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Out of thousands of delicious and healthy dinner recipes, these 20 dishes have been viewed the most by EatingWell readers. From lean proteins like chicken and salmon to nutritious veggies like broccoli, peppers and spinach, this collection of dinners is packed with flavorful ingredients you’ll enjoy any night of the week. Try our Loaded Broccoli & Chicken Casserole Recipe and Creamy Lemon & Spinach Pasta Bake—we promise you’ll love them.
Loaded Broccoli & Chicken Casserole
This delightfully creamy broccoli and chicken casserole is a satisfying dinner that is sure to please a crowd. To keep prep simple, look for bags of pre-cut broccoli florets. If you like a little spice, swap out the Monterey Jack cheese for pepper Jack instead.
Stuffed Pepper Casserole
You won’t be stuffing any peppers for this stuffed pepper casserole, but you will be enjoying the sweet and smoky combination of flavors coming from bell peppers, fire-roasted tomatoes, smoked paprika and ground beef. You can use precooked rice from the package or leftover brown rice if you have it. If using leftover rice, you will need about 1 1/2 cups.
Creamy Lemon & Spinach Pasta Bake
This creamy and comforting vegetarian pasta bake is perfect when you want a pasta dinner that is light, bright and flavorful. This easy pasta bake is packed with spinach. Feel free to swap the spinach out for another green like kale if you have it on hand. Just be sure to remove the tough stems and chop it into smaller pieces before cooking. Depending on your green, you may have to cook it a little bit longer so it’s nice and tender before baking.
Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato & Chicken Pasta Bake
Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayliss
This creamy and flavorful fall pasta bake comes together quickly, thanks to rotisserie chicken and jarred sun-dried tomatoes that flavor the sauce. This easy pasta bake is perfect for feeding a crowd. If you’re watching your sodium, you can cook and shred your own chicken in place of the rotisserie chicken.
Seared Halibut Fish Tacos with Cilantro Slaw
Halibut—a tender, sweet-tasting white fish—is a great option for fish tacos, especially when paired with crunchy slaw, pico de gallo and a salty cheese. We promise you’ll want these more often than just on Taco Tuesdays. Serve them with a side of black beans or yellow rice to round out your meal.
Slow-Cooker Bean, Kale & Barley Soup
Beans and kale are packed into each bite of this hearty slow-cooker soup. Barley adds a chewiness to provide texture, while dried mushrooms lend an earthiness and depth. Finishing with acidic lemon juice brightens the flavors.
Cheesy Chicken Pasta Bake
This chicken pasta bake is cheesy with a smoky kick, thanks to the combination of chipotle peppers and smoked Gouda cheese. If you want to mellow the smoky flavor, regular Gouda works just as well. Spray the foil lightly with cooking spray or brush it with a little oil to prevent the cheesy topping from sticking. Serve with a simple side salad or garlic-roasted broccoli.
Weeknight Lemon Chicken Skillet Dinner
This one-pan chicken dinner doesn’t get much easier, or more satisfying. In just half an hour, you can have a complete meal on the table that doesn’t require loads of dishes afterwards. We call for tender haricots verts because they’re quick cooking; traditional green beans likely won’t be tender enough after the brief cooking time at the end. If that’s all you have on hand, steam them first, and then add them to the pan for the final step. Serve this hearty chicken and potatoes dinner with a simple side salad to sneak in another serving of veggies.
Copycat Joe & the Juice’s Tunacado Sandwich
Inspired by the viral sandwich from Joe & the Juice, we put our twist on the popular tuna-avocado sandwich. Adding chili crisp to the pesto adds delicious flavor, while processing the tuna with avocado creates a wonderfully creamy spread. These sandwiches are packed with texture and flavor, and will quickly make their way into your weekly lunch rotation.
Anti-Inflammatory Vegetable-Packed Grain Bowls
Farro provides satisfying chew, while the raw shaved veggies soften slightly in the vinaigrette to become perfectly tender-crisp. To blanch the peas, cook in boiling water for 1 minute, then dunk in an ice bath for 1 minute to stop the cooking. A mandoline or vegetable peeler makes quick work of thinly slicing vegetables. Beets contain a phytochemical called betalains, which can help fight inflammation in the body.
Creamy Spinach-&-Feta Chicken Casserole
Inspired by the flavors of spanakopita, here we put a spin on spinach pie and turn it into a casserole. Adding chicken provides protein, while plenty of garlic and onions add flavor. This recipe calls for 8 sheets of phyllo dough, so there’s no need to cover them to keep them moist when assembling. If your sheets are larger than your dish, cut them or fold them in half so they fit.
Burrata Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes & Spinach
This luscious weeknight pasta dish features burrata cheese—a soft cow’s-milk cheese that looks similar to fresh mozzarella but features a creamy center that melts beautifully. You can substitute chopped fresh summer-ripe tomatoes for the cherry tomatoes. If they are plump and juicy they will moisten and flavor the pasta well so you can hold back on adding the full amount of pasta water. Serve with crusty garlic bread and a green salad on the side.
Creamed Spinach & Chicken Casserole
Creamed spinach and chicken combine in this crowd-pleasing, comforting casserole. Crushed red pepper packs some heat, so add less or leave it out completely if you want a milder version. You can cook long-grain brown rice ahead of time or look for packaged microwaveable brown rice to use instead.
Creamy Sausage & Cheese Tortellini Soup
This cheese tortellini soup is a quick meal to throw together on a weeknight, and a crowd-pleaser if you have company. If you like soup with a kick, opt for hot Italian sausage. Tortellini, like any pasta, will soak up the broth as it sits, so if you’re making it ahead of time, cook the tortellini separately and add it just before serving.
Anti-Inflammatory Lemony Salmon & Orzo Casserole
This lemony salmon and orzo casserole is a one-dish dinner that’s packed with omega-3 fatty acids—a polyunsaturated fat in salmon that can help tame inflammation and may even help lower blood pressure. Here, omega-3-rich salmon sits on top of an orzo mixture that bakes in the oven, instead of boiling on the stovetop, absorbing all the bright and lemony flavors while it cooks.
Chicken Fajita Casserole
This chicken fajita casserole combines classic fajita veggies and chicken thighs with corn tortillas and spices in one skillet for an easy dinner. Chicken thighs are tender and flavorful, but chicken breast or leftover chicken will work well too. Serve this easy casserole topped with your favorite fixings, like sour cream, avocado, salsa and/or chopped tomato.
Sweet-and-Sour Chicken Bowls
Bone-in chicken thighs are pan-seared before being basted with sticky-sweet sauce and slow-cooked to fork-tender perfection. Sear the chicken thighs in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan and hindering browning. Though we swoon over the superiorly moist meat, the real magic lies within the sauce, which masters the balance of savory and sweet. For a burst of freshness, we add a simple cabbage slaw that rounds out the meal with a satisfying crunch. To get an extra dose of veggies, pair it with sugar snap or snow peas.
Giada’s Zucchini Carbonara
This meatless version of spaghetti carbonara has a similar depth of flavor to the original, thanks to browning the zucchini before adding it to the pasta. And, of course, it has all the rich, creamy goodness you look for in a carbonara.
Spinach-Tortellini Soup
When you need a quick and flavorful dinner, turn to this easy tortellini soup with spinach. Refrigerated cheese tortellini bulk up the soup and cook in just minutes. The tortellini can be delicate, so be careful when stirring the soup to avoid them falling apart.
Black Bean & Mushroom Enchilada Casserole
Mushrooms and creamy black beans spiced with cumin and oregano create the filling for this vegetarian enchilada casserole. Pepper Jack adds nice flavor, but you can substitute regular Monterey Jack cheese if you don’t want the heat.