5 Healthy Comfort Food Dishes For Fall

Casseroles are amazing — that’s all there is to it. They feel like a giant bear hug on a cold day, making them the ultimate comfort food.

But, unfortunately, that hug is packed with a few hundred more calories than you actually want in one meal.

Thankfully, Better Homes and Gardens made a long list of healthy casseroles for fall so that you don’t have to feel guilty about indulging in a rich, bear hug-like comfort food.

Here are five healthy casseroles for fall, because sometimes we need a pick me up in the middle of a tough winter weather.

1. Healthy Baked Cavatelli

This delicious casserole includes fun cavatelli pasta, rich Italian turkey sausage, button mushrooms, sweet red pepper, onion and garlic, among other flavor-packed ingredients.

One serving has only 254 calories, according to Better Homes and Gardens. Get the recipe here.

2. Gnocchi And Meatball Bake

These meatballs are low in fat but still juicy and flavorful thanks to lean ground beef.

You can make this paste in no time with gnocchi, tomato sauce, Italian herbs, a few vegetables and a bit of mozzarella cheese, and it’s only 234 calories per serving, according to BHG. Find the recipe here.

3. Beef And Vegetable Biscuit Bake

Oh my God. Talk about scrumptious and comforting — this biscuit bake combines the warmth and richness of biscuits and gravy while sticking to lean beef and veggies to keep things healthy.

But that doesn’t mean that it’s lacking in richness or savory qualities. All of that topped with flaky, golden-brown biscuits — this casserole will definitely prepare you for a winter hibernation but at a guilt-free 309 calories per serving. Find out how to make it here.

4. Chicken And Stuffing Bake

This casserole capitalizes on one of Thanksgiving’s greatest combinations: perfectly cooked-poultry and seasoned stuffing.

BHG said it’s a Thanksgiving take on the old rice-and-chicken classic. Instead of using high-fat cheese, though, this recipe opts for cream of chicken soup and sour cream, which makes each serving only 383 calories. Get the recipe here.

5. Fruited Multigrain Pilaf

This pilaf-style side-dish casserole is full of hearty grains including wheat berries, farro and wild rice, and it boasts four grams of fiber and five grams of protein per serving.

It uses dried cranberries and chopped apples to add serious flavor while keeping the dish under 200 calories per serving, according to BHG. Here’s the recipe.

6. Four-Cheese Butternut Squash Macaroni And Cheese

That’s right, there’s a mac n’ cheese dish on this “healthy” recipe list. And you thought being healthy was no fun!

This mac n’ cheese uses herb and garlic semisoft cheese, mozzarella, sharp cheddar, and Munster combined with butternut squash to create a healthy but addictive version of a tried-and-true favorite.

And, shockingly, each serving is only 266 calories. Find the recipe here.