24 Comfort Food Dinners That Are Low-Carb and Satisfying

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Published on January 21, 2021

Reviewed by Dietitian

Jessica Ball, M.S., RD

Buffalo Chicken Cauliflower Pizza

Comfort food can be healthy and delicious and these recipes prove it. Whether it's casseroles, lasagna or pizza, you'll get all the flavors and familiarity of your favorite dishes, but with a low-carb spin. Recipes like Buffalo Chicken Cauliflower Pizza and Spanakopita Stuffed Peppers have no more than 15 grams of carbohydrates per serving and make the perfect weeknight dinner.

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Classic Beef Burgers with Cauliflower Buns

Classic Beef Burgers with Cauliflower Buns

These juicy burgers skip the traditional bread bun in favor of a savory grain-free cauliflower bun that contains a bit of Cheddar cheese. A mixture of onions, ketchup and Worcestershire sauce gives the burger patties tons of flavor, and the addition of a tangy special sauce completes the package for a burger with serious personality. Note: If you would like to make these burgers gluten-free, be sure to check the ingredients for the ketchup and Worcestershire sauce to make sure they're gluten-free.

02 of 24

Taco-Stuffed Zucchini

Taco-Stuffed Zucchini

These stuffed zucchini boats are filled with all your favorite taco ingredients like seasoned meat, cheese and avocado. They're perfect for a a low-carb alternative on taco night or a great kid-friendly way to sneak in more vegetables.

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Buffalo Chicken Cauliflower Pizza

Cauliflower rice, egg and shredded mozzarella combine to make an easy low-carb pizza crust. Top the gluten-free pizza with tangy Buffalo sauce, chicken and blue cheese for a flavorful dinner or game-day favorite. Fresh celery is added at the end for cool crunch.

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Spaghetti Squash Lasagna with Broccolini

Spaghetti Squash Lasagna with Broccolini

In this low-carb spaghetti squash lasagna recipe, garlicky broccolini, spaghetti squash and cheese are combined for a healthy take on a favorite casserole. This bakes right in the squash shells for a fun presentation. Serve with a big Caesar salad and some warm and crusty whole-grain bread.

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Spanakopita Stuffed Peppers

Spanakopita Stuffed Peppers

These stuffed bell peppers have a filling inspired by the Greek spinach pie, spanakopita, but you don't have to worry about working with phyllo, so they're great for an easy vegetarian dinner.

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Jalapeño-Popper Stuffed Chicken

Stuff all the flavors of fried jalapeño poppers into a creamy filling for stuffed chicken breasts. This healthy baked chicken recipe is great with a side of green beans for an easy dinner.

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Pork Chops with Creamy Mushroom Sauce

These seared pork chops are topped with a rich and creamy mushroom sauce that gets flavored with fresh herbs.

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Instant Pot Potato Soup

Russet potatoes turn tender and soft in minutes in a pressure cooker, so you can make this comforting soup quickly on busy weeknights. Garnish with the classic potato soup fixings--bacon, scallions and melted Cheddar cheese.

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Easy Cauliflower Fried Rice

This vegetarian faux fried rice uses riced cauliflower in place of white or brown rice to pack in extra veggies and cut down on carbs. Chile-garlic sauce pumps up the heat, and fresh ginger adds a bright, warm bite. If you don't like the heat of the chile-garlic sauce, leave it out and add a bit more tamari or soy sauce for a rich, fermented tang.

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Meat Loaf with Sour Cream-Mushroom Sauce

This made-over classic boasts whole-grains and plenty of veggies for a really satisfying comfort-food dinner.

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Kung Pao Chicken with Bell Peppers

Here's an easy chicken recipe you'll definitely want to add to your dinner repertoire. A quick marinade tenderizes the chicken and infuses flavor in this healthy version of a take-out favorite. Adding a little oil to finish the marinade coats the chicken and helps keep it from sticking to the pan.

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Low-Carb Eggplant Pizzas

These eggplant pizzas have all the classic flavors of a real pizza without all the carbs. Opt for spicy Italian sausage if you like the heat! Serve these mini pizzas with a green salad on the side to complete the meal.

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Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Peppers

Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Peppers

Mounding a classic Philly cheesesteak mixture in a colorful bell pepper and melting cheese on top is an easy way to skip the bread and cut the carbs.

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Cauliflower Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Cauliflower Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Turn a comfort food classic into a healthier low-carb version packed with veggies. We use cauliflower rice to make gluten-free toast that holds together this green chile grilled cheese sandwich for a delicious and healthy dinner.

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Loaded Portobello Mushrooms

Think of these loaded portobello mushrooms as a low-carb version of a stuffed potato--Cheddar cheese, sour cream, scallions and bacon melted into portobello mushroom caps for a delicious and satisfying dinner. Serve them with a green salad to round out the meal.

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Creamy Lemon Chicken Parmesan

This riff on classic chicken Parmesan replaces the usual marinara with a luscious lemony cream sauce. We've lightened it up by using half-and-half instead of cream, with just-as-delicious results. Serve this lemony chicken dinner with whole-wheat pasta or brown rice.

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Zucchini Pizza Casserole

Got a bumper crop of zucchini? Try this crowd-pleasing casserole-meets-pizza dish, which can easily be made gluten-free. A layer of tender shredded zucchini is topped with all the classics: sauce, cheese, pepperoni and sliced bell pepper. Experiment with your own favorite toppings, but make sure you don't overload the crust or it will be too wet.

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Homemade Chicken Tenders with Everything Bagel Seasoning over Salad

Using everything bagel spice is a quick way to season and add extra crunch to breadcrumbs for chicken tenders. If you can't find any premixed, make your own by combining equal parts dried minced onion and garlic, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, salt and ground pepper (see Associated Recipes). This healthy chicken recipe tops a simple salad for an easy dinner that's ready in 25 minutes.

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Mushroom-Swiss Turkey Burgers

In this gluten-free turkey burger recipe, lean ground turkey stands in for ground beef, and portobello mushrooms produce a juicy, flavorful alternative to the traditional bun. Melted Swiss cheese, sliced tomato and arugula top off this delicious low-carb dinner!

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Homemade Chicken Ramen Noodle Bowls

Transform canned chicken noodle soup into quick ramen bowls by adding fresh ginger, crunchy vegetables, herbs and a jammy soft-boiled egg. Look for a low-sodium soup that has 450 mg sodium or less per serving.

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Mediterranean Cauliflower Pizza

In this healthy, gluten-free cauliflower "pizza" recipe, shredded cauliflower is mixed with mozzarella and oregano to make a flourless crust that echoes the flavor of a traditional pizza pie. The Meyer lemon, olive and sun-dried tomato topping adds a sophisticated Mediterranean flavor, but feel free to try more traditional pizza toppings, such as marinara sauce and mushrooms--even pepperoni.

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Guacamole Chicken

Guacamole Chicken

This sautéed chicken breast recipe topped with melty cheese and creamy guacamole is your ticket to a superfast and satisfying family dinner. Round out this healthy meal with Spanish rice (or cauliflower rice to keep it grain-free).

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Lasagna-Stuffed Zucchini

Lasagna-Stuffed Zucchini

Swap vegetables for noodles in this healthy lasagna-inspired recipe. Stuffing zucchini boats with chicken sausage, tomato, ricotta and herbs gives you all the flavors of lasagna without all the carbs.

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Pepperoni Pizza Portobello Mushrooms

Pepperoni Pizza Portobello Mushrooms

Ooey-gooey cheese, pepperoni, bell pepper and onion top portobello mushroom caps in this low-carb version of classic pizza.

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