Healthy Casserole Recipes That Prove Cozy Comfort Food Can Be Good for You

At first glance, this casserole definitely doesn't seem like it could be healthy—but it is! Ultra-cheesy pasta and crispy pieces of bacon may add decadence to this healthy casserole dish, but they're balanced out by fresh butternut squash and mushrooms. The picky eaters at your table won't even know they're eating squash because it's mashed and mixed into the pasta and cheese.

Bake up a healthier bubbly enchilada-style entrée by using black beans and pinto beans for the filling. Thanks to green chile peppers, tortillas, and plenty of cheese on top, each bite will still have the creamy zest you expect from an enchilada. Crown the healthy Mexican casserole with a fresh finish of mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, and olives before digging in.

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Instead of pasta, use barley to add a dose of whole grains to this casserole, along with Italian sausage and melty mozzarella cheese. In addition to the meat, fresh mushrooms also help make this casserole hearty, while a few cherry tomatoes on top of the healthy casserole recipe add a burst of freshness. 

Cauliflower rice is having a moment in the spotlight (and rightfully so!), so naturally we had to incorporate it into an easy, cheesy, and healthy chicken casserole recipe. Make your own cauliflower rice—or speed up the process a little by using store-bought—then stir in fresh spinach, shredded chicken, and Alfredo sauce for a creamy, delicious dinner. A coating of panko bread crumbs on top adds a yummy crispiness, too!

Bold flavors and fresh ingredients both play a huge role in this Jamaican-inspired casserole. Sweet potatoes and corn pack your casserole dish with veggies, while Jamaican jerk seasoning gives every bite a punch of flavor. And this healthy sweet potato casserole definitely won't leave you with a growling stomach later—it's got plenty of protein (18 grams per serving) thanks to chicken sausage and black beans.

Whether you serve this healthy Mexican casserole morning or night, it will have everyone begging you for the secrets. Save it or share it, but we’ll let you in on the scoop: Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, canned tomatoes, and corn tortillas star in the savory base. Eggs on top take it, well, over the top.

Turn your caprese salad into a comfort food casserole under 400 calories! It's got everything you love about caprese salads (fresh tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella), plus a few casserole favorites (think pasta, chickpeas, and gooey cheese). Once you dig into this healthy casserole recipe, you'll find all sorts of other goodies hiding inside, like fresh spinach and Kalamata olives.

Eggs and veggies are just about all it takes to throw together this breakfast-meets-dinner dish. Fresh broccoli, yellow potatoes, sweet potatoes, and red onion help make this recipe lighter than most other casseroles out there, while eggs make the healthy casserole surprisingly satisfying. But of course, it wouldn't be a casserole without a few sprinkles of melted cheese on top.

Unlike most casserole recipes, this delish dinner comes together in just 25 minutes! It's so speedy that you can create this veggie-filled recipe even on the busiest of weeknights. Part of what makes this healthy chicken casserole so quick is starting with rotisserie chicken (no need to cook it yourself), and cooking the casserole in individual bowls to seriously cut down on bake time.

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Superfoods abound in this healthy casserole recipe. Kale, spinach, walnuts, lentils, and brown rice make this one of the most nutrient-loaded dinners you’ll serve all week. Since it calls for vegetable broth instead of chicken, this just-cheesy-enough casserole is vegetarian, too.

Related: Quick and Easy Vegetarian Dinners to Try Tonight

Creamy chicken salad meets cheesy casserole in a three-step recipe. Rather than high-fat sour cream or full-fat condensed soup, sub in yogurt as the base of the sauce to coat veggies and chicken. A crunchy combo of almond slices and cornflakes forms the irresistible topper. That’s all it takes to assemble this easy, healthy chicken casserole!

Move over, heavy casseroles—there's a new bake in town. Bonus: It fits the heart-healthy Mediterranean diet. Tender lentils and quinoa nestle in a protein-packed Greek yogurt sauce that's topped with salty Kalamata olives and crunchy pita chips. A scattering of fresh tomatoes and snipped oregano keeps the flavors bright in this healthy casserole.

Lean ground beef and canned pinto beans—rather than refried beans—form a rich-tasting yet low-cal filling for this healthy Mexican casserole. Top it with diced green onions and fresh tomatoes, if you like. (We like!) Short on time the day you’d like to savor this for supper? Assemble it up to a day in advance then refrigerate before baking.

Get all the flavors of your favorite Asian takeout meal for a fraction of the calories. Crunchy stir-fried veggies—including carrots, celery, and bok choy—combine with chicken and brown rice to form a filling casserole base, and lightly toasted chow mein noodles and cashews form a crispy topper. This healthy chicken and rice casserole could easily replace takeout when the craving strikes.

Step aside, shrimp and grits. (Although we still love you!) In this healthy casserole dish, we combine shrimp—a lean protein that just so happens to taste fabulous in a casserole—with veggie-studded rice. Add peppers for crunch and color and top with golden-brown almond slivers to complete this 290-calorie crowd-pleaser.

Related: 21 Quick and Healthy Shrimp Recipes

Looking for a casserole that's healthy AND speedy? Try this five-ingredient wonder. Choosing reduced-fat cream of chicken soup helps keep this melty casserole low-cal, and leftover chicken ensures the prep time is quick (15 minutes!). This healthy chicken casserole is a brilliant way to use up extra ingredients in your fridge.

Celebrate the winning combination of spinach and artichokes in this healthy casserole recipe made with turkey, bell peppers, and onion. Each serving not only has less than 400 calories, but also a whopping 29 grams of protein and lots of fiber. 

Now here’s a vegetarian main that satisfies as much as its steak-loaded counterparts. A flaky phyllo crust holds a delicious mix of bell pepper, zucchini, spinach, garlic, and feta in this Greek-style healthy casserole recipe. Don't let its indulgent flavors fool you: Each slice has only 252 calories!

Bibimbap, a Korean mixed rice entrée, is a restaurant recipe favorite. Dig into similar flavors at home in a casserole under 400 calories per serving with flavor-packed Asian ingredients like soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, gochujang, sesame seeds, and sriracha sauce. Tofu pumps up the protein.

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Nutrient-rich kale, bell peppers, grits, and light sour cream temper the kick of smoky heat from chipotle peppers in this healthy casserole recipe. Topped with crumbled sausage and shredded cheese, this healthy recipe tastes surprisingly indulgent.

Want to learn how to make chicken casserole that's far from ordinary? This nontraditional, healthy Mexican casserole puts a new spin on the classic dish! For a surprisingly low-cal option, layer the taco-inspired recipe with plenty of vegetables, corn tortillas, and a melty Monterey Jack cheese topping.

This dish has all the elements of classic tuna casserole, with one exception: Each serving is under 250 calories and slashes salt from the typical rendition. The secret in this healthy tuna casserole? Fresh vegetables and reduced-fat and low-sodium ingredients. Sprinkle with fish-shape crackers for a kid-friendly finishing touch.

With four different reduced-fat cheeses, nutty butternut squash, and whole grain macaroni, this is a mac and cheese recipe you can feel good about devouring. If you can't find butternut, try the same strategy with another winter squash such as acorn, delicata, or honeynut. “The butternut ‘cheese sauce’ fooled my picky eater who will NOT eat vegetables. And this sauce is so good on its own, it's going to replace béchamel from now on in my recipes,” says one BH&G reader who tried this healthy casserole recipe at home.

Pizza night, remixed healthy casserole-style! Kids and adults will love the fun crisscross crust that tops this delicious twist on delivery pie. Sliced zucchini, bell peppers, and chicken sausage are fresh additions to classic pizza recipe components like tomatoes and mozzarella cheese.

Vegetarians and meat-lovers will delight in a low-carb lasagna made with sweet corn polenta and fresh veggies. Since this healthy casserole recipe is made with cornmeal instead of pasta, gluten-free diners can dig in, too. “Just made this for dinner and oh my! Who says low-cal and low-fat don't taste good? This will be a staple in my household, especially since hubby loves it too,” raves BH&G home cook Andrea B.

Bring a little tropical flavor to the table with a coconut- and curry-laced healthy sweet potato casserole. It's loaded with vitamin-rich edamame, creamy peanut butter, and whole grain rice. The result? A satisfying, quick, and easy side dish.

Shepherd's pie is a mashed potato-topped dish traditionally filled with leftover vegetables and roast beef. We've swapped the mashed potatoes for sweet potatoes and the beef for turkey to make a leaner, healthier twist on the original. Lean ground turkey breast and loads of veggies team up in this healthy sweet potato casserole that has just 268 calories per serving.

Related: 15 Savory Pies Totally Appropriate to Eat for Dinner

Move over, fruit cobbler. Five kinds of vegetables, including Yukon gold potatoes and rutabaga, bake together with chicken broth and herbs for a beautiful and healthy casserole side dish. Layer with fluffy Herbed Parmesan Dumplings before serving—they're even better than biscuits!

Dress up potatoes au gratin with fresh sage, tiny fingerling potatoes, and creamy Gruyère cheese sauce for this healthy casserole side dish. Crunched for time? You can cut the cooking process down to 30 minutes by using your microwave.

Related: 23 Potato Recipes Worthy of Your Next Party

Take a trip to New Orleans without leaving your kitchen! We've baked the best of Cajun cuisine into this down-home healthy casserole skillet meal. It's brimming with colorful shrimp and vegetables and topped with fluffy corn bread dumplings.

Pasta salad, panzanella, and healthy chicken casserole join forces in this supremely delicious dish. Frozen veggies, canned soup, and cooked chicken add up to a so-easy casserole that's tasty and showy enough to serve at your next get-together. Turn this recipe into a rotisserie chicken casserole dish to save a little time on a hectic weeknight.