casserole

American  

[kas-uh-rohl] / ˈkæs əˌroʊl /

noun

1. a baking dish of glass, pottery, etc., usually with a cover.

2. any food, usually a mixture, cooked in such a dish.

3. a small dish with a handle, used in chemical laboratories.

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verb (used with object)

casseroled, casseroling

1. to bake or cook (food) in a casserole.

casserole British  

/ ˈkæsəˌrəʊl /

noun

1. a covered dish of earthenware, glass, etc, in which food is cooked and served

2. any food cooked and served in such a dish

   chicken casserole

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verb

1. to cook or be cooked in a casserole

Etymology

Origin of casserole

First recorded in 1700–10; from French: “ladlelike pan,” equivalent to casse “small saucepan” (from Old Provençal cassa “large spoon,” akin to Medieval Latin cattia “crucible”; of disputed origin) + -role diminutive suffix

Explanation

A casserole is a large, deep baking dish that can be used both in the oven and as a serving dish. Casserole is also what you call the food baked inside it, which is often a complete, gooey, one-dish meal. You can use the word casserole for a ceramic, glass, or metal baking dish that goes right from the oven to the table, and you can also call the food that's cooked in it a casserole. Many casseroles are thick and warm comfort food, baked by thoughtful people in aprons. Cream of mushroom soup is a popular ingredient in a casserole. In French, casserole means "sauce pan," from the Latin root cattia, "pan" or "vessel."

Example Sentences

To attract increasingly discerning consumers, Kroger has offered a precooked holiday meal for eight of turkey or ham, stuffing, green bean casserole, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, cranberry and gravy for about $11 a person.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 22, 2025

Neither is her tepid response to his gift of a sweet-potato casserole.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 27, 2025

The roughly $40 basket includes a Butterball frozen turkey, a five-pound bag of potatoes, boxed macaroni and cheese and stuffing mixes, fresh cranberries and the ingredients for a green bean casserole and pumpkin pie.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 22, 2025

Coquilles Saint-Jacques is essentially a frou-frou description for scallops au gratin, more often prepared as a casserole than in those magical shells which are harder to find these days.

From Salon • Nov. 1, 2025

Mom brings the steaming casserole dish to the table and places it on a hot pad.

From "Ask the Passengers" by A.S. King