Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

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.


verb (used with object)

  • casseroles,
    present (3rd person singular)
  • casseroled,
    past participle,  past
  • casseroling
    present participle
  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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. to cook or be cooked in a casserole

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future


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."

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing casserole

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

It worked to pare down menus and offer dinner deals, and rolled out items like slow-braised pot roast and hash-brown casserole shepherd’s pie.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026

On its menu are wines from Stellenbosch, delicacies like bobotie, a sweet and savory casserole, and creative-fusion dishes like oxtail tacos.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 11, 2026

Potlucks are classic, yes — but they don’t have to be a casserole parade.

From Salon ● Jan. 27, 2026

Instead of dropping off a casserole, you might offer to handle grocery pickup or coordinate a week of delivery.

From Salon ● Jan. 19, 2026

Beto wandered to the stove and lifted the lid from a casserole dish.

From "Out of Darkness" by Ashley Hope Pérez

Soups, stews, cheesy casseroles and creamy mashed potatoes are just a few popular options that come to mind.

From Salon ● Feb. 20, 2026

She said for some its about "relaxing" and prepping things such as casseroles, taking the pressure off cooking a big roast on the day.

From BBC ● Dec. 24, 2025

Like tuna casseroles and they’re very into hearty, grandma type food.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 19, 2025

Once the soups are happily bubbling, I turn to the casseroles and pasta bakes.

From Salon ● Sep. 9, 2025

“Yep,” I said uneasily, “except I have to make sure to get Mom’s casseroles to the Community Center on time.”

From "Dead End in Norvelt" by Jack Gantos

Blancmange — which means ‘‘white food’’ — referred to a family of recipes in which pale mixtures were casseroled together into a pap, often with rice and almond milk.

From New York Times ● Oct. 29, 2015

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

Get a word

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Dictionary.com's Learning Companion

Go beyond just looking up words.
Remember them forever with VocabTrainer.

Start training