31 Healthy Dinners You'll Want to Make in August
These flavorful dinner recipes are the perfect way to use summer vegetables as we approach the latter half of the season. Whether it's tomato and zucchini packed into a meaty casserole or herby noodle dishes enhanced with corn and spinach, this collection gives you a delicious meal idea for every night of August. Recipes like our Elote-Inspired Pasta Salad and Chicken & Quinoa Casserole will have the whole family going back for more.
Tater Tot Casserole with Beef, Corn & Zucchini
Casseroles can be for summer too! We packed this one with peak-season vegetables—corn, zucchini and tomatoes—then topped it with crispy tater tots and gooey melted cheese, making it a dinner winner.
Chicken & Zucchini Casserole
This baked chicken and zucchini casserole is creamy, hearty and low-carb! The whole family will love this easy casserole, plus it's a great way to get the kids to eat their veggies.
Elote-Inspired Pasta Salad
This zesty pasta salad draws inspiration from the flavors of elote—Mexican grilled corn on the cob that's smothered in a creamy mayo-based sauce and sprinkled with chili powder, cotija cheese and lime. Corn kernels blister in the hot pan and a sprinkle of smoked paprika brings out the flavor. If you can't find cotija cheese, grated Parmesan is a good substitute. There are a few methods you can use to remove corn kernels, whether it's a corn stripper tool or a knife and a dish towel. For more, learn how to cut corn off the cob.
Zucchini Noodles with Avocado Pesto & Shrimp
Cut some carbs and use spiralized zucchini in place of noodles in this zesty pesto pasta dish recipe. Top with Cajun-seasoned shrimp to complete this quick and easy dinner.
These Chicken Caesar Salad Wraps Have 38 Grams of Protein to Keep You Satisfied
These chicken Caesar salad wraps make for a quick, easy lunch or dinner. We like a mix of romaine and kale for texture and color, but you can use one or the other if you prefer. Romaine will not hold well once dressed, so we recommend making this wrap up to 1 day in advance or the leaves will get soggy. Parmesan crisps act as another crouton-like element—use store-bought crisps or make your own with our Parmesan Crisps recipe.
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.
Sheet-Pan Lemon-Pepper Chicken with Broccoli & Tomatoes
This sheet-pan lemon-pepper chicken with broccoli and tomatoes offers a blend of vitamin-rich vegetables, a healthy dose of fiber, and lean protein to fill your plate. Lemon pepper seasons the dish, adding brightness and spice.
Venison Chili
Many New Englanders have freezers stocked with venison from autumn hunting expeditions. If venison is not available, substitute ground sirloin. Garnish with reduced-fat sour cream and/or reduced-fat shredded cheddar, if desired. You can make the chili a day ahead and refrigerate; reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.
Creamy Lemon & Dill Skillet Chicken
This creamy lemon and dill skillet chicken recipe is a true crowd-pleaser and makes for a perfect weeknight dinner. Chicken cutlets cook quickly, taking this recipe from skillet to table in only 20 minutes. The drippings and fond from the pan are at the heart of the tangy, vibrant pan sauce that you serve with the chicken. Drizzle any extra over pasta, rice or mashed potatoes served on the side.
15-Minute Pesto Shrimp
This versatile and quick pesto shrimp can be served alongside a hunk of crusty bread, over pasta or rice, or even used as a topping for pizza. Look for shrimp that are free from preservatives, which can alter the texture and add sodium to the dish. We like the brightness and fresh flavor of refrigerated pesto, but a homemade classic basil pesto will make the dish extra special.
This Chicken & Quinoa Casserole Packs an Impressive 27 Grams of Protein
This aromatic and flavorful dish feels like veggie pizza in casserole form with fresh basil, herb-spiked diced tomatoes and ooey-gooey melted cheese on top. If you can't find fresh mozzarella ciliegine, buy a larger ball and tear it into pieces. Preheating your baking sheets helps encourage caramelization of the roasted veggies, which adds layers of flavor to this savory dinner.
Say Goodbye to Boring Breakfasts with These Pancetta, Tomato & Avocado Bowls
These hearty breakfast grain bowls feature grilled avocado, poached eggs, candied pancetta, quinoa, watercress and cherry tomatoes for a blast of flavor. Packed with fiber and protein, this bowl will power you through your day.
20-Minute Creamy Tomato Salmon Skillet
Salmon fillets cook quickly and are coated with a delicious creamy sauce made with tomatoes, zucchini and Italian seasoning. This easy salmon dinner is sure to become a new weeknight favorite the whole family will love. The best news: you can get this meal on the table in 20 minutes flat.
Lobster & Corn Chowder
The trick to making this healthy lobster chowder recipe have tons of rich flavor is to start with great fish stock. (The best is often in the freezer case at the supermarket.) Then cook the lobsters in the stock to intensify its flavor. There is no flour added in this healthy soup, so it's lighter than a typical creamy chowder--plus it's gluten-free.
Weeknight Chicken Lettuce Wraps
These chicken lettuce wraps are perfect for busy weeknights. Water chestnuts, green onions and carrots offer crunch to the sweet and tender filling that's bulked up with shiitake mushrooms to boost the savory flavor while keeping the filling moist. For the juiciest filling, look for ground chicken that is a combination of both light and dark meat. Using ground white meat only will cut back on fat and calories, but the filling will be a bit dryer. You can add additional chopped mushrooms to help keep it moist.
High-Protein Grilled Chicken Salad
This grilled chicken salad is perfect for summer entertaining. You can make the dressing, marinate the chicken, pickle the onions and slice your vegetables a few hours ahead of time, then just grill and assemble the salad after the guests arrive.
Low-Carb, High-Protein Ground Turkey Zucchini Boats
Summer-fresh zucchini brims with a zesty mix of peppers, ground turkey and spices in these ground turkey zucchini boats. Nothing goes to waste here, as the flesh from the zucchini gets chopped and mixed with the filling. To ensure they cook evenly, use zucchini that are similar in size.
Pasta alla Norma
Pasta alla Norma is a Sicilian pasta dish traditionally made with eggplant, tomatoes and ricotta salata. While not traditional, our version includes a splash of balsamic vinegar and fennel seeds for sweetness and flavor. Ricotta salata is a firm, salty cheese that, along with basil, brings brightness to this easy vegetarian dish.
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.
Creamy Mac & Cheese with Corn
This creamy mac and cheese pops with the sharp flavor of Cheddar cheese combined with sweet pops of fresh corn kernels. Cooking whole corncobs in the sauce brings the flavor of fresh corn to the forefront, but if you're in a pinch you can add 1? cups of thawed frozen corn kernels to the mixture before baking instead.
Mushroom & Spinach Melts
These mushroom-and-spinach melts check all the boxes: they're cheesy, packed with veggies and easy to make—what's not to love? Balsamic vinegar adds a wonderful sharpness to cut through the cheese, and pairs well with the sautéed vegetables. You can also make these sandwiches with a panini press, if you have one. Heat the press to medium and place 2 sandwiches on the cooking grates; cook until both sides are browned, crisp and the cheese is melted, about 2 minutes. Repeat with the remaining sandwiches.
3-Ingredient White Bean & Cherry Tomato Salad
This three-ingredient lunch takes a packaged salad kit to the next level with the addition of two pantry staples: cherry tomatoes and white beans. The Mediterranean flavor profile works well here, but another mix will be just as simple and satisfying.
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.
Grilled Salmon with Tomatoes & Basil
This recipe is so beautiful and yet so simple to prepare--it's perfect for entertaining. You just spread a side of salmon with minced garlic, sprinkle with fresh basil, then layer sliced tomatoes on top. Put it on the grill for 10 minutes and you're done!
Vegetarian Tacos with Zucchini & Corn
These fresh vegetarian tacos with zucchini and corn take advantage of summer's best produce. The chipotle-infused refried beans add a layer of heat. For vegan tacos, skip the queso fresco and add chopped avocado in its place.
Sheet-Pan Zucchini Pizza
Fresh zucchini and lemon slices top this sheet-pan pizza. Whole lemon slices add bright flavor from the skin and rind as well as acidity from the flesh. Feta and fresh mozzarella cheese add a savory note and add balance to the rest of the flavors.
Egg, Spinach & Cheddar Breakfast Sandwich
Fill yourself up with this ultra-quick egg, spinach and Cheddar breakfast sandwich. It's not only fast, but there's a good chance you already have the ingredients on hand that you'll need to pull it together, so you can skip a trip to the store before your busy workweek.
Air-Fryer Mini Margherita Pizzas
Broccoli will become your new go-to pizza topping once you try a bite of these mini pizzas. The florets turn crisp-tender in the air fryer and add color and nutrients to put a veggie-packed twist on a margherita pizza.
Chicken & Kale Taco Salad with Jalape?o-Avocado Ranch
This healthy, super-fast salad recipe swaps out romaine for kale, giving you more than 10 times the vitamin C. Easy flavor hacks like store-bought ranch and pickled jalape?os help make a creamy, tangy and spicy dressing you'll want to drizzle on everything from salad to sliced veggies and shredded poached chicken.
Stuffed Peppers
With a flavorful tomato sauce and savory beef-rice filling, this stuffed peppers recipe will appeal to the whole family. Look for peppers that are the same size for uniformity, which will make filling them easier. Chopping the tops of the peppers and using them in the stuffing mixture minimizes food waste.
Baked Ziti
From saucy noodles to melted cheese, this baked ziti recipe is comfort food at its finest. We like a 50-50 combination of ground beef and Italian turkey sausage, but you can use just 1 pound of either, if you prefer. Rather than using jarred meat sauce, making your own helps cut back on sodium. Fresh basil leaves finish this dish that the whole family will love.
Originally appeared: EatingWell.com, July 2023