Baked ziti is a casserole-type dish consisting of tubular pasta called ziti that is baked with a variety of other ingredients, mostly chunky sauces, cheese, meat, and vegetables such as mushrooms, peppers, and onions. The dish is considered a hybrid of Italian and American cuisines, basically an Americanized variety of a typical Italian dish, pasta al forno, which is commonly compared to baked ziti.

The casserole is often served as a casual appetizer, cut into big slices, and it is best accompanied by a bowl of green salad. However, it can also be served as a meal on its own, making it a great comfort food for a rainy afternoon. Interestingly, the dish was especially popularized when it appeared in an episode of the hit TV show The Sopranos as one of the favorite dishes of Tony Soprano's wife, Carmela.

Contrary to its name, funeral potatoes are the ultimate comfort food, a cheesy au gratin potato casserole that is synonymous with the state of Utah and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. It consists of cubed potatoes, cheese, onions, cream soup or sauce, sour cream, and a topping of butter and cornflakes or crushed potato chips.

The dish is commonly prepared by the members of the Church to comfort grieving relatives after a loved one's funeral, so it is not just an ordinary dish, but also a sign of care, love, and compassion. Although funeral potatoes started as a dish intended for funerals, today it is a common side dish that can be served at any time. 

Frito pie is a cheap, hearty, and highly caloric dish consisting of chili, crunchy corn chips (especially the Fritos brand variety), cheese, and onions. It is a popular meal in Southern and Midwestern parts of the United States, and can be found at numerous state fairs and high school football games.

Although it can be made in a casserole dish, unusually, it is most often prepared in a Fritos corn chip bag, with a number of toppings. The origins of the dish are yet unclear, but it is believed that it was invented in Mexico as a popular food at fiestas before it spread to the United States. 

Hotdish is a Midwestern food icon that is especially popular in the states of Minnesota and North Dakota. Any casserole served hot in a single dish can be called hotdish, and it usually consists of starches such as potatoes or pasta, meat (often ground beef), vegetables, and canned soup (typically cream of mushroom soup).

The first recipe is found in the 1930s Grace Lutheran Ladies Aid Cookbook, but in 1934, Campbell company mixes things up with their canned soups which became the base for most hotdish varieties. The dish originated from the Midwestern farmers who needed to feed their large families, while another theory suggests that it originates from the Norwegian word varmrett, meaning warm dish, due to the fact that there are many Norwegians living in the region. 

Chicken divan is a rich casserole made with chicken pieces, almonds, broccoli, and Mornay or hollandaise sauce. In the 1950s, it was the signature dish of a New York restaurant called the Divan Parisienne, hence the name.

The inventor of the dish is a chef named Anthony Lagasi, who received an award from the New York Chatham Hotel for his creation. The dish might be additionally enriched with ingredients such as cheese, white wine, mushrooms, or water chestnuts, and it is recommended to serve it with bread and salads on the side.

Tetrazzini is an American dish consisting of pasta tossed with diced poultry or seafood in a creamy parmesan cheese sauce. Some cooks like to add steamed peas, mushrooms, or carrots to the dish in order to enhance its flavors even further. The dish is often baked as a casserole and garnished with almonds or parsley.

Many food historians claim that tetrazzini was invented in San Francisco by Ernest Arbogast, a chef at the Palace Hotel, who created the dish in honor of Luisa Tetrazzini, a popular opera singer in the early 20th century who used to stay at the hotel. 

American chop suey is a savory combination of baked pasta, ground beef, and tomato sauce. It's believed that this comfort food dish originates from New England, although many other states had similar recipes before the 1950s. It can be prepared stovetop in a pot or baked as a casserole.

Most people like to add grated cheese to the combination, making the dish perfect for cold winter days. Variations abound throughout the country, but elbow macaroni or other tubular pasta shapes are the most common, while ingredients such as Worcestershire sauce, onions, and garlic are included in most recipes. 

Tuna casserole is an American dish consisting of pasta or noodles, canned tuna, various vegetables, and creamed, condensed soup. After the casserole has been baked, it is often topped with potato chips, crumbled crackers, or breadcrumbs in order to provide extra crunch.

The dish gained popularity during the 1950s because the ingredients were affordable and inexpensive, while the whole casserole could easily feed a whole family in about 30 minutes. It can also be frozen and prepared later, making it a great convenience food and a potluck staple.

Delmonico potatoes is a traditional dish originating from New York City, where it was created around 1830 at Delmonico's Restaurant. The dish is made with a combination of potatoes, heavy cream, whole milk, nutmeg, salt, white pepper, and parmesan cheese.

The potatoes are washed, cut into quarters lengthwise, and boiled in water for 10 minutes. They are placed into cold water and left to cool for half an hour before they're grated into long strips. The milk, cream, nutmeg, salt, and white pepper are placed in a pan over medium heat, then mixed with the potatoes and cooked for about 10 minutes.