Healthy Meat Main Dish Recipes

Hotdish may be a Minnesota tradition but everyone, everywhere, should add this cheesy casserole to their fall dinner rotation.

This protein-packed lentil bowl is great to have stocked and ready to go in the freezer for busy mornings. The Italian sausage lends the lentils richness while the marinara boosts the flavors with its seasonings.

Trading bread for waffles is just the upgrade the classic breakfast sandwich calls for. To save yourself time, make a bunch of these easy sandwiches to fill up your freezer so you'll always have a healthy breakfast at the ready.

Always have breakfast at the ready by multiplying this easy recipe and stashing these hearty breakfast bowls in the freezer. The grits take on the flavor of the bacon and cheese, creating a balance between the richness of the protein and the mildness of the grain.

Make as many of these healthy breakfast bowls as you can fit in your freezer to always have a morning meal on hand. Just heat and eat for an instant breakfast packed with whole grains, veggies and protein.

A staple in South American cuisine, homemade empanadas can be served as a main dish or a side. We keep this simple by focusing on the empanada filling and instead of making the dough from scratch, we achieve flaky empanadas with the help of refrigerated pie crust.

An easy apricot-mustard sauce both seasons the pork and dresses the salad.

Bolognese is not your average spaghetti sauce--it's known for its richness that's developed through a slow cooking process--but on a weeknight, it's not practical. This version speeds up the classic Italian recipe for a quick and easy Bolognese sauce with Italian sausage to build flavors fast. The cooking time is about 35 minutes for this mind-blowing pasta sauce. If you don't have Grana Padano cheese, Parmesan works just as well in a pinch.

This gnocchi recipe was created by chef Fabio Viviani of Siena Tavern in Chicago. No need for homemade gnocchi when you can dress up store-bought pasta with this special sauce. A bit of truffle oil is the magic ingredient that turns pillowy gnocchi into an extraordinary dish with minimal effort. You can find it in most well-stocked supermarkets near other flavored oils.

Created by chef Fabio Viviani of Siena Tavern in Chicago, this Amatriciana sauce is a classic of modern Roman cooking (though it most likely came from the town of Amatrice about 90 miles away). Typically, it's made with few ingredients: garlic, guanciale (cured pork jowl), cheese and tomato. This version doctors up jarred sauce to keep it quick and calls for easy-to-find pancetta in place of the guanciale. This tomato sauce is sometimes paired with bucatini; here, Fabio dresses up rigatoni with it.

Master the perfectly seared sirloin steak with this easy method, while playing with fresh herbs to enhance the flavor. The key to success: letting the meat come to room temperature before adding to the pan to ensure it cooks evenly. Rosemary and garlic give it an irresistible herby finish. For the best results, let the steak rest before serving.

Pan-frying Brussels sprouts brings out their nuttiness, a flavor that pairs well with the rich bacon and creamy sauce here.

Take sloppy Joes to a new level with tender sweet potatoes standing in for the bun. Sweet potatoes pair perfectly with the tangy, flavorful filling of ground beef, black beans and spices. Chopped dill pickle sprinkled on top adds crunch to this quick weeknight dinner the whole family will love.

Shio koji is a fermented mixture of grain inoculated with mold (koji), water and salt that is used in marinades and brines. Chef Ben Bebenroth of Cleveland's Spice Catering loves how it gives this pork shoulder recipe funky umami flavor, while also helping to tenderize the meat. Miso, which also contains koji, is an easier-to-find substitute. Serve with Ginger Pickled Carrots (see Associated Recipe)--their acidity balances the richness of the dish.

The secret to this super-juicy, tasty grilled burger? Sautéed mushrooms cooked with a little smoked paprika, garlic powder and sherry vinegar are mixed in with the beef.

An herbaceous butter turns grilled sweet corn into a rave-worthy accompaniment to simple grilled flank steak.

Think of these cabbage rolls as a healthier riff on classic Chinese egg rolls! Cabbage leaves stand in for the traditional fried wonton wrappers, but we promise they won't be missed. It's worth it to make this better-than-takeout Chinese recipe at home. Feel free to substitute ground turkey or tofu crumbles for the pork in this recipe.

This comforting one-pot pasta dish has a Southwestern kick. Chili powder and pico de gallo flavor the dish, while melted Mexican cheese adds a creamy finish. Top it with your favorite fixings like scallions, cilantro and sour cream, and serve it alongside a crisp green salad for an easy weeknight meal the whole family will love.

A two-zone fire lets you start the meat over direct heat and finish it on the unlit side for less flipping and fewer flare-ups. Use an instant-read thermometer for perfect results for this cowboy ribeye steak.

For this Spanish classic, pan con tomate, grilling the bread gives it a hard outer crust that acts almost like a cheese grater when you scrape the tomato across its surface.