Kate Hackett Ceramics
There are many motivations for sticking with a healthy diet. Eating more of the good stuff (and less of the junk) can help you prevent cancer, extend your lifespan, protect your heart and manage your weight. But one thing we don’t always remember is that your diet affects not just your weight, but your body from the inside to the outside. Your body transforms the foods you eat into the cells that make up your hair, nails, skin and bones, along with your brain, heart and joints. You literally are what you eat.
Add lean meats and beans to your diet to help keep your body in hormone balance and prevent hair loss. B-vitamins from leafy greens, peas, tomatoes and carrots also support cell growth for healthy hair.
Essential fatty acids (named “essential” because your body cannot make them) help you grow brain cells and stay sharp, so feed your brain with regular doses of fish, nuts, seeds, avocado and olive oil.
The antioxidants for brain health also help the eyes, so include foods with lutein and zeaxanthin. These antioxidants, found in spinach, collard greens and kale, protect the retina from macular degeneration.
Most adults need between 1,000 and 1,200 milligrams of calcium daily. Low-fat milk, cheese, yogurt, almonds, spinach and soybeans are all good sources of dietary calcium.
Boost your vitamin C intake with fruits and vegetables, especially strawberries, oranges, pineapple, cauliflower and green peppers to keep your joints healthy.
Fiber is also essential. Whole grains, especially oats and bran, beans, nuts, fruits and vegetables can help you get your daily 20-35 grams of fiber.
Maintain disease-free and healthy looking skin with alpha-lipoic acid (ALA). This antioxidant is more powerful than vitamins C and E and protects your skin cells from damage and many of the elements it’s exposed to each day. ALA can be found in spinach, broccoli and beef. Vitamins C, E, K, and A, as well as B-vitamins, are also important for nourished skin. Enjoying a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables can help you reach the recommended amounts.
Winter comfort foods can be good for you. Sweet potatoes are filled with vitamin A and anything filled with green vegetables will give you a vitamin C boost. Switching up some ingredients for healthier ones in your favorite casserole dishes can improve a recipe’s nutrition. Also, be careful about the amount of cheese, bread and cream in a recipe.
The next time you look forward to making a comforting dish, try out one of the healthy recipes below instead of your usual go-to casserole. Another bonus is that all of the recipes below are between 300 and 350 calories per serving. That leaves some room for a healthy dessert.
Meatballs and Bean Casserole
6 servings
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 pound lean ground meat (pork, beef, chicken, turkey or a combination)
- 1/2 cup plain dried bread crumbs
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 finely minced garlic clove
- 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
- 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Olive oil for the baking pan
Casserole
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup thinly sliced carrots (2 medium)
- ½ cup chopped onion (1 medium)
- ½ cup thinly sliced celery (1 stalk)
- 1 cup frozen green beans
- 2 ½ cups homemade or store-bought tomato sauce (marinara sauce)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
- Two 15 ounce cans cannellini beans (white kidney beans), rinsed and drained
- ¼ cup chopped green onion tops
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Oil a rimmed cookie sheet.
To make the meatballs:
Mix all the ingredients, except the oil, together in a large bowl. With wet hands form into 12 equal sized meatballs. (Use an ice cream scoop to make them uniform in size.)
Place the meatballs on the prepared pan and bake the meatballs in the oven for about 25 minutes.
In a large Dutch Oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add carrots, onion, and celery; cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add green beans. Cook for 2 minutes more, stirring occasionally. Stir in tomato sauce and oregano. Stir in beans and meatballs.
Cover the pan and transfer the mixture to the oven.
Bake for 10 minutes. Uncover. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes more or until heated through. Sprinkle with green onion tops just before serving.
Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie
4 servings
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
- 2 cloves garlic, halved
- ¼ cup fat-free milk
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 12 ounces uncooked ground turkey breast or a mix of white and dark meat or lean ground beef
- ½ cup chopped onion
- 1 ¼ cups coarsely diced zucchini (1 medium)
- 1 cup diced carrots (2 medium)
- ½ cup frozen yellow corn
- ¼ cup water
- One 8 ounce can low salt tomato sauce
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons snipped fresh sage or 1/2 teaspoon dried sage, crushed
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
In a medium saucepan, cook sweet potatoes and garlic, covered, in enough lightly salted boiling water to cover for 15 to 20 minutes or until tender; drain.
Mash the sweet potatoes and gradually add milk and salt, mashing the potato mixture to make a light and fluffy mixture. Cover and keep warm.
In a large skillet cook turkey or beef and onion over medium heat until meat is brown, stirring to break up the meat as it cooks. Drain, if needed.
Stir in zucchini, carrots, corn and water. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 5 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
Add tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, sage and pepper to the meat mixture; heat through.
Spoon mixture into a 1-1/2-quart casserole dish, spreading evenly. Spoon mashed potato mixture on top of the pie mixture.
Bake, uncovered, in the preheated oven for 25 minutes or until heated through.
White Bean and Kale Casserole
4 servings
Ingredients
- 3 cups shredded kale (stems removed)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
- 1 stalk celery, chopped (1/2 cup)
- Two 19 ounce cans cannellini beans (white kidney beans), rinsed and drained
- One 14 1/2 ounce can diced Italian tomatoes, undrained
- 4 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, cut into bite-size pieces
- ¼ cup dry Italian seasoned bread crumbs
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In a small saucepan cook kale in a small amount of boiling water for 8 minutes or until tender. Drain well in a colander.
In a small skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat. Add onion and celery; cook for 4 minutes or until tender.
In a large bowl combine cooked kale, onion mixture, beans, tomatoes, 2 tablespoons of the bread crumbs, the oregano, garlic and pepper. Transfer mixture to a 2-quart casserole dish.
In a small bowl combine the remaining 2 tablespoons bread crumbs and the remaining 1 tablespoon oil; sprinkle over the bean mixture.
Sprinkle with diced prosciutto.
Bake, covered, for 20 minutes. Bake, uncovered, about 10 minutes more or until heated through and the prosciutto is crispy.
Vegetable Pasta Bake
6 servings
Ingredients
- 8 ounces dried whole wheat penne pasta
- 2 ½ cups cauliflower florets (1/2 medium head)
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 medium carrots, sliced
- 1 stalk celery, diced
- 12 ounces spinach, stems removed, leaves torn
- ½ cup frozen peas
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 cup fat-free milk
- 4 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (1 cup)
- 2 tablespoons finely shredded or grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large Dutch Oven, cook pasta al dente according to package directions; add cauliflower during the last 4 minutes of cooking. Drain and set aside.
In the same Dutch oven cook onion and garlic in hot oil over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add carrots and celery; cook just until carrots are tender. Add spinach; cook just until wilted. Stir in pasta mixture and peas.
For the cheese sauce:
In a small saucepan melt butter; stir in flour, salt and pepper. Add milk all at once; cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat; add cheddar cheese. Cook and stir until melted.
Stir sauce into pasta and vegetables.
Transfer to a 2 1/2-quart casserole coated with cooking spray. Bake, covered, for 35 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with Parmesan and bake 5 minutes more.
Pizza Casserole
8 servings
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup chopped onion (1 medium)
- 2 yellow, red and/or green bell peppers, cut into thin strips
- 1 medium zucchini (8 ounces), halved lengthwise and sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Two 14 1/2 ounce can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, drained
- 4 fully cooked chicken sausage links, halved lengthwise and sliced
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning, crushed
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 lb package pizza dough
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (8 ounces)
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Grease a 2-quart rectangular baking dish; set aside.
In a large skillet heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and bell peppers; cook and stir for 5 minutes. Add zucchini and garlic; cook for 5 minutes more, stirring occasionally.
Add tomatoes, sliced sausage, half of the Italian seasoning, salt and black pepper to the mixture in the skillet. Bring to boiling; boil gently, uncovered, for 5 to 7 minutes or until most of the liquid evaporates.
Place pizza dough on a lightly floured surface. Using a knife or pastry wheel, cut pizza dough into 16 strips.
Remove skillet from the heat. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and half of the mozzarella cheese. Spoon mixture into the prepared dish. Top with the remaining mozzarella cheese.
Arrange pizza dough strips on top of the casserole in a lattice pattern. Sprinkle with remaining Italian seasoning. Bake, uncovered, about 30 minutes or until the crust is brown and the filling is bubbly.
Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
