Healthy Recipes Mealtimes Dinner 20 High-Protein Casseroles for the Mediterranean Diet By Dillon Evans Dillon Evans Dillon Evans fell in love with cooking at a very young age. He remembers the novel experiences of microwaving a bowl of oatmeal without his parents' permission and asking to make his mother's morning pot of coffee. These moments became catalysts for his interest in cooking and baking. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Published on December 11, 2023 Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD Jessica Ball, M.S., RD, is nutrition editor for EatingWell. 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 Trending Videos Close this video player 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 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. View Recipe 02 of 20 Anti-Inflammatory Lemony Salmon & Orzo Casserole 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. View Recipe 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. View Recipe 04 of 20 Our Pesto Tuna Noodle Casserole Tastes Better Than Your Grandma’s 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. View Recipe 05 of 20 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. View Recipe 06 of 20 Shrimp and Cauliflower Bake This quick and easy seafood casserole gets bright flavor from fresh dill and feta cheese. View Recipe 07 of 20 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. View Recipe 08 of 20 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). View Recipe 09 of 20 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. View Recipe 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. View Recipe 11 of 20 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. View Recipe 12 of 20 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. View Recipe 13 of 20 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. View Recipe 14 of 20 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. View Recipe 15 of 20 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. View Recipe 16 of 20 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. View Recipe 17 of 20 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. View Recipe 18 of 20 Slow-Cooker Chicken & Pinto Bean Enchilada Casserole 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. View Recipe 19 of 20 Creamy Lemon-Parmesan Chicken Casserole 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. View Recipe 20 of 20 Nacho Cauliflower Casserole 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. View Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit