From hearty stews to mouthwatering casseroles, these recipes not only deliver on taste but also provide nutrients for a well-balanced dinner. These dishes are designed to be satisfying with at least 15 grams of protein and 6 grams of fiber per serving to help keep you feeling fuller and more energized for longer. Not to mention, they showcase delicious seasonal ingredients like squash, leafy greens, root vegetables and citrus. Flavor-packed recipes like our Winter Chicken Parmesan and our Chicken Taco Casserole are perfect options to beat the chill in the colder months.
Love these recipes? Join MyRecipes—your personal home for recipes—to easily save and organize your favorites, plus thousands more, in one convenient place.
Winter Chicken Parmesan
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Rishon Hanners, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless
Warm up to this chicken Parmesan with a winter twist featuring butternut squash! Each cutlet is slathered in butternut squash pasta sauce with the traditional ooey-gooey mozzarella cheese melted on top. If you can’t find butternut squash pasta sauce, marinara is an easy swap. For an extra serving of veggies, the chicken is topped with roasted butternut squash, mushrooms and kale. You can swap out the mushrooms and kale for other cold-weather favorites like Brussels sprouts, cabbage or even broccoli.
Ground Beef & Pasta Skillet
Jason Donnelley
Add extra vegetables to your day with this easy one-skillet pasta recipe. Finely chop mushrooms to resemble the texture of ground beef and stir them into a classic meat sauce for a healthy twist on a dinnertime favorite.
Crispy Chicken Thighs with Artichokes, Lemon & Herbs
Catherine McCurd
This one-pan chicken recipe may just become your new favorite weeknight dinner. This same cooking method can be used with a ton of different flavor combinations. One favorite is blistered tomato. Just swap the artichokes for 1 pint cherry tomatoes—or whatever ingredient you might be craving, fresh or frozen, including summer squash slices, butternut squash or potato cubes, and/or carrot coins. Recipe adapted with permission from Meal Prep Magic: Time-Saving Tricks for Stress-Free Cooking by Catherine McCord.
Slow-Cooker Chicken & White Bean Stew
This load-and-go slow-cooker chicken recipe is perfect for a busy weeknight dinner. Serve this Tuscan-inspired dish with crusty bread, a glass of Chianti and a salad.
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.
Spinach & Artichoke Dip Pasta
If you’ve ever wanted to make a meal out of warm spinach and artichoke dip, this creamy pasta is for you. And here’s what’s almost as good as the flavor of this comforting dish: the fact that this healthy dinner takes just 20 minutes to prepare.
California Turkey Burgers & Baked Sweet Potato Fries
Inspired by an option at the West Coast chain In-N-Out Burger, this turkey burger recipe keeps the carbs in check with a lettuce wrap instead of a bun. The side of sweet potato fries bakes while you prep the burgers, so this entire healthy dinner is ready in under 30 minutes.
Winter Minestrone
This version of the Italian classic vegetable and bean soup is made in the slow cooker and mixes in flavorful sausage and squash. Use any variety of winter squash.
Linguine with Creamy Mushroom Sauce
The creamy mushroom linguine is ready in 40 minutes, so it’s quick enough for an easy weeknight recipe but it feels fancy enough for entertaining.
Zucchini Noodles with Avocado Pesto & Shrimp
Cut some carbs and use spiralized zucchini in place of noodles in this zesty pesto pasta dish recipe. Top with Cajun-seasoned shrimp to complete this quick and easy dinner.
Vegetarian Lasagna Soup
photographer: Jennifer Causey, food stylist: Ali Ramee, prop stylist: Claire Spollen
All the delicious flavors of a vegetarian lasagna can be found in this cozy soup. Mushrooms, zucchini and spinach provide color and nutrients, while a ricotta-and-mozzarella topping provides the signature cheesiness and creaminess. Serve with a side salad or crusty bread for dipping.
Spicy Ramen Noodle Cup Soup Packs 16g Protein
Photographer: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster
In just 15 minutes, you can make three jars of vegetarian ramen cup soup that you can bring to work or school. These cup soups are not only a time saver, but are also packed with protein from hard-boiled eggs, which will help keep you satisfied until your next meal.
Copycat California Pizza Kitchen BBQ Chicken Chopped Salad
Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Styling: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster
This salad is inspired by California Pizza Kitchen’s BBQ chicken salad, with crisp lettuce and jicama, sweet BBQ chicken and juicy corn kernels. You can cook the chicken thighs on a grill pan, or use an outdoor grill if the weather permits. Tortilla strips add a welcome crunch to the salad—find them in the salad dressing aisle at major supermarkets.
Slow-Cooker Chile-Orange Chicken Tacos
A taco night favorite! Boneless chicken breasts cook low and slow in a chipotle-orange sauce until they’re pull-apart tender, then are paired with a fresh avocado-orange salsa.
Creamy Caramelized Cabbage Pasta Is Healthy Comfort Food at Its Best
Photographer: Grant Webster, Food Stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop Stylist: Lexi Juhl
In this comforting vegetarian dinner, cabbage is sautéed in butter until it caramelizes, imparting a subtle sweetness to the dish. A light, creamy sauce coats both the cabbage and the pasta. If you want to stretch the sauce a little further, you can thin it out by adding in a few tablespoons of pasta cooking water.
Chicken Parmesan alla Vodka
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist: Christine Keely
This recipe combines chicken Parmesan with creamy vodka sauce for a delicious twist on your favorite dish. To make this cozy meal more weeknight-friendly, make the vodka sauce ahead of time. Making your own vodka sauce from scratch helps keep sodium in check, but to save on prep time, you can use store-bought vodka sauce in its place.
Slow-Cooker Vegetable Stew
Potatoes and beans make this tomato-based crock-pot vegetable stew super-hearty. You could also add briefly sautéed chunks of zucchini or fresh corn kernels just before serving, or add another can of cannellini beans for more substance. A dollop of pesto on top is also super-delicious. Adding homemade garlic croutons is an easy way to elevate this healthy dinner.
Teriyaki Tofu Rice Bowls
With a handful of shortcut ingredients from your grocery store, including precooked rice packets and seasoned baked tofu, you can prepare several high-fiber, high-protein meals in about 15 minutes.
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.
Creamy Green Pea Pesto Pasta
PHOTOGRAPHER: JEN CAUSEY, FOOD STYLIST: MELISSA GRAY, PROP STYLIST: SHELL ROYSTER
Mint and peas are a natural pairing in this creamy pasta dish. It works well as a vegetarian main dish or can be divided into smaller portions as a side dish. If you have pine nuts on hand, sprinkle them over the top for a little crunch. If you like your pesto to be totally smooth, process it a little longer, scraping down the sides of the bowl as you go. Parmesan cheese grated fresh with a microplane grater will give you the best results.
Slow-Cooker Borscht
Borscht is an Eastern European soup that typically features beets as a prominent ingredient, thus the resulting dish has a purple-red color. Our slow-cooker rendition is literally beefed up with brisket and showcases whole-grain rye berries, a source of fiber.
Classic Sesame Noodles with Chicken
Sesame noodles become a satisfying meal with lean chicken and tons of veggies in this quick, healthy noodle recipe. Be sure to rinse the spaghetti until it’s cold, then give it a good shake in the colander until it’s well drained. Are you a spiralizing pro? Swap 5 cups of raw zucchini, carrot or other veggie “noodles” for the cooked pasta.
Fish Taco Wraps
These quick-and-easy fish tacos are full of chili-crusted halibut, crunchy cabbage and fruity salsa. Using prepared salsa and coleslaw mix means this recipe is on the table in just 20 minutes.
One-Pot Creamy Chicken & Mushroom Pasta
Victor Protasio
This creamy chicken and mushroom pasta recipe makes for an easy weeknight dinner. Using store-bought rotisserie chicken saves time when cooking, and leftover chicken would work just as well.
