15 Easy 5-Ingredient Casseroles to Save Time and Money

By Vanessa Greaves

February 05, 2020

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Credit: Allrecipes

Let's count the ways casseroles rule the world of weeknight dinners: They can be easy to prep, they make a few ingredients go a long way, they can feed a crowd, and cleanup is quick. Granted, if you're making more elaborate casseroles, you'll need to do a lot more prep and dirty up more pans. BUT these are not the casseroles I'm showcasing here. Nope. Instead, I'm giving you casserole recipes that take no more than 5 ingredients (not counting oil, salt, and pepper), and they're meant to save you time and money. Let's meet them.

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Mexican Casserole

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Ready in a speedy 30 minutes, this quick casserole is made with layers of tortillas, refried beans with onions, salsa, and cheese stacked and baked in a pie pan. Some reviewers added cumin and coriander to the beans, and recommend sautéing the onions before adding them to the beans. You can also add cooked ground beef or leftover shredded chicken for a meat-eater's option.

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Quick Chicken and Stuffing Casserole

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Here's a easy way to use up leftover chicken (or Thanksgiving turkey) along with stuffing, gravy, and vegetables. Home cook Dar says, "Such a quick and easy recipe for some good comfort food."

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Bethany's Frito® Pie

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Everything you love about a classic Frito pie served right in the bag, but reworked in casserole form. Home cook Joyce Zimmerman shares these tips: "I have been making Frito Pie for three generations. The only thing I never do is use chili that contains beans. Also, I sort of crush the corn chips for the bottom layer before baking. This makes the bottom layer absorb the chili flavor a bit better."

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Vegetarian Potato and Squash Casserole

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Potatoes, summer squash, tomatoes, and sweet onion are sliced, layered, and baked for a hearty vegetarian casserole. If summer squash isn't available, you can substitute zucchini.

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Simple Sausage Casserole

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This top-rated recipe lives up to the simple promise of its title: a creamy, savory mix of cooked sausage and cream cheese is baked between layers of crescent roll dough. And that's it. Home cooks customized it, of course, by adding cooked vegetables like onions and peppers to the mix.

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Tatertot Casserole

Credit: Jimmy Bahnsen

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Home cook Nicole Coldren explains it best: "So I have eight kids and I suppose my issue with meals are always, is it going to be enough? Will they be full enough? Oh geez and on top of TIME constraints! I mean, it's hectic! This meal definitely did the job! If you're a family who likes less cleanup and easy/quick assembly...this is your meal!"

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Sweet Potato and Apple Sausage Casserole

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Not your usual cheesy, creamy casserole, but easy and satisfying all the same. Sweet potatoes and tart apples are chunked up and baked with chicken sausage and honey mustard.

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Chicken Parmesan Casserole

Credit: Ava

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Cooked chicken is baked with pasta, mozzarella cheese, marinara sauce and bread crumbs for a casserole take on classic chicken Parmesan.

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Easy Tuna Casserole

Credit: Melissa Goff

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Recipe creator LMCDEVIT says, "Tuna, macaroni, creamy soup, cheese and fried onions are all you need to make this super easy tuna casserole." Many reviewers loved the recipe exactly as written, and some added peas, more tuna, other cheese, etc. It's all good.

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Ham and Cheese Pasta Casserole

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"Very filling and the whole family liked it! This is a parent win," says home cook gabriel744s. MissTex added broccoli to hers while lutzflcat added peas, bell pepper, and green onion.

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John's Broccoli and Ziti Casserole

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Broccoli is sautéed with a generous helping of garlic, and baked with ziti pasta and mozzarella cheese until hot and bubbly. Home cook CHARPMIND added cooked boneless chicken breast, and Mary Ann Martina used half mozzarella and half fontina cheese to amp up the flavor.

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Cheater Baked Ziti

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Home cook Novaluno declares this quick and easy casserole "A triumph for lazy people everywhere!" Jodrdh says, "For someone who works all the time — I really love easy dishes that are also good on a budget — this ziti was perfect, and it made so much!"

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Broccoli Noodles and Cheese Casserole

Credit: Molly

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This quick casserole is simply made of tender egg noodles mixed with broccoli, cottage cheese, and Cheddar cheese. Of course, reviewers added this and that to make it their own. You can do that, too.

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Easy Enchiladas

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Ground beef is cooked with salsa con queso, rolled up in tortillas, and baked on a bed of salsa with a generous shower of shredded cheese over the top. You can dress it up before serving with sour cream and olives, as shown below. Home cook Melina Knauss used enchilada sauce instead of salsa, and you could stuff the enchiladas with cheese or chicken, if you wish.

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Meatball Sub Casserole

Credit: Allrecipes

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Garlic bread, spaghetti sauce, meatballs, and cheese get baked together in a casserole for a hot and cheesy weeknight dish. Some reviewers were concerned that the bread would get too mushy baked in the sauce, so they opted to toast the bread separately and serve the saucy, cheesy meatballs over it like open-face sandwiches

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More Casserole Ideas

Credit: Melissa Goff

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By Vanessa Greaves