We Baked 12 Pounds of Mac and Cheese and Made Five Flans to Find the Best Casserole Dishes (2024)

Ah, the humble casserole dish—this homey piece of kitchen gear plays such a mighty role in our daily lives. Lasagna, stuffed cabbage rolls, macaroni and cheese, green bean casserole, baked mashed potatoes; all that is good and pure and wholesome emerges from these standby, no-frills dishes. And since they’re simple—vessels usually made of ceramic or glass with handles for moving into and out of the oven—finding a great casserole dish was quite the challenge.

To narrow the field, we tested twelve 9- by 13-inch dishes (made mostly from ceramic and glass), using them to make 12 pounds of mac and cheese and five batches of leche flan. In the end, most casserole dishes will serve you just fine, but a few things led to our winners making the top dish.

The Winners, at a Glance

With sturdy, wide-looped handles that were easy to grab, this dish baked up perfectly cooked macaroni and cheese and gorgeous flan. Plus, it comes with a lid for extra insulation and easy transportation.

This simple, white dish will fit in with any aesthetic, and the looped handles and gently curved interior corners made it easy to serve from and clean.

We liked being able to see the bottom of the mac and cheese through the glass, and the long handles made it easy to grasp and move.

While we preferred looped handles, this dish’s handles were still large enough to ensure we got a good grip. Plus, they sported a thin lip towards the top that helped keep our fingers from sliding upwards. It also baked up everything nicely and had a classic look.

The Tests

• Macaroni and Cheese Test: We used each dish to cook an easy recipe for macaroni and cheese, noting how it baked up and if it was easy to maneuver the dish into and out of the oven.
• Leche Flan Test (Winners-Only): We placed each dish in a water bath in a large roasting pan to make leche flan and noted how easy the flan was to turn out.
• Cleaning Test: We hand-washed each dish after using it, and also ran dishwasher-safe ones through the dishwasher at least once.

What We Learned

We Preferred Larger, Looped Handles

As with our previous review of casserole dishes, we found that small things separated the winners from the rest of the pack. Foremost were handles; since casserole dishes are often transported from the countertop to the oven (and vice versa) you want a sturdy grip, lest your lasagna take a tumble.

Most dishes we tested had looped or curved handles, and overall we preferred looped ones, like on the Staub Rectangular Covered Baker and Williams Sonoma Essential Rectangular Covered Baker, which were easier to grip. That said, if the loop was too small, it was rendered useless—like on the Anchor Hocking baking dish, which had tiny loops that could maybe accommodate two fingers.

While we didn’t mind the curved handles on the Emile Henry (they were larger than other sloped handles and had a ridge that helped prevent our hands from sliding up and off), other sloped handles—like on the Le Creuset and Made In—were small and slippery and hard to grip securely, especially with oven mitts or kitchen towels.

Stoneware (and Glass) Were Best

Casserole dishes are used to bake things like lasagna or tater tot hotdish or mac and cheese…basically, dishes that you want to stay warm as guests help themselves to seconds after cleaning their first plate. Stoneware (and glass) are slower to release heat (that is, they aren’t very conductive), meaning whatever’s in the dish will stay warmer longer than it would in a metal tin.

Only one dish in our lineup, the Dansk Købenstyle Baker, was made of metal (enamel-coated steel, specifically). While it was a beautiful dish that claims to be casserole-friendly, the macaroni and cheese we baked in it cooled off significantly faster than the other dishes. It also resulted in a very crispy-bottomed mac and cheese, and it was really difficult to clean (we had to let it soak, then scrub, then soak again before we finally got it spick and span; oh, and it’s not dishwasher-safe). While metal is great for baked desserts (like pies) since it conducts heat quickly, it’s not the best for gooey, cheesy casseroles.

What's the Best Size for a Casserole Dish?

The majority of our winners were 9 x 13 inches. This is far and away the most common size for casserole dishes—although 8 x 8 square dishes are also popular. While some of the dishes we tested had different dimensions, the standard size will set you up for success when following recipes.

The Criteria: What to Look for in a Casserole Dish

Look for a dish that has wide, looped handles, and that is made of stoneware or ceramic for heat retention. We also preferred dishes with softer, rounded interior corners since they were often easier to clean.

The Best Casserole Dishes

What we liked: We loved everything about this casserole dish—the classic look, the roomy looped handles, the evenly cooked results, and that it was super easy to clean. It didn’t hurt that it comes with a lid, too, which makes transporting your casserole (or keeping it extra insulated) easier.

What we didn’t like: At $150, this was the most expensive dish in the lineup. And while we liked the lid, it did shift around a bit when the dish was moved.

Key Specs

• Weight (without lid): 5 lbs, 9.4 ounces
• Dimensions: 9 x 13 inches
• Capacity: 4.8 quarts
• Materials: Stoneware
• Handle-style: Looped
• Max temp: 570°F
• Cleaning: Dishwasher-safe

What we liked: This no-frills dish baked up perfectly cooked (ooey, gooey) macaroni and cheese and the flan flopped out without sticking. We really loved the wide-looped handles, too. This dish was incredibly easy to clean, with rounded corners which didn’t catch gunk. It also comes with a lid for extra heat retention.

What we didn’t like: It’s sadly not broiler safe (it's safe up to 450°F), and the lid shifted and didn’t sit flush with the dish.

Key Specs

• Weight (without lid): 5 lbs, 8.7 ounces
• Dimensions: 9 x 13 inches
• Capacity: NA
• Materials: Glazed stoneware
• Handle-style: Looped
• Max temp: 450°F
• Cleaning: Dishwasher-safe

What we liked: If you’re looking for a glass casserole dish, we quite liked this one—the handles, while not looped, were broad and flat, so they were easy to grip securely. The macaroni and cheese baked up nicely (though it did get some crispy bits), and the flan flipped out easily in one whole piece. It’s also really cheap at $23, and it comes with a plastic lid for spill-free transportation.

What we didn’t like: As mentioned, the mac and cheese did get some baked-on bits, and it took a little bit of soaking to clean the dish. Some folks might prefer looped handles to the broad, flat ones on this dish, and it was a bit smaller and shallower than the other dishes we tested. It’s also not broiler-safe.

Key Specs

• Weight (without lid): 4 lbs, 6.2 ounces
• Dimensions: 9.6 x 15.65 inches
• Capacity: 3 quarts
• Materials: ​​Borosilicate glass
• Handle-style: Flat, solid
• Max temp: 450°F
• Cleaning: Dishwasher-safe

What we liked: This wide, classic casserole dish baked up creamy mac and cheese and silky flan. While the handles weren't looped, they had a ridge that helped keep our fingers from sliding off. It’s broiler-safe, which is nice.

What we didn’t like: It’s a bit on the larger side (we had trouble fitting it into our roasting pan, though we don’t think this is a huge deal) and the handles aren’t looped. That said, we did find them easier to grip than other sloped, solid handles.

Key Specs

• Weight: 5 lbs 4.8 ounces
• Dimensions: 9 x 13 inches
• Capacity: NA
• Materials: ​​Ceramic
• Handle-style: Flared, solid
• Max temp: 500°F
• Cleaning: Dishwasher-safe

The Competition

• HIC Kitchen Rectangular Lasagna Pan with Handles: While this was our winner in previous testing, it has been unavailable for a long time.
• Great Jones Hot Dish: While we really liked the looped handles on this dish, it baked up macaroni and cheese rather unevenly, and the flan stuck to the edges and broke apart when we turned it out (we didn’t have this issue with any other dish).However, it is one of our editor favorites and has held up over time.
• Made In Porcelain Baking Dish: This was a beautiful casserole dish, but the handles were just too small and sloped, making it difficult to maneuver. It was also the heaviest casserole dish we tested, at a little over six pounds.
• Dansk Købenstyle Baker: This dish prioritized looks over functionality—the enamel-coated steel conducted heat a bit too quickly for casserole-style dishes (like macaroni and cheese), leading to a crusty bottom and baked-on edges. The metal construction also meant the dish cooled faster. While the handles were looped, they had metal threaded through the center, which was fine to grip when the dish was cold but got in the way when we used an oven mitt.
• Anchor Hocking 3-quart Glass Baking Dish: This dish baked up macaroni and cheese that was a touch dry, and the looped part of the handles was too small; we could barely fit a finger or two inside.
• Le Creuset Heritage Rectangular Casserole: A beautiful dish, but a small one! Though it’s listed as being nine-by-fifteen inches, it was made of thick stoneware that sheared off the actual cooking space to be seven-and-three-quarters by 11.5 inches. While this wasn’t a dealbreaker, it was a smaller dish than most of the ones we tested. The petite, curved handles were also quite slippery.
• STAUB Ceramics Rectangular Baking Dish: This dish was overall fine, but the looped handles felt slightly cramped, and the bottom and sides of the macaroni and cheese were a bit overcooked.
• Pyrex Basics 3-Quart Glass Baking Dish: This Pyrex baking dish made an unevenly-cooked flan. We also didn’t like the dish's small handles, sloped sides, and slightly shorter height.

FAQs

How big of a casserole dish do I need?

A 9-inch by 13-inch rectangular casserole dish is the most versatile. Recipes that serve six to eight people will likely call for a casserole or baking dish of this size. However, our winner from Williams Sonoma also comes in two smaller sizes: a 10 by seven-inch size and a nine-inch square dish.

What is a casserole dish? And is a casserole dish the same as a baking dish?

A baking dish refers to a category of bakeware, while a casserole is a type of baking dish. Although the two terms are often interchangeable, the word casserole refers specifically to a single-vessel meal that is baked in the oven.

Can you put a casserole dish under a broiler?

A broiler typically reaches between 500°F and 550°F. Check the manufacturer’s care instructions: If your casserole dish’s heat tolerance is above that, then you may put it under the broiler. Some casserole dishes might also specifically state that they are broiler-safe, which is helpful since the heat from a broiler is more direct than a standard baking setting.

What's the maximum oven-safe temperature a casserole dish can be baked at?

As a general rule, don’t heat a casserole dish over 500°F. However, check the bakeware’s manufacturer’s care instructions: in the case of the winning Staub baking dish, it’s reportedly heat-safe to 570°F. We always recommend being cautious around maximum stated temperatures, as most ovens might not be calibrated that precisely.

What's the best casserole dish with a lid?

Both of our favorite dishes (from Staub and Williams Sonoma) come with lids. While a lid can be helpful for some casseroles, you can also replicate the effects by covering the casserole dish with aluminum foil.

How many quarts does a 9 x 13 casserole dish hold?

Most 9- x 13-inch casserole dishes will hold around three quarts of volume. The exact volume, however, depends on how deep and thick the dish is. Extra-deep casserole dishes can hold up to an extra quart, but shallow casserole dishes might only hold two quarts.

Can you use a roasting pan as a casserole dish?

You could, although, although you may experience similar problems to the ones we had with the Dansk baker: crusty-bottomed casseroles and baked-on gunk. Many roasting pans are also larger than the standard 9- x 13-inch casserole dish size, which could throw off the timing of whatever you're cooking. Overall, we don't recommend it.

Why We’re the Experts

• Grace Kelly is the associate commerce editor at Serious Eats.
• Prior to this, she tested equipment and ingredients for America’s Test Kitchen. She's worked as a journalist and has done stints as a cook and bartender.
• She has written dozens of reviews for Serious Eats, including petty knives, tinned fish, fish spatulas, and tortilla presses, among many others.
• For this review, we tested 10 casserole dishes, using each of them to make baked macaroni and cheese. We also made flan in our top picks.
• We previously tested casserole dishes five years ago, using each dish to make potato gratin and flan. During our recent re-testing, we reviewed previous winners (that were still available, as our past overall winner wasn’t) by using the dishes to cook macaroni and cheese and flan. We left any dishes we didn’t like from our past review in The Competition section.