Healthy Recipes Nutrient-Focused Diets Healthy High-Protein Recipes High-Protein Dinner Recipes 23 Comforting Creamy Casseroles That Are High in Protein By Danielle DeAngelis Danielle DeAngelis Instagram Twitter Website Danielle DeAngelis is a rising journalist and current Fellow for EatingWell.com. Through her previous experiences as a news writer, she has focused on covering sustainability and human interest stories. Her passions of reading, writing and eating local all guide her in her position at EatingWell. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Published on October 19, 2022 Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD Instagram Jessica Ball, M.S., RD, has been with EatingWell for three years and works as the associate nutrition editor for the brand. She is a registered dietitian with a master's in food, nutrition and sustainability. In addition to EatingWell, her work has appeared in Food & Wine, Real Simple, Parents, Better Homes and Gardens and MyRecipes. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Ali Ramee Casseroles are comforting dishes well suited to help warm you up in the cooling weather. These dinners are not only delicious but with at least 15 grams of protein per serving, they can also help support bone health, healthy digestion and healthy immune function. Recipes like our Cheesy Meatball Casserole and Vegetarian Enchilada Casserole are cozy and nutritious options for dinner tonight. 01 of 23 Cheesy Meatball Casserole View Recipe Jen Causey This cheesy meatball casserole is a family favorite, with basil adding flavor to the meatballs and grated onion adding moisture. Melted mozzarella cheese tames the spice, but feel free to cut back or eliminate the crushed red pepper if you prefer a milder dish. 02 of 23 Taco Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie View Recipe Revamp traditional shepherd's pie with this Tex-Mex take on the classic comfort food with taco seasoning, black beans and a little jalapeño. The flavor- and veggie-packed filling gets topped with cilantro-lime sweet potatoes for a satisfying and healthy dinner recipe. 03 of 23 Jalapeño Popper Casserole View Recipe Caitlin Bensel In this jalapeño popper casserole, tender, juicy bites of chicken are slathered in a creamy, slightly spicy sauce with a crunchy topping of panko breadcrumbs and crispy bacon. Enjoy this casserole over rice for dinner or serve it with chips as a game-day appetizer. 04 of 23 Chicken Spaghetti Casserole View Recipe Photographer: Victor Protasio, Food Stylist Karen Rankin This chicken spaghetti casserole has a super-creamy sauce that coats pasta, chicken and a generous serving of veggies. Panko gives this family-friendly casserole a bit of crunch on top. Be sure to let it rest for 20 minutes after coming out of the oven. This allows the casserole to cool and also set up nicely before serving. 05 of 23 Vegetarian Enchilada Casserole View Recipe Think of this vegetarian enchilada casserole as a veggie-packed Mexican-inspired lasagna with corn tortillas standing in for the noodles! If your peppers are mild and you like heat, opt for spicy pico de gallo. This easy vegetarian dinner recipe is sure to become a new family favorite. 06 of 23 Philly Chicken Cheesesteak Casserole View Recipe Diana Chistruga This Philly chicken cheesesteak casserole tastes just like the classic sandwich version but in casserole form. We swapped out the beef for ground chicken and added pasta to bring this quick one-skillet dinner together. 07 of 23 Creamy Mushroom, Chicken & Asparagus Bake View Recipe This comforting weeknight casserole recipe features plenty of mushrooms and asparagus combined with chicken and brown rice and a creamy Parmesan cheese sauce. Whip this up anytime you have leftover chicken or cooked brown rice to spare. 08 of 23 Tuna Casserole with Peas View Recipe Leslie Grow | Tuna Casserole with Peas Maya Feller, M.S., RD, CDN, of Brooklyn-based Maya Feller Nutrition, has worked with many low-income families and is well-versed in the realities of putting food on the table that is healthy, tastes good, isn't time-prohibitive and is affordable. "A traditional tuna casserole provides both protein and carbohydrates to keep you full, and is kid-friendly and easy to make," she says about this tuna casserole recipe. 09 of 23 Cheesy Chicken & Cabbage Casserole View Recipe Diana Chistruga This cheesy chicken and cabbage casserole is creamy and briny with plenty of savory flavors thanks to sauerkraut and kielbasa. Gruyère (or Swiss) cheese adds a nutty flavor to the dish, while rye breadcrumbs on top give it a hint of caraway and a nice crunch. 10 of 23 Baked Spaghetti View Recipe Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Ali Ramee Think of this baked spaghetti as a cousin to lasagna. Instead of layering ingredients, spaghetti is tossed with ricotta cheese, ground beef, veggies and marinara sauce before it's topped with cheese and baked until set. Serve this family-friendly casserole with a Caesar salad on the side. 11 of 23 Spaghetti Squash Casserole View Recipe Strands of tender squash replace pasta for a more flavorful version of spaghetti pie casserole. Not to mention, spaghetti squash is a low-carb alternative to pasta and saves more than 150 calories per serving compared to a traditional recipe. A sprinkling of nutty fontina cheese melts into a gooey topping. 12 of 23 Chicken & Cauliflower-Rice Casserole View Recipe Will Dickey Get your veggies and your protein fix in this easy, gluten-free chicken and cauliflower-rice casserole. Riced cauliflower stands in for traditional rice, making this creamy casserole low in carbs but—with the simple combination of Cheddar cheese and chicken—suitable for even the pickiest of eaters. 13 of 23 Cabbage Roll Casserole View Recipe Brie Passano This casserole has all the elements of cabbage rolls—ground beef, onion and rice cooked in tomato sauce—and skips the fuss of rolling. The cabbage is chopped instead and layered with the saucy filling, then topped with cheese, for a satisfying and easy casserole. Feel free to substitute other ground meats, such as turkey, for the ground beef—this recipe would also be great with a vegetarian meat substitute. 14 of 23 Cheesy Ground Beef & Cauliflower Casserole View Recipe Jason Donnelly Ground beef and cauliflower combine to create a hearty weeknight casserole that both kids and adults will love. Serve with tortilla chips and sour cream. 15 of 23 Chicken & Broccoli Casserole View Recipe This one-pan chicken and broccoli casserole is prepared in a skillet on the stovetop, then finished in the oven until it's browned, cheesy and bubbling. Serve with a crunchy green salad. 16 of 23 Sweet Potato Mac & Cheese View Recipe Fiber-rich sweet potato is used as the base for the cheese sauce in this healthy, homemade macaroni and cheese recipe. The bright orange color tricks your eyes into thinking this healthy macaroni and cheese recipe is loaded with cheese, but there's actually only about half as much cheese as compared to a traditional recipe. 17 of 23 Broccoli & Quinoa Casserole View Recipe Photography / Antonis Achilleos, Styling / Christine Keely, Ali Ramee This broccoli-quinoa casserole makes a hearty vegetarian main dish. As the quinoa absorbs water and cooks, it creates the perfect amount of steam for cooking the broccoli. The broccoli is crisp-tender and adds texture to contrast with the creamy, cheesy quinoa. Swap in tricolor quinoa, if you prefer. 18 of 23 Skillet Tuna Noodle Casserole View Recipe Photography / Fred Hardy, Styling / Ruth Blackburn / Audrey Davis Known as Tuna-Pea Wiggle to some, this family-friendly tuna noodle casserole tends to be made with canned soup and whole milk, which means high fat and sodium. We remedy this by making our own creamy mushroom sauce with nonfat milk thickened with a bit of flour. Look for whole-wheat egg noodles--they have more fiber than regular egg noodles (but this dish will work well and taste great with either). 19 of 23 Chicken & Zucchini Casserole View Recipe Photographer /Antonis Achilleos, Prop Stylist / Kay Clarke, Food Stylist / Emily Nabors Hall This baked chicken and zucchini casserole is creamy, hearty and low-carb! The whole family will love this easy casserole, plus it's a great way to get the kids to eat their veggies (concealed in a delicious cheese sauce!). 20 of 23 Chicken Parmesan Casserole View Recipe We took the best parts of chicken Parmesan--ooey-gooey cheese, crispy breadcrumbs and plenty of tomato sauce--and spun them into an easy family-friendly casserole. We simplified it by skipping the breading on the chicken and, instead, loaded the top of the casserole with cheese and breadcrumbs. Serve with a crisp green salad to complete the meal. 21 of 23 Cheesy Ground Beef & Broccoli Casserole View Recipe Jason Donnelly This cheesy ground beef and broccoli casserole is comfort food the whole family can get behind. It's assembled and baked all in one skillet and finished in 30 minutes, making it the perfect weeknight meal. 22 of 23 Chipotle Ranch Chicken Casserole View Recipe Simplify weeknight dinnertime by transforming leftover slow-cooked chicken (see associated recipe, below) into an easy, cheesy casserole. 23 of 23 Buffalo Chicken & Cauliflower Casserole View Recipe Jennifer Causey This creamy low-carb Buffalo chicken and cauliflower casserole is spicy and satisfying. Cauliflower and celery add a tender-crisp bite while a sprinkle of blue cheese on top adds a savory finish. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit