Casseroles are a favorite American home-cooking staple, but they can often be very rich, starchy and loaded with salt. With a few tweaks, however, this quick-and-easy weeknight meal can be quite healthy. Here are some of our favorite and best healthy casserole recipes, from low-fat riffs on classics to keto-friendly baked creations.
“This dish was so good! It's better if you add carrots and more seasoning. I used ginger, curry, cayenne pepper and more garlic. I would definitely make this again.”
-Jamie563
“Pre-baking the crust for about 10 minutes prior to adding the toppings helped make the crust a little crispier, which is how we like it. Delicious result, and this is going into my recipe rotation!"
-Rottmom
"I am not a vegetarian but this was the only course I had for dinner and it was great! I love barley and this is just another great way to prepare it. So simple and so good."
-Tebo3759
"I was craving a tuna noodle casserole and searched three websites before deciding on this one. Thanks so much — it totally hit the spot.”
-Gidget265
“This post will be on rotation as it’s filling, and very flavorful!”
-lilly.squire8
"This is so simple to make and tastes great. I added garlic but followed the rest as written. Very enjoyable meal.”
-CJAY8248
“I make this all the time with leftover grilled chicken. Tonight though I made it with some leftover carnitas (Mexican grilled shredded pork) in a salsa verde type sauce — oh so yummy! This was even more delicious than the chicken and I am not a big pork lover.”
-Mamas Kitchen Hope
"This recipe is excellent! We altered it by using two 14-ounce cans of diced tomatoes with garlic and onions. We found by using two cans instead of one it turned out more moist. We definitely recommend this recipe. It has become one of our favorites!"
-bears-n-beagles
"I really like this recipe. Had to use chicken broth, and I added a medium chopped onion, out of habit I guess.”
-Paka1931
“I’d give it ten stars if I could. This is delicious. I used my homemade Italian sausage in it. Anyone that is on a low-carb diet and misses pizza should try this.”
-Grandma Winnie
"I used olive oil and butter — no margarine! I seasoned the chicken with garlic pepper and onion powder. I am adding onions and mushrooms next time!"
-Linda C.
"Finally I have found a perfect canned fish and pasta bake that I love! This is so good! This was great as it made it a one-dish meal too.I think this recipe would work great with tuna, too, and can't wait to try it again. I totally recommend people try this.”
-dale7793
"Picked this recipe because it was fast and easy (sometimes you just need recipes like that). Try this. I think you'll love it, and I will definitely be making this again! I think this needs more like 20-25 minutes to become hot and bubbly, and I was careful to preheat oven for 15 minutes beforehand.”
-Kumquat the Cats fr
"Tastes pretty great for being lower in fat. I did add chopped onions to improve the flavor.”
-Parsley
"I made this tonight for an early family Thanksgiving. It was a big hit. Everyone asked for the recipe.”
-triplem
"Very tasty and, yes, fairly healthy! I made this in six individual serving tins to freeze for quick lunches or dinners. Love all the veggies and the tater tots are the perfect comfort food topping.”
-loof751
"I liked the flavor of this a lot but thought that the potatoes were still a little crunchy and not quite done. I like mine a little softer so think that maybe I should have cooked them a little longer than called for. The recipe doesn't state what size dish to use, so maybe that was my problem. I think that maybe a shallower dish might have worked a little better.”
-lazyme
"I liked this recipe. This is a tasty recipe with lots of flavor. I used rather oversized zucchini. I will make this recipe again, however, I will make sure that the zucchini is medium sized.”
-Chrissyo
"This rice was delicious! I used a mixture of white and wild as that is all that I had on hand — I cooked it for 20 minutes. It was very easy to prepare and a huge hit at our Thanksgiving dinner. I highly recommend this recipe! I also noted that it only took 30 minutes to reheat the entire product.”
-Graybert
"I truly liked this recipe. I stored this in my Recipe Box — it is a keeper!"
-Mr. D
“This was good to use up the rest of the leftovers. My husband liked it!”
-seal angel
"Definitely a fun dish to make. I used more than two caps of squash and I really think you could just use the entire squash! My butter mixture didn't turn out crumbly at all, more like a frosting that I just spooned over the top."
-natwatson
"This was a very easy dinner to throw together and we all liked it! The only thing I would do differently is to add some seasoning. It was nice and rich but still healthy — it just needs a little boost!”
-Nif_H
"Came across this gem while searching for dishes that could be prepped ahead of time, bagged in their individual components, assembled on sight and cooked in a dutch oven. If you want to see what the phrase ‘happy campers’ is supposed to look and sound like, try this one out."
-rodney h.
"Delicious and so quick and easy! I think next time I'm going to add a little tofu, spinach and feta cheese. Wonderful recipe. Great as is or as a starting point!"
-pinktreehands
"I love to find new and different summer squash recipes like this one. My bell peppers were green and one was red and it made the casserole nice and colorful. The end result was a wonderfully light texture, but a bit bland overall. I think I'd add some spices and maybe even some sharp cheese next time.”
-Parsley
"My husband and I have been doing keto for the last two months, and this dish is a part of our weekly menu. It is simply delish and so easy and quick to whip up.”
-GypsyRose I.
"I made this with a twist, eliminating the cottage cheese for cream cheese and used only three eggs, creaming them into packaged grated cauliflower. I added red onions, shredded cooked carrots and garden green beans. It made it more colorful and added in extra veggies."
-Audrey M.
"Made it today — just half the recipe. We ate it on homemade, almost zero-carb bread, which I grilled in butter. Felt like we weren't on a diet. Wonderful, quick meal."
-Brigs cooking
"I made this with skinless boneless chicken breasts that I cooked up quickly in a sauté pan with olive oil and a little garlic powder. I made it once as posted and we loved it. However, my boyfriend asked me to double the spinach the next time, which I did. Good choice if you want to increase the veggies or stretch this dish a bit. Excellent flavor, low-carb and lean protein: a winning combo in my house."
-kolleen1021
“This recipe is fantastic! It is a perfect way to get your pizza fix if you are on a low-carb or gluten-free diet. I use ground turkey seasoned with Italian sausage seasoning and I add mushrooms for my hubby."
-Carter Crew Cook
"I've made this four times. The first time I followed the recipe precisely and it was way too salty; I had used sharp cheddar, and it was too strong. So the second time, I halved the onion soup mix and used a shredded cheddar-jack cheese blend. I also used leaner meat (90/10). This was much better.”
-Dan P.
“This is a great keto recipe. I followed to the letter, just barely steamed the three veg. Sauté would work, I suppose, but at 40 minutes at 350° it might soften too much. I didn’t blend the vegetables, but only pulsed them a couple of times. Outstanding addition to my keto repertoire.”
-SarasotaCook
"Makes such a nice presentation as a side dish. Company worthy! Very easy to make.”
-nknu19
"This recipe is a keeper. I cooked and riced fresh cauliflower and used the microwave to make the sauce."
-jennifer.rosette
"My family devoured this casserole and there wasn't any left. It was delicious and low-carb. This is easy to make, relatively low-carb and crazy delicious.”
-Holly C.
"This was super yummy and very filling. My daughter and I enjoyed it immensely. It does take quite a while to make, but on a cold winter's afternoon it is well worth the trouble!"
-Angela T.
