From Dinner to Dessert, These Dump Recipes Practically Cook Themselves

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Lemon Blueberry Dump Cake

With its promise of summer energy no matter the weather, it’s no wonder this cake is one of our most loved all year round. You can use fresh or frozen blueberries, so there’s no stressing about what’s in season. There’s also a swirl of cream cheese tucked in, which adds a little tang that keeps the sweetness in check. Just layer, bake, and serve warm (bonus points if you top it with vanilla ice cream).

5-Ingredient Lemon Dump Cake

What’s even easier than a lemon poppyseed quick bread? This cake. Just layer lemon pie filling, cake mix, and cream cheese into the pan and bake—no stirring required. As one reader raved, “I wouldn’t have thought to add cream cheese, but it gave the finished dish a lemon cheesecake taste. It was great.” Serve it warm with a dollop of whipped cream and you’ll see why this shortcut dessert is such a hit.

Wacky Cake

This Depression-era dessert takes everything you know about cake baking and flips it on its head. There are no eggs, butter, or even milk. Instead, you stir a few shelf-stable ingredients like flour, cocoa powder, vegetable oil, and white vinegar together right in the baking dish, then pop it in the oven for a moist, chocolatey cake that feels like pure pantry magic. Keep it simple or dress it up with a hit of spice or citrus (think cinnamon, chili powder, or orange peel), a sprinkle of chocolate chips, or a swipe of frosting.

Twice Baked Potato Dump Casserole

All the best parts of twice-baked potatoes—crispy edges, creamy centers, cheesy goodness—streamlined. Simply mix mashed potatoes (you can even buy them premade if you’re short on time), cheese, sour cream, bacon, and seasonings in a casserole dish and bake until bubbly. It’s the kind of side that any crowd will fight over for seconds, plus it’s way easier than stuffing individual potatoes.

Fudgy Chocolate Dump Cake

There are days when you want to make a really great chocolate cake from scratch. And then there are days when you just need chocolate—stat. This cake is for the latter. With cake mix, pudding mix, milk, melted butter, and a generous dose of chocolate chips, it comes together in about five minutes and bakes up into something decadently fudgy without being too sweet. Chocolate craving? Cured.

Dump-and-Bake Chicken Parmesan Casserole

The secret to all the flavors of Chicken Parmesan in just 10 minutes of prep lies in a few smart shortcuts. Pouches of pre-cooked pasta, jarred vodka sauce, frozen peppers, and a bag of breaded chicken strips come together in one pan for a crispy, cheesy casserole that can feed a hungry crew with minimal effort. Top it off with a few basil leaves before serving for a fresh final flourish.

Chicken Cobbler

Our take on the TikTok-famous hack had one taste tester calling it the best casserole she’s had all year. Shredded rotisserie chicken, frozen veggies, and a Cheddar Bay Biscuit topping bake into two irresistible layers: a rich, creamy filling and a fluffy biscuit crust. Customize it by adding French fried onions, fresh herbs, or extra cheddar for even more decadence.

French Onion Meatballs and Rice

Taking a cue from French onion soup, this casserole takes all those iconic flavors and mashes them up with rice and meatballs. Long-grain rice soaks up all the savory broth and soup as it cooks and the meatballs are added halfway through to keep them from drying out. The result is a hearty flavor-packed one-dish meal with serious weeknight appeal.

Caramel Apple Dump Cake

If you love caramel apples but aren’t about to melt sugar on the stove (or just don’t want all the mess), this cake gives you all those same vibes minus the fuss. Jarred caramel sauce does the heavy lifting, mingling with apple pie filling, spice cake mix, butter, and pecans. The cobbler-esque dessert travels well, making it a ringer for fall potlucks and get-togethers.

Strawberry Dump Cake

You know strawberry pretzel salad? The one that’s really not a salad at all but actually a dessert with layers of pretzel crust, whipped cream cheese, and strawberry Jell-o? Well this dump cake is its even more laid back cousin with all the same salty-sweet flavors—minus that retro Jell-o moment. One reader couldn’t get enough: “This was the best dump cake I’ve ever had! Loved the saltiness of the pretzels against the sweet cake mix but the real standout is the cream cheese whipped cream. I found myself eating it by itself.”