26 High Blood Pressure-Friendly Comfort Food Dinners

November 06, 2020

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Enjoy a comforting, warm meal with these dinner recipes. Each dinner is low in saturated fat and sodium, which is good if you’re looking to follow a diet for healthier blood pressure. These recipes also contain at least 20% of the recommended daily value of potassium. Recipes like Chicken & Mushroom Shepherd’s Pie and Instant Pot Goulash are hearty and delicious.

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Beef & Bean Sloppy Joes

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This healthy copycat recipe of the comfort food classic trades beans for some of the meat to bump up fiber by 7 grams. We also cut back on the sugar and ketchup in this Sloppy Joe recipe makeover to save you 12 grams of added sugar.

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Chickpea & Potato Curry

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This fast Indian-style curry comes together with ingredients you most likely have on hand, like frozen peas and canned tomatoes and chickpeas. Plus, using these spices shows how simple it is to make a curry sauce for an easy vegetarian recipe. Serve with whole-wheat naan to sop it all up.

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Lemon-Thyme Roasted Chicken with Fingerlings

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Fingerling potatoes are small, long, knobby spuds that are shaped like fingers. Look for them in the produce department or at farmers' markets.

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Chilean Lentil Stew with Salsa Verde

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This healthy vegetarian recipe is hearty and satisfying. Don't skip the parsley relish (salsa verde)--it's easy to make and lends a tangy accent that balances the flavors of the lentil stew. We prefer French green lentils for this stew, as they don't fall apart while cooking; however, regular brown lentils (found in most supermarkets) will also work.

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Instant Pot Goulash

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Your Instant Pot (or other multicooker) cuts hours off the cooking time of this Hungarian beef stew recipe. This Instant Pot goulash, a saucy dish flavored with caraway and smoked paprika, is served over whole-wheat egg noodles that cook while your multicooker works its magic. It's comfort food at its best!

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Chicken & Mushroom Shepherd's Pie

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The creamy chicken filling is spiked with sherry and the potatoes are mashed with olive oil in this healthy shepherd's pie recipe. To make individual pies, use six 10-ounce ramekins. Serve with a green salad with balsamic vinaigrette and crusty bread.

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Pulled Pork Fajitas with Fresh Salsa Verde

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Fresh fruity mango and slow-cooker pulled pork combine with a homemade salsa verde for a fajita recipe that won't disappoint. Only half the pork is used in this recipe so if you want to serve four people, double all other ingredients and use all of the pork.

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Mediterranean Portobello Mushroom Pizzas with Arugula Salad

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Roasted portobello mushrooms stand in for pizza crust in these comforting individual "pizzas." An easy arugula side salad makes a vibrant accompaniment.

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Shrimp-&-Grits-Stuffed Peppers

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Shrimp and grits are stuffed inside bell peppers and baked in this healthy stuffed peppers recipe. Add the optional hot sauce if you want to give the filling some kick. Look for bell peppers--use any color--with even bottoms, so that they stand upright on their own when they're cooked.

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Chicken Chili Verde

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Prepared salsa verde adds tang to this fast weeknight chili recipe and pairs beautifully with the rich caramelized chicken and creamy beans. Don't shy away from the poblano peppers. They offer a mild heat but deliver a depth of flavor you can't find in regular green bell peppers.

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Mushroom-Swiss Turkey Burgers

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In this gluten-free turkey burger recipe, lean ground turkey stands in for ground beef, and portobello mushrooms produce a juicy, flavorful alternative to the traditional bun. Melted Swiss cheese, sliced tomato and arugula top off this delicious low-carb dinner!

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Italian Pork with Mashed Sweet Potatoes

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This simple Italian-inspired recipe combines pork shoulder with aromatic fennel. As the pork cooks, its juices drip down to flavor the sweet potatoes that are nestled in the bottom of the slow cooker. Serve with steamed green beans for a complete meal.

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Chicken-Spaghetti Squash Bake

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In this version of a chicken-and-broccoli casserole, spaghetti squash takes on a creamy texture when baked with cream of mushroom soup.

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Bean & Butternut Tacos with Green Salsa

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Beans and roasted butternut squash make an outstanding vegetarian taco filling. For the best flavor, use fresh, good-quality chili powder and Mexican oregano. Look for both at Latin markets or in the bulk spice section at well-stocked natural-foods stores.

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Pastrami-Spiced Beef with Sauerkraut-Broccoli Slaw

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Pre-prepped veggies and sauerkraut are the secret to making this healthy dinner recipe super-fast. Find broccoli slaw mix in most supermarkets near the other coleslaw mixes, and refrigerated fresh sauerkraut near the hot dogs. If you have the time and want to make your own broccoli slaw, shred broccoli stems through the large holes of a box grater.

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Bean Burgers with Spicy Guacamole

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These bean burgers will even please carnivores. The cornmeal coating gives a pleasant crunch and smoked paprika, cumin, cilantro and guacamole add Southwestern flavor.

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Sheet-Pan Chicken Fajitas

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One sheet pan is all you'll need to whip up these zesty chicken fajitas. They're quick and easy to make and cleanup is even faster!

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Lemony Linguine with Spring Vegetables

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Instead of cooking pasta in a huge pot of water, here we use just 3 1/2 cups for this one-pot pasta recipe. When the pasta is al dente, most of the water has evaporated and the bit that's left is thickened with the starch that cooks off the pasta. With just a few add-ins like lemon and Parmesan cheese you have a delicious silky sauce. Want to use up your veggie stash in the freezer? Swap in 8 ounces frozen spinach for fresh.

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Garlic and Herb Roast Pork and Vegetables

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Perfectly seasoned roast pork and potatoes are sure to please your guests!

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Slow-Cooked Ranch Chicken and Vegetables

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This creamy, veggie-packed chicken dinner comes together easily in your slow-cooker-and makes enough for another night's casserole!

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Pork Tenderloin with Apple-Thyme Sweet Potatoes

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A pork tenderloin is baked with sweet potatoes, onions and apples for a dinner that's quick enough for weeknights but special enough for guests.

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Maple-Roasted Chicken Thighs with Sweet Potato Wedges and Brussels Sprouts

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This easy sheet-pan recipe brings together many fall favorites into a hearty dinner.

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Beef-Mushroom Stew

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The sweet-tart combination of vinegar and molasses brings out the flavor of the beef in this slow cooker stew recipe.

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Mushroom & Butternut Squash Lasagna

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Earthy mushrooms and sweet squash are layered in this tasty fall lasagna. Adding reconstituted dried porcini to the sauce adds an additional layer of flavor.

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Chicken, Potato, and Gravy Bowls

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Tender potatoes and flavorful chicken are topped with a delicious gravy in this meal-in-a bowl.

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Spaghetti Squash and Meatballs

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Looking for a pasta that's lower in carbohydrates? Look no further than spaghetti squash. Mix it with homemade meatballs and lower-sodium pasta sauce, and you will quickly love this healthy swap.

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