Best 6 Lightened Up Million Dollar Casserole Recipes
Craving a hearty meal without the guilt? Look no further than our guide to the "Lightened Up Million Dollar Casserole"! This classic dish is a comfort food favorite, known for its creamy sauce, cheesy topping, and satisfying crunch. Our updated version takes the traditional recipe and transforms it into a healthier yet equally delicious treat. With simple ingredient swaps and smart cooking techniques, we'll show you how to enjoy this iconic casserole without compromising on flavor or satisfaction.
Here are our top 6 tried and tested recipes!
LIGHTENED-UP MILLION-DOLLAR CASSEROLE
We ditched the heavy cream and swapped in turkey for beef in this lightened-up version of our crazy-popular Million-Dollar Spaghetti Casserole. With these and other smart swaps, this recipe totally delivers on comfort food without weighing you down.
Provided by Betty Crocker Kitchens
Categories Entree
Time 1h20m
Yield 8
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) baking dish with cooking spray.
- Cook spaghetti as directed on package.
- Meanwhile, in medium bowl, beat egg, Parmesan cheese, parsley and melted butter with whisk. Drain spaghetti; return to spaghetti-cooking pan. Add egg mixture to spaghetti, and quickly toss until evenly coated; transfer mixture to baking dish.
- In medium bowl, mix cottage cheese and cream cheese. Spread mixture evenly over spaghetti mixture in baking dish.
- In 10-inch nonstick skillet, cook turkey over medium heat 5 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned. Remove from heat; stir in pasta sauce. Spread mixture over cottage cheese layer in baking dish. Top evenly with mozzarella cheese.
- Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted and lightly browned on top. Let stand 5 minutes. Top with basil.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 480, Carbohydrate 48 g, Cholesterol 100 mg, Fat 1, Fiber 4 g, Protein 31 g, SaturatedFat 8 g, ServingSize 1 Serving, Sodium 590 mg, Sugar 7 g, TransFat 0 g
LIGHTENED-UP SMOTHERED CHICKEN CASSEROLE
You loved our Smothered Chicken Casserole, now try the better-for-you version featuring smart swaps like lean chicken breasts, milk in place of half-and-half and less bacon. With all of the flavor of the original, but only half the fat, there's a lot to love about this lightened-up recipe!
Provided by Betty Crocker Kitchens
Categories Entree
Time 1h20m
Yield 4
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Heat oven to 375°F. Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) baking dish with cooking spray. Cook pasta as directed on package; drain.
- Meanwhile, rub chicken breasts with grill seasoning.
- In 10-inch nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Cook chicken in oil 9 to 11 minutes, turning once, until deep brown on both sides (chicken will not be cooked all the way through).
- In large bowl, mix soup, milk, melted butter, thyme, paprika and salt; reserve 1/2 cup sauce. Stir in cooked pasta and frozen broccoli.
- Place pasta mixture in baking dish; top with chicken. Spoon reserved sauce over chicken. Cover; bake 35 to 40 minutes or until juice of chicken is clear when center of thickest part is cut (at least 165°F). Uncover; let stand 5 minutes. Top with bacon.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 500, Carbohydrate 50 g, Cholesterol 105 mg, Fat 2, Fiber 4 g, Protein 44 g, SaturatedFat 5 g, ServingSize 1 Serving, Sodium 740 mg, Sugar 4 g, TransFat 0 g
MILLION DOLLAR CHICKEN CASSEROLE
Creamy and incredibly savory, it's a casserole that's hard to stop eating. The cottage cheese is the trick to getting such a creamy, melty texture. Using rotisserie chicken is a must for the recipe and helps keep it quick.
Provided by Amanda Stanfield
Categories Chicken Casserole
Time 1h5m
Yield 8
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Stir together cream of chicken soup, cottage cheese, sour cream, cream cheese, Creole seasoning, onion powder, and 1/2 teaspoon of the garlic powder in a medium bowl until well blended and smooth. Fold in chicken, chopped onion, and parsley until evenly coated.
- Stir together crackers, melted butter, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder in a medium bowl.
- Spoon chicken mixture evenly into an 11x7-inch or 9-inch square baking dish. Sprinkle evenly with mozzarella then cracker mixture.
- Place on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven until crackers are golden brown and edges are bubbly, about 40 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before serving; garnish with scallions if desired.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 427.3 calories, Carbohydrate 14.9 g, Cholesterol 102.5 mg, Fat 25.1 g, Fiber 0.7 g, Protein 33.8 g, SaturatedFat 11.4 g, Sodium 738.3 mg
MILLION DOLLAR ITALIAN CASSEROLE
Similar to Million Dollar Spaghetti on FB and Pinterest. I reduced the butter (a lot), added a little more flavor, and altered the baking time since 2/3 content was already hot. Recipe goes together quickly if you coordinate the boiling, sauteing, mixing, etc. I prefer to use Paul Newman's Sockarooni or Roasted Garlic Pasta Sauce
Provided by Southern Lady
Categories One Dish Meal
Time 45m
Yield 8-10 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 15
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Bring water to boil, add salt and pasta and cook per directions.
- Use 2 T of butter and grease a 9 x 12 baking dish.
- Dice green pepper and onion.
- Slice mushrooms.
- Heat 2 T of garlic oil and saute on medium heat bell pepper, onion, and mushrooms 3-4 minutes.
- Drain pasta and set aside.
- Add ground sirloin, crumbling as you add. Add salt & pepper, breaking up beef into small bites. Remain cooking until beef is no longer pink, drain excess gease.
- Add jar of pasta sauce and heat through.
- While meat sauce is cooking, add softened cream cheese, sour cream, and cottage cheese to a medium size mixing bowl.
- Using a hand mixer or immersion blender, mix 3 ingredients until well blended.
- Layer 1/2 pasta into baking dish, add blended cheese mixture and smooth evenly over pasta.
- Evenly add remaining pasta followed by red meat sauce.
- Cover dish with foil and bake 20 minutes. (I spray oil my foil so it doesn't stick).
- Remove foil and add grated cheese on top.
- Return to oven for 10-15 minutes until cheese has melted well.
- Rest for 5 minutes before serving.
MILLION DOLLAR CASSEROLE
Got this from a friends post on Facebook. I'm always looking for casseroles to stretch out my dollar and get a couple days worth of meals...
Provided by theosuperstar
Categories Cheese
Time 1h
Yield 8 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Cook 1 lb. elbow macaroni and lay half in a 9x13 baking dish.
- Spread the above mixture evenly over the macaroni.
- Layer on the rest of the pasta and pour on 28 oz. Ragu Traditional Spaghetti Sauce. Top with Mozzarella Cheese.
- Refrigerate overnight and take out 4 hours before baking at 350 for 45 minutes.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 466.2, Fat 18, SaturatedFat 9.4, Cholesterol 53.2, Sodium 657.9, Carbohydrate 53.7, Fiber 3.4, Sugar 8.4, Protein 21.6
MILLION DOLLAR CASSEROLE (SPAGHETTI CASSEROLE) RECIPE
Layers of cheesy pasta and creamy sauce make this casserole a family favorite.
Provided by Contributor
Categories Main Course
Time 1h5m
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Cook noodles as directed on the package.
- While your noodles are boiling, mix together the cream cheese, sour cream, and cottage cheese in a medium-sized bowl until smooth (there might be a couple of bumps from the cottage cheese, but make sure it's all mixed together well).
- Place ground beef in a large skillet and brown until completely cooked through. Drain grease well.
- Pour spaghetti sauce over the meat and mix well.
- Spray a 9 x 13 inch pan with cooking spray.
- Layer half of the cooked noodles in the bottom of the dish. Pour the creamy cheese mixture on top of the noodles and spread it around evenly. Next, add the rest of the noodles on top of the cheese mix layer and spread the noodles out to cover the pan. Then, slice up the butter and place it on top of the noodles throughout the pan.
- Once the noodle and cheese layers have been put together, pour the red meat sauce on top and cover the noodles completely.
- Cook it uncovered for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Once the 30 minutes is up, take the casserole out of the oven and cover the whole thing with cheddar cheese. Then return it back to the oven to cook for another 15 minutes.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 414 kcal, Carbohydrate 23 g, Protein 19 g, Fat 28 g, SaturatedFat 14 g, Cholesterol 88 mg, Sodium 689 mg, Fiber 2 g, Sugar 5 g, ServingSize 1 serving
Tips:
- To make the sauce, use a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. This will help prevent the sauce from burning or sticking to the pan.
- If you don't have evaporated milk, you can use 1 cup of milk and 1/4 cup of cornstarch. Just whisk the cornstarch into the milk until it's dissolved before adding it to the saucepan.
- Shred the chicken breasts before cooking them. This will help them cook more evenly and quickly.
- Use a variety of vegetables in your casserole. This will add flavor, texture, and nutrients to the dish.
- Don't overcook the casserole. The noodles should be tender but still have a little bite to them.
- Serve the casserole immediately or let it cool slightly and then refrigerate it for later.
Conclusion:
Lightened-Up Million Dollar Casserole is a delicious and easy-to-make dish that's perfect for busy weeknights. It's also a great way to use up leftover chicken or turkey. With its creamy sauce, tender noodles, and flavorful vegetables, this casserole is sure to be a hit with your family and friends.
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