10 High Protein Casseroles For Warm And Cozy Winter

Seasonal vegetables such as cauliflower and cabbage make delicious casseroles ideal for a cozy winter evening. From substantial chicken stuffing to crispy layers of cheese, these filling, veggie-packed dishes are sure to please. We've got you covered all season long with classic fall meals like green bean casserole and major dishes like baked ziti and macaroni and cheese. Simply bake one of our 6 healthy winter casserole recipes and enjoy.

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Cheesy Ground Beef And Cauliflower Casserole

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

½ cup chopped onion

1 medium green bell pepper, chopped

450 gm lean ground beef

3 cups bite-size cauliflower florets

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons chili powder

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground chipotle

1 can no-salt-added petite-diced tomatoes

2 cups shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese

⅓ cup sliced pickled jalapeños

Steps

1- Place the rack in the upper third of the oven. Preheat the grill on high.

2- In a large broiler-safe skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the onion and bell pepper are softened, about 5 minutes. Cook, tossing and breaking up the steak into smaller pieces, until the beef is no longer pink, 5 to 7 minutes. Cook until the garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, and chipotle are aromatic, about 1 minute. Return to a simmer and cook, stirring periodically, until the liquid has reduced and the cauliflower is cooked, about 3 minutes more. Take the pan off the heat.

3- Top the meat mixture with the cheese and jalapeno slices. Broil for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and browned in spots.

Recipe and image credits: eatingwell.com

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Chicken Taco Casserole

Ingredients

4 cups shredded cooked chicken breast

2 cups chopped green bell peppers

2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend, divided

1 can no-salt-added black beans, rinsed

1 ½ cups fresh or thawed frozen corn kernels

¾ cup finely chopped red onion, divided

4 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese, softened

½ cup reduced-fat plain strained (Greek-style) yogurt

½ cup medium salsa

3 tablespoons lime juice

1 ½ tablespoons reduced-sodium taco seasoning mix

1 teaspoon salt

1 ½ cups crushed unsalted tortilla chips, divided

2 tablespoons thinly sliced jalapeño pepper, seeded if desired

1 cup shredded iceberg lettuce

⅔ cup chopped avocado

½ cup chopped plum tomato

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Steps

1- Preheat the oven to 190 degrees Celsius. Coat a baking dish lightly with cooking spray.

2- To the prepared baking dish, put the chicken, bell peppers, 1/2 cup Mexican cheese blend, black beans, corn, 1/2 cup red onion, cream cheese, yogurt, salsa, lime juice, taco seasoning, and salt; fold and toss until fully blended. Cover securely with foil and bake for 30 minutes, or until bubbling.

3- Remove from the oven and discard the foil. 1 cup each of the cheese blend and crumbled tortilla chips should be sprinkled over the casserole. Finish with the remaining 1/2 cup cheese blend and jalapeno slices. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and golden brown.

4- Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup crushed chips, 1/4 cup red onion, avocado, tomato, and cilantro. Serve right away.

Recipe and image credits: eatingwell.com

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Chicken Alfredo Cauliflower Rice Bake

Ingredients

1 head cauliflower, trimmed and broken into florets

¼ cup olive oil

1 teaspoon dried basil, crushed

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

2 ½ cup fresh baby spinach

2 cup chopped rotisserie chicken

1 jar light Alfredo pasta sauce

2 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

½ cup panko bread crumbs

Steps

1- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Cover and pulse cauliflower in a food processor four to six times, or until crumbly and resembles rice, working in batches.

2- Pour the cauliflower "rice" into a casserole dish. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of oil and season with basil, salt, and pepper to taste; toss to coat. Cook for 15 minutes.

3- Stir in the spinach, chicken, and pasta sauce, then top with the cheese. Sprinkle panko and remaining 2 tablespoons of oil over the cauliflower mixture. Bake for another 20 to 25 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.

Recipe and image credits: bhg.com

Egg Casserole with Bacon and Broccoli

Ingredients

225 gm bacon

6 cups broccoli florets

1 cup cheddar (shredded)

10 eggs

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp thyme

1/2 tsp oregano

Steps

1- Preheat the oven to 190 degrees Celsius.

2- Cover your baking tray with bacon slices and place them flat on it. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the bacon is crispy and fully cooked.

3- Remove the bacon slices from the oven and place them on paper towels to absorb the grease. Once the bacon has cooled, pulse it in a food processor until it is broken up into bits.

Reduce the oven temperature to 175° C.

4- In a food processor, pulse broccoli florets until they have the texture of rice. The broccoli should then be steamed for 10-12 minutes.

5- Now, lightly coat the baking dish with olive oil or cooking spray. Fill the dish with the broccoli rice. Make certain that you do it evenly.

6- Add 1/2 cup cheddar cheese on top.

7- Whisk together the eggs, heavy cream, salt, black pepper, onion, powdered garlic, thyme, and oregano. Mix it thoroughly.

8- Spoon the egg mixture over the broccoli, covering everything evenly.

9- Cover the casserole in cooked bacon.

10- Bake the egg casserole for 45 minutes, or until it is gently browned and fully cooked in the center.

Recipe and image credits: allnutritious.com

Vegetable Lasagna

Ingredients

(9 or 10 noodles) dried lasagna noodles

2 eggs, beaten

2 cup cream-style cottage cheese

1 carton ricotta cheese

2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning, crushed

2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms

1 cup chopped onion (1 large)

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoon olive oil or cooking oil

2 tablespoon all-purpose flour

½ - 1 teaspoon black pepper

1 ¼ cup milk

1 package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and thoroughly drained

1 package frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and thoroughly drained

1 cup shredded carrot

¾ cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1 package shredded mozzarella cheese (2 cups)

Steps

1- Prepare lasagna noodles as directed on the package. Remove and set aside.

2- Mix the eggs, ricotta cheese, cottage cheese, and Italian spice in a medium-sized bowl. Put away.

3- Add the mushrooms, onion, and garlic to a large skillet and sauté over high heat until softened. Add the milk all at once and stir in the flour and pepper. Simmer and stir until bubbling and slightly thickened. Take off the heat. Add the carrot, broccoli, spinach, and 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese and stir.

4- To assemble, arrange one-third of the noodles, folding or trimming to fit if needed, in a greased rectangle baking dish. Apply a third of the cottage cheese mixture onto the surface, followed by a third of the vegetable mixture. Add a third of the mozzarella on top. Double-check the layers. Finally, add the remaining 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese on top.

Recipe and image credits: bhg.com

Healthy Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Ingredients

226 gm chicken breast

680 gm Pounds Cauliflower, Cut into florets

1 Tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil

1 Tbsp Garlic, Minced

1 Large onion, roughly chopped

1 Tbsp Taco seasoning

1 can red enchilada sauce

1 Large egg

1 Egg white

1/2 tsp alt

Pepper

1 can diced green chiles

1 cup reduced-fat Mexican Cheese

For Garnish:

Cilantro

Tomatoes. diced

Avocado, sliced

Steps

1- Put a pan in the oven at 210 degrees Celsius and coat it with olive oil.

2- Both a large pot and a medium pot should be filled with water. To each, add a small amount of salt, then heat through. After coming to a boil, lower the heat to medium in each pot, add the chicken to the medium pot, and then add the cauliflower florets to the large pot. Simmer for ten to fifteen minutes, or until the cauliflower is fork-tender and the chicken has lost its pink color.

3- After the chicken is done, move it to a cooling plate. After draining, spread the cauliflower out onto a kitchen towel and let cool for ten minutes.

4- In a big, high-sided skillet, warm the olive oil over medium heat while the cauliflower or chicken cooks. Stirring constantly, sauté the garlic, onion, and taco seasoning for three to five minutes, or until they are gently golden brown.

5- After adding the can of enchilada sauce, boil it for one minute. Lower the temperature to low and simmer for approximately 7 minutes, or until the sauce thickens and reduces.

6- When the cauliflower is cool enough to handle, squeeze out as much water as you can.

7- To a big food processor, add the cauliflower, egg, egg white, salt, and an enormous amount of pepper. Blend in the enchilada sauce mixture until it reaches a smooth consistency. Pour into a large basin.

8- Cooked chicken should be shredded before adding it to the bowl and mixing thoroughly with the green chilies.

9- Place inside the ready pan and secure with tinfoil. After cooking for 30 minutes, take off the tinfoil and continue cooking for an additional 30 to 40 minutes, or until the casserole is set and the sides have begun to brown slightly. After adding the cheese, heat for a few more minutes, or until the cheese has melted.

10- To ensure that some of the excess moisture is absorbed, cover the dish to keep it warm and let it for ten minutes. After that, cut and serve.

11- Add avocado, tomatoes, and cilantro. Enjoy!

Beef, Corn, and Zucchini Tater Tot Casserole

Ingredients:

- 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

- 1 pound lean ground beef

- 1 small chopped onion

- 2 medium zucchinis, shredded

- 1 ½ cups chopped tomatoes (divided)

- 1 cup corn kernels

- 1 Tbsp chili powder

- 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

- ¼ tsp salt

- 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour

- 1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (divided)

- 2 cups frozen tater or veggie tots

- Cooking spray

- Chopped chives for garnish

Steps:

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F.

2. Heat the olive oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and onion. Cook, breaking up the beef with a wooden spoon, until the onion is soft and the beef is no longer pink, about 5 minutes.

3. Add shredded zucchini, 1 cup of chopped tomatoes, corn, chili powder, Worcestershire sauce, and salt. Cook, stirring, until the zucchini begins to release its liquid, about 3 minutes.

4. Sprinkle the mixture with flour and cook, stirring, until the liquid has thickened, about 1 minute more. Remove from heat.

5. Spread the mixture into an even layer. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of cheese and arrange the tots evenly over the cheese. Coat the tots with cooking spray. Transfer the pan to the oven.

6. Bake for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese and bake until the cheese is melted, and the tots are golden brown, about 5 minutes more.

7. Top with the remaining 1/2 cup of tomatoes and garnish with chives, if desired.

Cheesy Meatball Casserole

Ingredients:

- 4 cups of whole-wheat fusilli pasta

- 1 (24 ounce) jar lower-sodium marinara sauce, divided

- 1 pound 90%-lean ground beef

- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs

- ¼ cup grated sweet onion

- ¼ cup chopped fresh basil, plus more for garnish

- 1 large egg

- 2 tsp Italian seasoning

- ½ tsp salt

- ½ tsp crushed red pepper

- 2 cups shredded low-moisture part-skim mozzarella cheese

Steps:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add pasta; cook until the center of the pasta is still somewhat firm, about 4 minutes less than package directions.

2. Drain the pasta and transfer to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Add half of the marinara sauce to the pasta and stir to coat.

3. In a large bowl, combine ground beef, panko, onion, basil, egg, Italian seasoning, salt, and crushed red pepper; gently mix with your hands (do not overmix).

4. Form the mixture into 16 (about 1 1/2-inch) meatballs, nestling them into the pasta mixture as you work. Pour the remaining marinara sauce over the casserole and top with cheese.

5. Bake until a thermometer inserted into the meatballs registers at least 160°F and the cheese is lightly browned, 35 to 40 minutes. Garnish with basil, if desired.