To Find the Best Casserole Dishes, I Made 10 Batches of Mac and Cheese, Plus a Few Flans

Every kitchen needs a great casserole dish. This do-it-all piece of cookware is essential for green bean casserole, lasagna, and Midwestern hotdish. It’s also useful for roasting a whole chicken, oil-poaching fish, and even making sweet recipes like flan and bread pudding. When buying a casserole dish, there are seemingly endless options to choose from. Many established brands boast sleek designs, colorful glazes, and equally impressive price tags, but a casserole dish is a kitchen workhorse that requires more than just good looks to get the job done.

A casserole dish’s main job is to produce evenly cooked food, but it should also be comfortable to hold while wearing bulky oven mitts— and durable enough to last for many years. Without actually getting your hands on one, it’s challenging to know if a dish meets these criteria. So, to find the best ones, I put 10 popular casserole dishes to the test, making 10 batches of macaroni and cheese and flans in the winning dishes. I was surprised at just how different these dishes were from one another; several disappointed me with dry mac and cheese and slippery handles, but a few dishes aced all my tests and stood out as true winners. 

The Winners, at a Glance

This elegant baker passed all my tests with flying colors. Its large, looped handles were easy to hold, and the dish itself wasn’t overly heavy. With a 3.75-quart capacity, it was a bit smaller than my other winners, but it was still extremely versatile: large enough for a full batch of mac and cheese, lasagna, or even a whole chicken. The mac and cheese baked in this dish was evenly browned on top, and the flan released flawlessly. This dish also comes with an oven-safe lid for easy covered-baking (goodbye foil!). It was our winner the last time we tested casserole dishes, and it has stood the test of time.

This seriously attractive casserole dish is made from enamel-coated stoneware and is oven-safe up to 570°F, allowing you to place it under the broiler. It has a sturdy, tight-fitting lid and large, looped handles. With a 4.8-quart capacity, this was the largest dish I tested, meaning nearly any recipe will fit comfortably inside—even a deep-dish lasagna. That said, it was also one of the heaviest dishes, weighing in at a whopping nine pounds with the lid on. 

Staub cookware is known for its quality and durability, but it doesn’t come cheap–that’s why I loved this nesting three-piece set. The trio of dishes is made from the same enamel-coated stoneware as my other winning Staub pick, but it comes at a fraction of the cost. I focused my testing on the largest, nine-by-13-inch dish, and both my macaroni and cheese and my flan baked up super evenly. The looped handles felt a tiny bit small, but I was still able to grip them confidently while wearing oven mitts. 

With its affordable price tag, this basic casserole dish surpassed all my expectations—in fact, it outperformed models that cost five times more. This ceramic dish has a sturdy feel and is oven-safe up to 500°F. While this dish featured solid handles, as opposed to looped ones, they were large enough to grasp comfortably while wearing oven mitts. They are also flat rather than angled, which makes for a more confident grip. 

The Tests

• Macaroni and Cheese Test: I used each dish to bake a simple macaroni and cheese recipe. I observed how evenly each batch cooked, then served portions using a metal spatula, also noting how easily the slices of mac and cheese released from the pan.
• Maneuverability Test: Wearing a pair of our favorite oven mitts, I moved each dish from one location to another, including in and out of a hot oven. I evaluated how easy the handles were to grasp and also noted if the dish felt overly heavy or cumbersome to move. 
• Leche Flan Test (winners only): I used my favorite casserole dishes to make a leche flan. After the flans were thoroughly chilled, I turned each one onto a large serving platter and noted how cleanly the flan released from each dish. 

What We Learned

Materials Matter: Look for Ceramic or Glass

Ceramic and glass are by far the best materials when it comes to a good casserole dish. They heat up slowly and evenly, then stay warm for a long time once out of the oven. Many of my favorite dishes are specifically made from stoneware—a type of ceramic that’s been fired at a super-high temperature, making it extra durable and less prone to cracking or chipping. The macaroni and cheeses made in these dishes cooked more evenly than the batch made in the metal Caraway pan, which turned out dry and burnt on the bottom. (Metal is super conductive and better for baking bread and cakes, and roasting.) The Caraway also cooled down significantly faster than other batches, since thin metal doesn’t retain heat well. 

Looped Handles Were Easier to Hold than Solid Ones

Generous, easy-to-hold handles made all the difference when it came to maneuvering these dishes in and out of a hot oven. Nearly all of my favorite casserole dishes featured looped handles, which made for a confident grip. Most of the solid-handled options felt slippery—especially while I was wearing bulky oven mitts. The one exception was the DOWAN Casserole Dish, which features flat, solid handles rather than angled ones. Importantly, these handles were also big enough to comfortably hold, unlike those of the OXO model, which felt narrow and, frankly, a bit risky. 

Rounded Corners Made for Easier Cleaning and More Even Baking

While I love the look of clean, sharp corners, I found them much more difficult to clean than rounded ones. Also, since heat concentrates at the edges of a dish, mac and cheese made in the more angular casserole dishes baked less evenly, with the corner areas turning out a bit dry. Sharp angles do, however, make it easier to remove corner pieces with a spatula. 

Relative Depth And Capacity Were Important

While the standard size is around nine-by-13 inches, the actual dimensions vary from model to model. Plus, there’s depth to consider. The capacity of the dishes I tested ranged from just under three quarts to nearly five quarts. Overall, I favored dishes with a 3.75- to 4.8-quart capacity, which are big enough for most tasks. The Le Creuset Stoneware Rectangular Dish, on the other hand, only holds 2.75 quarts and was almost too small for a full batch of macaroni and cheese. Depth is also important: Relatively shallow dishes can cause food to lose moisture very quickly, as more surface area is exposed to the heat of the oven. This was true of the OXO dish, which was only two inches deep and produced a drier mac and cheese.

A Good Lid Was a Game-Changer

If you’ve ever struggled to keep a hot pan covered with aluminum foil, then you’ll likely agree that every pan would be better with a designated lid. Many recipes for casseroles, lasagna, and mac and cheese need to be covered during the first portion of the cooking time—this helps prevent the contents from browning too much or drying out. While there’s no denying that foil works well, a lid is by far the easiest way to keep a pan covered. That said, not all lids are created equal. The winning Williams Sonoma dish, as well as the Staub Rectangular Covered Baker, both had lids with a single, easy-to-grasp handle. The platter-style lid of the Le Creuset Stoneware Rectangular Dish, on the other hand, has small handles on either side that make the lid tricky to remove, especially when hot. A great lid is also useful for transporting a dish to a potluck or gathering, keeping the food warm and covered until it’s time to eat. (Plus, it looks nice too!)

The Criteria: What to Look for in a Casserole Dish

The best casserole dishes were made from ceramic or glass and had generous, easy-to-hold handles. I had a strong preference for looped designs, which allowed for a confident grip, even while wearing oven mitts. Dishes with rounded corners produced more evenly baked results than those with sharp corners, plus they were easier to clean. Lids were a nice bonus.

 Our Favorite Casserole Dishes

What we liked: This elegant baker is made from glazed stoneware, which is known for its durability and heat-retaining qualities. Both the macaroni and cheese and the flan came out evenly cooked, plus it was easy to maneuver the dish in and out of the oven thanks to its generous, looped handles. While other lidded models featured an interior lip (for the lid to rest on), the inside of this dish was completely smooth, with no crevices for food to get stuck in. It was far easier to clean. I also loved the lid, which allowed me to skip the foil when making my mac and cheese and came in handy for storing leftovers. This dish was slightly shallower than my other favorites, but it didn't cause any dryness or excessive burning; rather, I found the 2.5-inch depth made for easier serving. This was one of our winners last time we tested casserole dishes, and it’s easy to see why. 

What we didn’t like: This dish is only oven-safe up to 450°F, which should be plenty hot enough for all your casserole needs. However, it means you can’t place it under the broiler. 

Key Specs

• Weight: 5 pounds, 4 ounces without the lid; 8 pounds, 10 ounces with the lid
• Dimensions: 9 x 13 x 2.5 inches
• Capacity: 3.75 quarts
• Materials: Stoneware
• Handle style: Looped
• Max temp: 450°F
• Dishwasher-safe: Yes

What we liked: Made from super-tough enamel-coated stoneware, this casserole dish can withstand temperatures up to 570°F, which means it's broiler-safe. The looped handles are particularly roomy and easy to hold with and without oven mitts. I loved the snug-fitting lid, too. When it comes to baking, it heated evenly without any hot spots: My macaroni and cheese was beautifully golden on top and moist inside. Additionally, the stoneware retains heat for a long time, especially when the lid is in place, making it an ideal dish for potlucks and gatherings. 

What we didn’t like: This dish is the most expensive of the models I tried, plus it’s a bit cumbersome to take in and out of the oven, especially with the lid on. My dish also cracked during my flan test when I poured hot caramel over the bottom, likely due to thermal shock. This was surprising, as it should have been able to withstand the temperature fluctuation. My caramel did not exceed the dish’s temperature rating, and the dish was not cold when the caramel was poured in. That said, the damage should be covered under Staub’s limited lifetime warranty. Senior editor Grace Kelly, who tested casseroles in 2023, says her Staub dish is still in mint condition after over two years of regular use (it’s not even chipped), so we believe I may have received a faulty product. 

Key Specs

• Weight: 6 pounds, 5.5 ounces without the lid, 9 pounds with the lid
• Dimensions: 9 x 13 x 3 inches
• Capacity: 4.8 quarts
• Materials: Stoneware
• Handle style: Looped 
• Max temp: 570°F
• Dishwasher-safe: Yes

What we liked: This three-piece set is all made from the same durable, enamel-coated stoneware as the lidded Staub casserole dish, but at a fraction of the cost. At the time of writing this article, the set is priced at $99.95, which breaks down to just over $33 per dish (a real bargain!). For this review, I tested the largest,  a nine-by-13-inch dish, which produced evenly baked macaroni and cheese and a gorgeous flan that released effortlessly. I also loved the smaller dishes, which would be ideal for a one- or two-person household. (The littlest is the perfect size for an individual portion of mac and cheese.) All three dishes are also a breeze to clean, thanks to their smooth interior and rounded corners.

What we didn’t like: The looped handles of this dish were on the small side. That said, I was still able to get a confident hold on the dish while wearing oven mitts.

Key Specs

• Weights: Largest dish: 5 pounds, 5 ounces; medium dish: 3 pounds, 12 ounces; small dish: 1 pound, 15 ounces
• Dimensions: 9 x 13 x 3 inches, 8 x 10.75 x 2.75,  6.5 x 8 x 2 inches
• Capacity: 4.75 quarts
• Materials: Stoneware
• Handle style: Looped
• Max temp: 570°F
• Dishwasher-safe: Yes

What we liked: This dish is a true bargain. Made from ceramic, it’s sturdy enough to stand up to high baking temperatures and frequent use, but it isn’t so heavy as to feel cumbersome. Out of all my winners, this was the only model that had solid handles. But unlike the Emile Henry and Le Creuset models, which have small, angled handles that feel slippery when wearing oven mitts, the handles of the DOWAN casserole dish are large, flat, and easy to hold. The macaroni and cheese made in this dish baked up nicely and remained moist and gooey on the inside, even though I overcooked it slightly.

What we didn’t like: This dish produced a flan that was a bit more cooked around the edges than in the middle. I also noticed some light scratching on the glaze after a few uses, so while this dish is very affordable, it likely won’t last as long as more expensive models. 

Key Specs

• Weight: 4 pounds, 11 ounces
• Dimensions: 9.25 x 13.25 x 3 inches
• Capacity: 4.2 quarts
• Materials: Ceramic
• Handle style: Solid
• Max temp: 500°F
• Dishwasher-safe: Yes

The Competition

• Caraway Rectangle Pan: While this metal dish was lightweight and easy to hold, it produced a dry macaroni and cheese that was burnt on the bottom. I preferred dishes made from ceramic or glass that cooked food evenly and stayed hot for longer.
• Great Jones Hot Dish: This dish produced an evenly baked macaroni and cheese, and I loved the roomy, looped handles. The biggest downside is the price tag: Over $100 seems steep for a single dish, especially considering that most other models in this price range include lids. (The Great Jones Hot Dish is available to purchase with a lid for $145 at the time of writing this article, which is nearly as much as the lidded Staub model.)
• Le Creuset Heritage Rectangular Casserole: There’s no denying the aesthetic appeal of this beautiful casserole dish, but the short, angled handles were difficult to grasp with bulky oven mitts. While the mac and cheese baked up fairly evenly in this dish, the sharp corners were tricky to clean. 
• Le Creuset Stoneware Rectangular Dish with Platter Lid: I loved the looped handles and smooth, rounded corners of this sturdy, stoneware casserole dish. But because the dish only has a 2.75-quart capacity, my mac and cheese was almost spilling over the sides. The lid is designed to double as a serving platter, but sits low in the dish, making the capacity even smaller. The bottom of the lid got covered in baked-on mac and cheese and was a pain to clean.
• Emile Henry 13" x 9" Large Rectangular Baker: I found it difficult to get a grip on the angled handles of this casserole dish. That said, the large capacity makes this a versatile piece of cookware. It’s big enough for any casserole recipe, deep-dish lasagna, or even a large chicken. 
• OXO Good Grips Glass 3 Qt Baking Dish with Lid: This dish was particularly shallow and produced a slightly dry macaroni and cheese. The handles were a bit too small to comfortably grasp while wearing oven mitts. 
• Pyrex Basics 3-Quart Glass Baking Dish: This Pyrex baking dish was a bit shallow, and its small handles left me struggling for a confident grip. The dish also produced a flan that was unevenly cooked. 
• Dansk Købenstyle Baker: While this dish certainly is pretty, it fell short when it came to performance. The dish is made from enamel-coated steel, and, like the Caraway pan, it conducted heat too quickly for a casserole-type recipe, producing a mac and cheese that was crusty on the bottom and dry around the edges. Plus, the dish cooled down quickly once removed from the oven. The overcomplicated handle design also made the dish difficult to hold while wearing oven mitts. 
• Anchor Hocking 3-quart Glass Baking Dish: While this dish has looped handles, the opening was so small that I could barely fit two fingers through. The macaroni and cheese made in this dish was also a touch dry. It's no longer available.
• Made In Porcelain Baking Dish: This was a beautiful casserole dish, but at just over six pounds, it was the heaviest of all the models I tested. The handles were also too small and set at an angle that made the dish tricky to maneuver.
  

FAQs

How many quarts does a nine-by-13-inch casserole dish hold?

It may be surprising to learn that the capacity of a nine-by-13-inch casserole dish can vary significantly from product to product and brand to brand. Depending on their depth, most nine-by-13 dishes can hold somewhere between three and 4.75 quarts. 

Is a casserole dish the same as a baking dish?

A casserole dish is just one type of baking dish. All casserole dishes are baking dishes, but not all baking dishes are casserole dishes. 

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

Most ceramic and glass casserole dishes have a maximum temperature rating of between 450°F and 500°F, though some high-quality stoneware pieces, like the Staub models, can withstand temperatures up to 570°F.

Can you put a casserole dish under the broiler?

Most broilers reach temperatures between 500 and 550°F, so if your dish’s temperature rating is higher than that, it should be alright to go under the broiler. That said, it’s always safer to keep glass and ceramic cookware away from direct or super-intense heat sources to reduce the risk of thermal shock (which causes cracking, or worse, exploding). 

Can you use a roasting pan as a casserole dish?

Roasting pans are typically made out of metal, which conducts heat very efficiently and allows food to brown quickly. Casserole dishes, on the other hand, tend to be made from ceramic or glass, which heat more slowly, resulting in food that is moister, more evenly cooked, and less browned. The Caraway Rectangle Pan is an example of a casserole dish that’s made from metal; it produced mac and cheese that was dry and overly browned on the bottom. All in all, I’d save metal pans for roasting and use a designated casserole dish for pasta bakes and casseroles. 

Why We’re the Experts

• Zola Gregory is a writer and recipe developer for Serious Eats and other food publications. She has been cooking professionally since 2016. Before beginning her career in food media, she worked as a pastry chef, baker, and cooking instructor. 
• For this review, she tested 10 popular casserole dishes, using each to make a batch of macaroni and cheese. She noted how evenly each batch baked and how easy it was to maneuver the dishes in and out of a hot oven. She used the winning models to make leche flan and observed how cleanly each one released from its dish. 
• We first reviewed casserole dishes in 2017, with a retest in 2023 by senior editor Grace Kelly.
• We kept the competition from our previous tests in this review.