipe includes frozen hash brown potatoes, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, and cheddar cheese. These ingredients are mixed together and spooned into casserole dishes, topped with cornflakes, and baked. Not only are funeral potatoes rich, creamy, and delicious, but they're also extremely simple to make. You don't even have to peel and prepare the potatoes, which is a relief when you're preparing a big holiday meal. And, it's the kind of dish that will definitely have people coming back for seconds, so you may have just found yourself a new holiday favorite.

Cheesy cauliflower casserole — or cauliflower cheese, as it's known in the U.K. — is a holiday staple for some. But it's often considered quite old-fashioned, with a '70s or '80s vibe. These days, people are more likely to eat roasted cauliflower or cauliflower steak, having left this richer, more indulgent dish in the past. We think that's a shame. This cheesy casserole is an excellent addition to a holiday feast, and if there's any time to load up on cheese, it's certainly during the holidays.

There are a few steps to making this dish. First, you par-cook the cauliflower and set it aside. Steaming or boiling it is usual, but roasting or pan-frying will give it more flavor. Then, you make a cheese sauce, which you start like a basic white sauce before adding shredded cheese. Flavorful cheeses, like mature cheddar, are best. You could mix things up by adding some blue cheese. Finally, you combine the cauliflower and sauce in a casserole dish and bake. A topping of breadcrumbs or crushed crackers isn't essential but will add some texture. It's a delicious side dish, but it can also make a great vegetarian main for someone who isn't a fan of faux meats.

Spinach and artichoke dip is still a classic for many, but have you heard of spinach and artichoke casserole? This old-school recipe is great for the holidays as an indulgent vegetable side dish. And it's easy enough to whip up quickly without too much prep, which we're always pleased about when cooking a big meal for a crowd. The simpler the dish is to assemble, the better.

You'll use artichoke hearts from a jar or can and frozen spinach, so the prep is minimal. You just have to defrost and drain the spinach, drain and roughly chop the artichoke hearts, and you're ready to get started. Other ingredients include cream cheese, sour cream, milk, and parmesan. All that's left to do is mix everything together and bake it.

This dish is indulgent and creamy, but it's packed with so much spinach that you can count it as the green vegetable on your holiday table. If you love the dip, you're bound to enjoy this casserole. We think it's definitely time to pull this one out of the archives and put it in your regular holiday rotation.

Not all holiday casseroles have to be savory. Macaroni pudding is an old-school dish from the U.K. that's more of a dessert than a side. That said, given the popularity of holiday dishes like sweet potato casserole with marshmallows, there's some argument to serve this alongside your entree.

So, what is macaroni pudding? Imagine rice pudding but with macaroni noodles instead of rice, and you're pretty much there. It's made by mixing cooked macaroni, milk, eggs, and sugar in a casserole dish, dusting it with nutmeg or other sweet spices, and baking it until set. The resulting dish is like a baked custard with starchy macaroni noodles. It might sound strange before you try it, but it's no weirder than any other grain-based dessert, like rice pudding or semolina pudding.

It's no longer a popular dish, even in its native U.K., but we think it's time to change that. You can eat it as a wholesome dessert. It's not flashy, but after having rich holiday food, sometimes you want something more down-to-earth. Or you can try serving it alongside all your other holiday dishes. It might just become a new family favorite.

Jansson's temptation is an old-fashioned Christmas dish in Sweden. But, wherever you're from, it's worth reinstating this one for the holidays. This mysteriously named dish is a creamy potato casserole and, frankly, the world can't have too many of those. It's the perfect comforting dish for cold days and makes a nice alternative (or addition) to the usual mashed potatoes or roasted potatoes people often have during the holidays.

It's a bit like dauphinoise potatoes or potato gratin, but with a few key differences. To make Jansson's temptation, you use potatoes cut into strips, similar to french fries. This means, if you're in a hurry, you could use unseasoned french fries, particularly if they're refrigerated rather than frozen. These are mixed in a casserole dish with milk, cream, leeks or onions, and seasoning.

Traditionally, this dish contains Swedish anchovies, which are pickled. However, you can use whatever anchovies you can get your hands on (or leave them out for a vegetarian alternative). It won't be quite the same, but it will be delicious. You can also do a breadcrumb topping if it takes your fancy. The dish is done when the potatoes are cooked and the top looks golden and bubbly.

Creamed onions have a long history dating back to the U.K. and continental Europe, where their roots date back as far as the 1700s. It wasn't until the late 1800s that dishes specifically referred to as creamed onions graced cookbooks. Despite once being popular, creamed onions have fallen out of fashion, and we think our holiday tables are worse for it. Done right, a creamed onion gratin has the perfect blend of sweet and savory notes. You get sweetness from the cream and the slow-cooked onions. But, in classic onion style, they also have a savory component. And, in some versions of the recipe, you'll also get richness from cheese.

Traditionally, this dish uses pearl onions. These are effectively mini onions, with a sweeter, milder flavor when cooked than their full-size counterparts. Some people use full-size onions or shallots, but ideally go for pearl onions, if you can find them fresh. Frozen ones are common, but they're not great for this dish, in which onions are the main event.

You'll find all kinds of ways to whip up creamed onion gratin. Some call for baking the onions in white wine until tender before adding the cream. Others include fresh herbs and spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. However you choose to make it, it's an impressive holiday side dish.

Potato kugel is a holiday favorite you don't see regularly anymore, outside of the Jewish culinary tradition. And that's basically a crime. It's the perfect blend of crunchy and creamy. It's tasty, but not over-the-top rich. And it might end up being your preferred holiday potato side if you give it a chance.

This traditional dish consists of shredded potatoes and onions, eggs, and matzah meal, seasoned simply with salt and pepper, and baked in a casserole dish. When it's done, the top is browned and crispy like a latke, but the center is brilliantly soft and creamy, almost like mashed potatoes. Honestly, what more could you want from a holiday potato dish?

While families often have their own recipes passed down through the generations, part of its appeal is how simple it is. You don't need a huge list of ingredients, and it won't overwhelm other flavors on your holiday plate. You wouldn't want it any more showy than it is — potato kugel is a solid dish that stands on its own without needing to be elaborate. And, it's easy to make. Shredding the potatoes and onions is the most time-consuming part, but the rest comes together easily.