Make one of these vegetarian casseroles for a healthy and delicious main or side dish. Low in calories and high in fiber and/or protein, these casseroles can help support healthy weight loss if that’s your goal. Plus, they are packed with nutritious ingredients like vegetables, legumes and whole grains to help you meet your nutritional needs. Try recipes like Chilaquiles Casserole and Anti-Inflammatory Sweet Potato-Black Bean Stuffed Peppers for a satisfying and flavorful bite.
Vegetable Enchiladas
Photographer: Jake Sternquist, Food Sylist: Kelsey Moylan, Prop Stylist: Breanna Ghazali
These vegetable enchiladas are packed with beans, corn, peppers and kale. Using store-bought enchilada sauce is a great way to save time—red or green both work well here. Serve these enchiladas topped with your favorite ingredients like sour cream, avocado and cilantro.
Anti-Inflammatory Sweet Potato-Black Bean Stuffed Peppers
Heami Lee, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Christine Keeley
These delicious sweet potato–stuffed peppers are an easy anti-inflammatory meal, thanks to the combination of sweet potatoes, black beans and bell peppers, which are all packed with fiber and antioxidants. This vegetarian dinner calls for microwaveable brown rice for ease, but you can also use leftover brown rice if you have it on hand.
Spinach & Feta English Muffin Breakfast Casserole
Photographer: Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Lydia Pursell
This spinach-and-feta breakfast casserole is a crowd-pleasing dish that makes a perfect centerpiece for your weekend brunch. A mashup between a breakfast sandwich and a strata, this dish layers split English muffins, creamy spinach, crumbled feta and a fluffy egg mixture. With just 20 minutes of prep, this easy-to-make dish offers a stress-free way to kick off your weekend morning.
Creamy Cabbage & Sun-Dried Tomato Casserole
Photographer: Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Lydia Pursell
This creamy cabbage with sun-dried tomatoes is pure comfort in a casserole dish. Tender, sautéed cabbage melds beautifully with the rich, cheesy sauce, and sun-dried tomatoes add a touch of tangy sweetness that brightens every bite. Serve this warming side with roasted chicken or pork, or over brown rice or another whole grain.
Chilaquiles Casserole
Our version of this enchilada-style chilaquiles casserole is packed with nutritious beans and vegetables. Canned prepared enchilada sauce has great flavor and keeps the prep time quick. It can vary in heat level so find one that suits your taste. If you want to eliminate the heat altogether, try a green enchilada sauce (which is often milder than red) or substitute two 8-ounce cans of plain tomato sauce.
Kale & White Bean Potpie with Chive Biscuits
In this vegetarian white bean potpie recipe, kale and hearty white beans are topped with easy, homemade chive biscuits. If desired, add a little shredded Gruyère or Cheddar cheese to the biscuit dough.
Cheesy Black Bean & Quinoa Skillet Casserole
This Southwestern-inspired one-skillet casserole is stuffed with quinoa and plenty of fresh vegetables. Sharp Cheddar cheese flavors the filling and adds a layer of ooey-gooey melted cheese on top.
Lasagna with Slow-Roasted Tomato Sauce
Slow-roasting the tomatoes gives the tomato sauce for this lasagna recipe an intense depth of flavor—which is then enhanced by the umami in onions, Parmesan and spinach. The lasagna noodles are layered into the lasagna uncooked; the moisture from the fresh spinach cooks them perfectly as the lasagna bakes in the oven.
Vegan Scalloped Potatoes
These scalloped potatoes are surprisingly rich and creamy even though they’re made with no dairy (milk, butter or cheese)–vegan comfort food at its best. We use almond milk, herbs and spices to make a flavorful sauce and finish the dish with a crunchy almond topping. This makes a satisfying side dish if you’re cooking for dairy-free or vegan diets.
Vegetarian Enchilada Casserole
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.
Greek Stuffed Eggplant
This Greek-inspired stuffed eggplant is filled with veggies and flavors of the Mediterranean. The dish is easy to pull together and the addition of cumin gives it a sweet, earthy note.
Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato & Roasted Red Pepper Casserole
This healthy vegetarian casserole is a standout on any table. Crushed red pepper provides a little kick to this creamy main dish. We love the ease of jarred roasted red peppers, but if you have time, feel free to roast them yourself.
Creamed Cabbage & Sauerkraut with Rye Breadcrumbs
Hot Hungarian paprika gives this casserole subtle heat but you could use sweet instead. Adding sauerkraut to the mix adds bites of salty tangy flavor throughout. Try leftovers layered with turkey, Swiss and Russian dressing on a panini for a Reuben-inspired sandwich.
Vegan Eggplant Parmesan
Classic eggplant Parm is filled with cheese, but this vegan eggplant Parmesan combines nondairy mozzarella cheese with nutritional yeast for a dairy-free cheesy substitute that gives you the comfort food factor without animal products. For the breading, use egg replacer, which you can find in natural-foods stores and the special-diet section of large supermarkets.
Vegetarian Spinach Enchiladas
This vegetarian enchilada recipe is weeknight-fast when you skip the step of filling and rolling the enchiladas and make a stacked enchilada casserole instead. Just layer the tortillas, sauce and cheesy spinach filling the way you would lasagna and have the casserole in the oven in 20 minutes.
Creamed Spinach Casserole
This creamy spinach casserole recipe is a more sophisticated cousin to creamed spinach. It’s perfect for weekend entertaining or as a holiday side dish.
Carrot-Parsnip Gratin
Make this creamy carrot-and-parsnip casserole for your next holiday meal–everyone will beg you for the recipe! Our healthier version skips the heavy cream and butter found in most recipes–saving about 160 calories and 12 grams of saturated fat compared to a traditional version.
Eggplant Tortilla Casserole
This layered casserole is inspired by classic cheese enchiladas, minus the fuss of rolling and stuffing individual tortillas. You’d never guess that within this comforting Tex-Mex casserole hides a layer of thinly sliced eggplant. The thin slices become tender when roasted and add a subtle savory note.
Basmati Rice & Curry Casserole (Chana aur Sarson ka Saag Biryani)
Biryanis are rice-based casseroles that combine a saucy meat, vegetable or legume curry with basmati rice, whole spices, nuts and raisins. This particular dish is a nutritional powerhouse, thanks to the mustard greens and chickpeas. Look for the specialty spices–cardamom pods, saffron and garam masala–in the spice section of well-stocked supermarkets or online at penzeys.com.
Baked Feta & Tomato Chickpeas
Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Lydia Pursell
This simple baked feta casserole recipe turns cherry tomatoes, feta cheese and chickpeas into a hearty, protein-rich vegetarian meal. After baking, it creates a savory-sweet tomato–olive oil sauce ideal for slathering on pita bread. Feta cheese in brine melts more readily compared to dry, crumbled feta, so it’s worth seeking out. For a different take, replace the chickpeas with creamy white beans.
Eggplant Parmesan
Eggplant Parmesan doesn’t have to include layers of deep-fried eggplant and mountains of cheese. This healthy eggplant Parmesan recipe has is satisfying without piling on the calories and fat. Don’t skip the step of salting the eggplant, especially if you want to freeze one of the casseroles. Salting helps to draw out extra moisture so the eggplant holds up better in the freezer. Serve with a salad of bitter greens tossed with a red-wine vinaigrette. This recipe makes enough for two 8-by-8-inch casseroles (four servings each)–have one for dinner tonight and freeze the other for a night when you don’t have time to make dinner.
Layered Mashed Potato & Mushroom Casserole
Fancy up regular mashed potatoes with a layer of mushroom duxelle–a sauté of finely chopped mushrooms and shallots. We omitted the traditional butter in the duxelle and added chard for a nutritional boost. Serve this hearty side in place of mashed potatoes at any holiday feast or enjoy it as a vegetarian main dish.
Two-Bean Enchilada Casserole
This classic and comforting Mexican dish is easy to make on a busy weeknight.
Cheese Enchiladas with Red Chile Sauce
Intense, earthy and absolutely addictive, New Mexico’s cheese enchiladas showcase red chile sauce at its most elemental, thickly blanketing tortillas and melted Cheddar. We’ve added some extra creaminess and body with locally popular pinto beans, to cut down on the classic’s load of saturated fat. Top with shredded lettuce and minced onion.
Cauliflower-Broccoli Gratin
This creamy broccoli-and-cauliflower casserole is a hassle-free side dish that just about everyone loves. Our healthier version skips the heavy cream and butter found in most recipes–saving about 160 calories and 12 grams of saturated fat compared to a traditional version.
Spinach & Cheese Stuffed Shells
Our stuffed shells are filled with spinach, sautéed onions and part-skim ricotta and topped with prepared marinara sauce and Parmesan cheese. The shells hold and reheat well, which makes them great for entertaining.
Baked Rice with Roasted Corn, Peppers & Onions
This filling rice casserole, loosely based on paella, features seared corn, roasted peppers, garlic and red onions. If you like, include diced zucchini or chopped green beans as well. A flavorful roasted garlic mayonnaise makes a luxurious topping.
Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pies
These mini vegetarian shepherd’s pies feature lentils, carrot and corn, crowned with a velvety mashed potato topping. The recipe can also be made in a broiler-safe casserole dish. Serve with a spinach salad with oranges, walnuts and red-wine vinaigrette.
Caprese Casserole
This healthy casserole comes together easily, making it the perfect choice for any weeknight dinner. Be sure not to overcook the pasta or it will turn mushy. And don’t skip the balsamic vinegar at the end—it’s a bright finishing touch.
Slow-Cooker Quinoa-Summer Squash Casserole
As this layered slow-cooker squash casserole recipe cooks, the liquid from the tangy tomatillo salsa and summer squash is absorbed by the quinoa, adding tons of flavor to the final dish.
