MyPlate-Inspired Casseroles

Cooking Light is working with the Partnership for a Healthier America and USDA’s MyPlate to give anyone looking for healthier options access to thousands of recipes that will help them create healthy, tasty plates. For more information about creating a healthy plate, visit MyPlate.gov. 

 First up is our Mexican Chicken Casserole with Charred Tomato Salsa. Instead of the usual jarred salsa often called for in Mexican casserole, this recipe features a homemade salsa made with charred tomatoes that are mixed with cilantro and fresh lime juice. Charring the tomatoes gives a rich flavor to the salsa, which is a good match for this chicken-and-veggie-packed dish.

This one-dish meal is a cross between a vegetarian calzone and the classic Greek dish spanakopita.

Not only is this casserole a good source of niacin (mainly from the chicken), but one serving also supplies about 60 percent of your daily calcium needs. Fresh corn and corn tortillas offer an ample amount of folate, too.

This zucchini eggplant lasagna makes use of fresh summer produce in a filling meatless entrée.

Creamy and savory collide in a wonderful way. Everyone gathered around your table will love this one.

Although the yellow and green squash give this chicken and rice casserole a colorful appearance, you can use one or the other, if you prefer.

This is a casserole version of the classic individual pastries. It's much quicker to assemble with less fuss, and it's just as tasty.

Zesty, creamy and loaded with chicken, it's no wonder why this Mexican chicken casserole is one of our top-rated recipes.

You can assemble the spinach and cheese casserole in less than 10 minutes by using preshredded cheeses.

While the sauce cooks, shred the chicken. For a spicy kick, top with chopped jalapeños.

Great for breakfast or dinner, this casserole is easy to make and great as leftovers, too!

A few spoonfuls of cream cheese give this casserole a velvety texture. Garnish with a sprig of fresh parsley, if you like.

Fresh spinach, chicken, and a combination of cheeses make this dish comforting enough for the last days of winter yet fresh enough for the first days of spring. You can also cook the pasta mixture in individual 8-ounce ramekins, and bake for 15 minutes.

Use cauliflower or roasted peppers if your meal recipients don't like zucchini. For an extra special gift, give in small, individual ceramic dishes for your friends to keep.

Ricotta, parmesan, and mozzarella combine to give this lasagna an irresistible gooey factor. Store-bought tomato sauce offers convenience and is perked up with a little fresh basil, garlic, and ground red pepper. Kid-approved and easy to make, this is the perfect solution to a crazy weeknight, or a dish to provide for entertaining in a pinch.

The walnuts in this gratin offer a crunchy contrast to the roasted vegetables and cheesy rice mixture, while the splash of half-and-half adds creamy richness. The rice mixture can be made ahead and refrigerated. When ready to prepare, bring to room temperature, spoon into the baking dish, and proceed as directed at the end of step 5.

This meatless version of pastitsio swaps ground beef for wild mushrooms but keeps the creamy, cheesy goodness of the classic dish.

Your family will adore the down-home comfort of this surprisingly simple and oh-so-flavorful recipe.

Buy lamb loin chops, and have the butcher remove the meat from the bones in the store. The lean, tender meat cooks quickly, and it’ll stay moist in this speedy take on a comfort classic.

This rich, creamy twist on traditional chicken paella gets an alluring Spanish accent from smoky cured chorizo and the unmistakable fragrance and flavor of saffron.

Very few things embody comfort food like this hearty, warming mushroom and bacon casserole.

"Fresh" is a word not often associated with lasagna, yet that's exactly the sensation this one offers. Sweet-as-candy grape tomatoes burst and release their moisture and flavor, while earthy-bitter broccoli rabe and milder Broccolini balance the taste.

Up the veg, cut the cream, and drop 234 calories with our lightened-up version of the classic Tetrazzini.

Traditional creamy chicken casserole can have more than 800 calories per serving, but we’re serving up this classic comfort dish with a fraction of the calories.

Broiling the eggplant coaxes out a deeper, more complex flavor. We like to keep the antioxidant-packed skin on, but feel free to peel the eggplant before broiling. You can garnish the dish with extra basil leaves.

Lemon rind brightens the sauce, making for a more delicate lasagna. To save salt, frozen artichokes contain a quarter of the sodium of canned, which are usually packed in brine.