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Getting your recommended daily dose of vegetables can be hard, whether you’re a picky 5-year-old or just a meat-and-potatoes kind of guy. But if you bake your vegetables into the most comforting dish known to man, the casserole, eating tons of veggies is easy.
Here are some of the best vegetable-centric (but not necessarily vegetarian!) casserole recipes to put on your family’s table ASAP.
If you’re not too keen on squash, mixing it with sweet potatoes is a great way to ease into it. This creamy, savory recipe includes asiago cheese for a sharp bite and sage, a classic pairing with butternut squash.
Recipe: AllRecipes
If you have yet to make broccoli casserole, what are you waiting for?! It comes together in no time thanks to shortcuts like canned cream of mushroom soup. Cheddar and a crunchy topping of crushed cheese crackers are a must.
Recipe: Tastes Better From Scratch
People might be more apt to eat eggplant if it looked and tasted like lasagna. Luckily, that’s exactly what eggplant rollatini is. Roll thin eggplant slices around seasoned ricotta, then bake it all with marinara for a vegetarian main course.
Recipe: A Simple Palate
If you normally turn your nose up at kale, you need to try it in this creamy pasta bake. It adds vibrant earthiness and makes the dish feel less heavy. You can use any shape pasta you want, including rigatoni or gnocchi.
Recipe: Southern Living
This is called old school because it’s a classic Southern casserole recipe, and it’s a great way to use up the bounty of your summer garden. Sour cream and three different cheeses bind the yellow squash together, and buttery Ritz crackers top it off.
Recipe: Southern Living
Using cauliflower florets as a base for a buffalo chicken casserole is a great way to stretch the more expensive meat. With cream cheese, ranch, buffalo sauce, and chicken, this is like your favorite buffalo chicken dip in main dish form.
Recipe: Delish
If you’re planning a special occasion dinner, this spinach gratin would make a fantastic side just like you get at a fancy steakhouse. Fresh spinach is wilted and mixed into a creamy sauce before being baked with buttery panko breadcrumbs on top.
Recipe: Martha Stewart
Let’s not overlook onions as a vegetable in their own right. This recipe is inexpensive since it’s mostly onions and bread, but the flavor is divine. The onions take about an hour to fully caramelize, but it’s worth it.
Recipe: Southern Living
Briam is a Greek vegetable casserole, similar to ratatouille, but it almost always includes potatoes. In this version, thin slices of potatoes, zucchini, and onion are layered with tomatoes and flavored with oregano, olive oil, and garlic. It’s both light and rich in flavor at the same time.
Recipe: The Mediterranean Dish
This spinach and feta dish is like spanikopita in casserole form. Rice helps bulk it up instead of phyllo dough, while lemon zest, dill, and garlic give it a traditional flavor. The best part? You cook it on the stove and bake it in the same pan.
Recipe: Eating Well
Pureed roasted butternut squash is used in this lasagna in place of tomato sauce, giving it the richness of a cream sauce without extra dairy (don’t worry, there’s still plenty of ricotta). Sage, nutty browned butter, and spinach also make appearances in the twist on a comfort food classic.
Recipe: Southern Living
If you have a family member who’s dubious of mushrooms, they might enjoy this casserole. It’s like stuffed mushrooms in scoopable form, complete with plenty of garlic, parmesan, and crispy toasted breadcrumbs.
Recipe: Eating Well
Swapping out potatoes for cauliflower in this loaded style (think bacon, cheese, and green onions) casserole is a great way to cut down on carbs. Plus, kids will eat anything creamy that looks like a loaded twice baked potato, right?
Recipe: Wholesome Yum
This is an over-the-top recipe that includes a half pound of bacon, lots of heavy cream, and handfuls of gruyere cheese. If that’s not enough to entice someone to like brussels sprouts, we don’t know what is.
Recipe: Serious Eats
Swap the corn tortillas for thin slices of zucchini in this easy enchilada recipe. Roll the zucchini around shredded chicken — $5 rotisserie chicken works great — and top with enchilada sauce and cheese before baking.
Recipe: Budget Bytes
Turn stuffed peppers into casserole form with this recipe. It includes all the usual ingredients, like bell peppers, rice, ground turkey or beef, but it’s got an added veggie boost from frozen chopped spinach, too.
Recipe: Well Plated by Erin
This is an interesting way to prepare cabbage that not many people have tried. Mix chopped raw cabbage with onions and cheese, then pour over a creamy, buttery broth. After 45 minutes in the oven, it comes out with sweet cabbage and caramelized edges.
Recipe: Budget Bytes
How did your mom try and get you to eat vegetables? She probably put cheese sauce on them. That’s all this simple casserole is: a mix of frozen vegetables topped with Velveeta and crushed Ritz crackers. Everyone is guaranteed to eat it up.
Recipe: Culinary Hill
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