20 High-Protein Casseroles for the Mediterranean Diet

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Published on December 11, 2023

Reviewed by Dietitian

Jessica Ball, M.S., RD

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a recipe photo of the Pesto Tuna Noodle Casserole — Photo:
Photographer: Grant Webster, Food Stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop Stylist: Lexi Juhl

Serve one of these flavorful and satisfying casseroles for dinner tonight. Each dish offers at least 15 grams of protein from ingredients like poultry, seafood and legumes to help you stay full for longer. Plus, this collection features other delicious foods like dairy, herbs, whole grains and unsaturated fats like olive oil that also fit the Mediterranean diet, one of the most sustainable and nourishing eating patterns around. Recipes like our Anti-Inflammatory Lemony Salmon & Orzo Casserole and Pesto Tuna Noodle Casserole are nutritious and tasty meal options any night of the week.

01 of 20

Chicken & Quinoa Casserole

a recipe photo of the Summery Chicken Quinoa Casserole — Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Torie Cox, Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen

This aromatic and flavorful dish feels like veggie pizza in casserole form with fresh basil, herb-spiked diced tomatoes and ooey-gooey melted cheese on top. If you can't find fresh mozzarella ciliegine, buy a larger ball and tear it into pieces. Preheating your baking sheets helps encourage caramelization of the roasted veggies, which adds layers of flavor to this savory dinner.

02 of 20

Anti-Inflammatory Lemony Salmon & Orzo Casserole

a recipe photo of the Salmon Orzo Casserole with Lemon Dill — Stacy k. Allen, Props: Julia Bayless, Food Stylist: Ana Kelley

This lemony salmon and orzo casserole is a one-dish dinner that's packed with omega-3 fatty acids—a polyunsaturated fat in salmon that can help tame inflammation and may even help lower blood pressure. Here, omega-3-rich salmon sits on top of an orzo mixture that bakes in the oven, instead of boiling on the stovetop, absorbing all the bright and lemony flavors while it cooks.

03 of 20

Tamari-Ginger Meatball & Eggplant Casserole

Eggplant soaks up the flavors of ginger, garlic and tamari in this Asian-inspired casserole recipe. A hot pepper in the topping adds a bit of heat, but opt for sweet if you prefer.

04 of 20

Our Pesto Tuna Noodle Casserole Tastes Better Than Your Grandma’s

a recipe photo of the Pesto Tuna Noodle Casserole — Photographer: Grant Webster, Food Stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop Stylist: Lexi Juhl

A creamy pesto sauce with sweet shallots and wilted spinach gives a light and bright spin to classic tuna noodle casserole. Albacore tuna is an ideal choice, as it holds its texture well once mixed in, although any water-packed tuna will do the job. For the best results, we recommend using refrigerated pesto for its fresh flavor which enhances the overall dish.

05 of 20

Chicken Taco Casserole

a recipe photo of the Chicken Taco Casserole — Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop stylist: Shell Royster

This flavorful chicken taco casserole is packed with veggies, chicken, cheese and crispy tortilla chips and baked to perfection, then topped with fresh tomatoes, crisp iceberg lettuce and creamy avocado—just like a classic taco. Make it your own by swapping out the black beans for pinto beans or adding pepper Jack cheese for some added kick. If you want to keep it mild, opt for a milder taco seasoning and skip the jalapeños.

06 of 20

Shrimp and Cauliflower Bake

Shrimp and Cauliflower Bake

This quick and easy seafood casserole gets bright flavor from fresh dill and feta cheese.

07 of 20

Chicken Piccata Casserole

a recipe photo of the Chicken Piccata Casserole — Photographer: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster, Food Stylist Jennifer Wendorf

This protein-packed chicken piccata casserole brings all the flavors of classic chicken piccata together in one dish. It’s the easiest piccata you’ll ever make—no dredging or sauce required! Cooking the lemon slices in butter mellows their bite and helps jump-start the lemony flavor of the dish while helping the butter get a little brown, bringing some nuttiness to the dish.

08 of 20

Skillet Tuna Noodle Casserole

Skillet Tuna Noodle Casserole — 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).

09 of 20

Lemon-Garlic Chicken Casserole

a recipe photo of the Weeknight Lemon-Garlic Chicken Casserole — Photographer: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster, Food Stylist Jennifer Wendorf

This chicken and rice casserole packs in the protein plus offers plenty of fiber from brown rice and broccoli for a well-rounded meal in one pot. Chicken thighs are meaty and tender, but feel free to swap them out for chicken breast if you prefer.

10 of 20

Quick Shrimp Enchilada Bake

Shrimp enchiladas offer a taste of coastal Mexican cuisine but some versions contain so much cheese, butter and sour cream that they can pack a whopping 50 grams of fat per serving. Our version has vibrant flavor and only half the calories and 6 grams of fat per serving, plus we use precooked peeled shrimp so you can get the dish on your table fast enough for a weeknight supper. The addition of refried beans helps makes these enchiladas an excellent source of fiber as well.

11 of 20

Cheeseburger Casserole

a recipe photo of the Cheeseburger Casserole — Photographer: Rachel Marek, Food stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop stylist: Gabriel Greco

If you love a classic cheeseburger with all the fixings, you’ll love this family-friendly cheeseburger casserole. Rotini pasta picks up all the flavors of this comforting dish, but any shape pasta you have in your pantry will work well. We love the crunch shredded fresh lettuce offers, but feel free to mix it up with another green like spinach or kale, or top your casserole with Swiss cheese and sautéed mushrooms for a different spin.

12 of 20

Spanakopita-Inspired Chicken & White Bean Casserole

a recipe photo of the Spanakopita-Inspired Chicken & White Bean Casserole — Photographer: Carson Downing, Food stylist: Annie Probst, Prop Stylist: Joseph Wanek

This is a fun take on spanakopita, with a creamy feta-and-spinach filling and a crispy phyllo topping. Chicken and white beans pack in the protein. Any white beans, such as cannellini, garbanzo or navy beans, work well here. To keep the phyllo dough from drying out as you build the casserole, keep the unused sheets under a clean, damp towel.

13 of 20

Stuffed Pepper Casserole

a recipe photo of the Stuffed Pepper Casserole — Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle

You won't be stuffing any peppers for this stuffed pepper casserole, but you will be enjoying the sweet and smoky combination of flavors coming from bell peppers, fire-roasted tomatoes, smoked paprika and ground beef. You can use precooked rice from the package or leftover brown rice if you have it. If using leftover rice, you will need about 1 1/2 cups.

14 of 20

Creamed Spinach & Chicken Casserole

a recipe photo of the Creamed Spinach & Chicken Casserole — Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster

Creamed spinach and chicken combine in this crowd-pleasing, comforting casserole. Crushed red pepper packs some heat, so add less or leave it out completely if you want a milder version. You can cook long-grain brown rice ahead of time or look for packaged microwaveable brown rice to use instead.

15 of 20

Salmon Noodle Casserole

a recipe photo of the Salmon Noodle Casserole — Photographer: Brie Goldman, Food Stylist: Charlie Worthington

This salmon noodle casserole is filled with creamy pasta, chunks of salmon and plenty of vegetables for a well-rounded meal. Dijon mustard flavors the dish, complementing the salmon and asparagus.

16 of 20

Chicken Fajita Casserole

a recipe photo of the Chicken Fajita Casserole — Photographer: Rachel Marek, Food stylist: Holly Dreesman

This chicken fajita casserole combines classic fajita veggies and chicken thighs with corn tortillas and spices in one skillet for an easy dinner. Chicken thighs are tender and flavorful, but chicken breast or leftover chicken will work well too. Serve this easy casserole topped with your favorite fixings, like sour cream, avocado, salsa and/or chopped tomato.

17 of 20

Cheesy Black Bean & Quinoa Skillet Casserole

Cheesy Black Bean & Quinoa Skillet Casserole — Rachel Marek

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.

18 of 20

Slow-Cooker Chicken & Pinto Bean Enchilada Casserole

a recipe photo of the Slow-Cooker Chicken & Pinto Bean Enchilada Casserole served on a plate — Photographer: Greg DuPree, Food Stylist: Ali Ramee Prop Stylist: Christine Keely

This slow-cooker meal is comfort food at its best: the layers of tortillas, cheese and sauce meld together into a cozy casserole inspired by the flavors in enchiladas. The top tortilla layer gets beautifully crispy in the slow cooker. We use pinto beans, but you could easily swap in black beans.

19 of 20

Creamy Lemon-Parmesan Chicken Casserole

a recipe photo of Creamy Lemon Parmesan Chicken Casserole with Broccoli — Photographer: Brie Goldman, Food Stylist: Lauren McAnelly, Prop Stylist: Holly Raibikis

This creamy chicken casserole recipe pops with lemon and savory Parmesan cheese. It's also loaded with vitamin C-packed broccoli. Using whole-wheat orzo ups the fiber content in this healthful and comforting dinner.

20 of 20

Nacho Cauliflower Casserole

a recipe photo of the Nacho Cauliflower Casserole served in a dish — Photographer: Victor Protasio, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle

This cauliflower casserole is inspired by nachos and stuffed with tender roasted cauliflower, sweet red pepper and brown rice. Salsa helps bind the ingredients together, along with melted cheese. Crushed tortilla chips on top add crunch. Serve with the suggested garnishes, or add your own favorite toppings to complete the dish.

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