20 Bright & Delicious Spring Casseroles for the Mediterranean Diet

These casseroles are a great option for a main or side dish this spring.

By

Published on February 17, 2024

Reviewed by Dietitian

Jessica Ball, M.S., RD

Asparagus Casserole — Photo: Jason Donnelly

They’re packed with healthy and delicious seasonal ingredients like asparagus, broccoli and peas to help you make the most of springtime veg. Plus, these nutritious vegetables alongside healthy fats, whole grains, legumes and lean proteins make these flavorful bakes align seamlessly with the Mediterranean diet, touted seven years in a row as one of the healthiest eating patterns. Recipes like our Teriyaki Chicken Skillet Casserole with Broccoli and Asparagus Casserole are nourishing additions to an evening meal that you’ll want to make on repeat.

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Teriyaki Chicken Skillet Casserole with Broccoli Is on the Table in 30 Minutes

a recipe photo of the Teriyaki Chicken Casserole with Broccoli — Photographer: Brie Goldman, Food Stylist: Lauren McAnelly, Prop Stylist: Gabriel Greco

Whip up this quick and easy teriyaki chicken casserole in just one skillet—it’s the perfect go-to recipe for hectic weeknights that’s sure to satisfy a crowd. It’s ideal for making use of any leftover chicken and rice you have on hand. If you’re short on leftovers, a rotisserie chicken paired with a package of microwaveable brown rice is a good substitute.

02 of 20

Asparagus Casserole

Asparagus Casserole — Jason Donnelly

Blanching the asparagus before assembling this casserole helps to maintain its vibrant green color. This asparagus casserole is perfect for the holidays or a weeknight dinner.

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Kale & White Bean Potpie with Chive Biscuits

In this vegetarian white bean potpie recipe, kale and hearty white beans are topped with easy, homemade chive biscuits. If desired, add a little shredded Gruyère or Cheddar cheese to the biscuit dough.

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Parmesan Mushroom Casserole

Parmesan Mushroom Casserole — Photography / Brie Passano, Styling / Sammy Mila / Holly Raibikis

Mushrooms are sprinkled with a crunchy, cheesy panko topping to create a delicious mushroom casserole that all will love.

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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).

06 of 20

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

All the delicious flavors of your favorite chicken Cordon Bleu—salty ham, melty cheese, tangy mustard—with no tricky assembly required. This healthy comfort food recipe would be perfect for a potluck.

07 of 20

Cheesy Ground Beef & Broccoli Casserole

cheesy ground beef broccoli casserole — Christine Ma

This cheesy ground beef and broccoli casserole is comfort food the whole family can get behind. It's assembled and baked all in one skillet and finished in 30 minutes, making it the perfect weeknight meal.

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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.

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Creamy Cabbage Casserole

Creamy Cabbage Casserole — Photography / Greg DuPree, Styling / Ruth BlackBurn / Julia Bayless

This creamy cabbage casserole is subtly spicy and has the perfect balance of sweet, tender cabbage to classic, creamy béchamel sauce. The cracker and cheese topping adds a nice bit of crunch in every bite. Serve alongside roasted chicken or pork.

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Chicken & Broccoli Casserole

This one-pan chicken and broccoli casserole is prepared in a skillet on the stovetop, then finished in the oven until it's browned, cheesy and bubbling. Serve with a crunchy green salad.

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Spinach & Tuna Noodle Casserole

Spinach Tuna Noodle Casserole — Penny De Los Santos

Homemade mushroom sauce kicks the can of soup out of the picture in this veggie-centric, healthy riff on a classic tuna-noodle casserole recipe. Serve with steamed green beans.

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Creamy Rotisserie-Chicken Noodle Casserole

Creamy Rotisserie-Chicken Noodle Casserole — Photographer: Brie Goldman, Food Stylist: Lauren McAnelly, Prop Stylist: Holly Raibikis

This creamy chicken noodle casserole recipe is inspired by our popular Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup with Rotisserie Chicken by Karen Rankin. We use store-bought rotisserie chicken to cut down on cooking time. This casserole is cozy and delicious.

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Turkey-Vegetable Bake

Need to use up leftover turkey from the holidays? Make this low fat casserole. It's made with brown rice and lots of vegetables.

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Creamy Mushroom, Chicken & Asparagus Bake

This comforting weeknight casserole recipe features plenty of mushrooms and asparagus combined with chicken and brown rice and a creamy Parmesan cheese sauce. Whip this up anytime you have leftover chicken or cooked brown rice to spare.

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Mom's Creamy Chicken & Broccoli Casserole

Mom's Creamy Chicken and Broccoli Casserole — Brian Woodcock; Styling: Cindy Barr

This lightened-up creamy chicken casserole is packed with veggies. The sauce at the heart of this family-friendly casserole uses fat-free milk with a combination of fat-free Greek-style yogurt and a little mayonnaise to give it body.

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Spinach & Mushroom Tortellini Bake

Spinach & Mushroom Tortellini Bake

This cheesy tortellini bake is a dish the whole family will love--it's filled with sweet-tasting marinara, mushrooms and spinach and topped with melted cheese. Complete the meal, plus get in another vegetable serving, by adding a side of broccoli or a small green salad.

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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.

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Smoked Turkey, Kale & Rice Bake

This hearty one-skillet dinner is loaded with celery, kale, tomatoes and quick-cooking brown rice. It's easy to make the recipe vegetarian by substituting smoked tofu for the turkey.

Smoked Turkey, Kale & Rice Bake

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Gruyere, Asparagus & Pea Baked Pasta

This healthy casserole recipe contains tons of veggies alongside whole-wheat pasta for a satisfying dinner kids and adults will enjoy.

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Chicken Tetrazzini

This retro dish will please kids and adults alike.

EatingWell.com, February 2024

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