Classic Comfort Foods, Lightened Up

Food Network makes healthy comfort food recipes. Get slimmed-down recipes for meatloaf, chicken Parmesan, macaroni and cheese, and mashed potatoes.

Photo By: Tara Donne ©Tara Donne

Photo By: Stephen Murello

Photo By: Matt Armendariz

©2012, Food Network

Photo By: Teri Lyn Fisher

Photo By: Teri Lyn Fisher

Photo By: Stephen Johnson ©2014, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved

Photo By: Stephen Murello

Photo By: Tara Donne

Photo By: Tara Donne ©Tara Donne

Photo By: Stephen Johnson ©2014, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved

Photo By: Stephen Johnson ©2014, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved

Photo By: Armando Rafael

Photo By: Matt Armendariz ©2014, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved

Three Cheese Macaroni

A typical serving of restaurant mac and cheese has over 900 calories. This one has just 403, with all the cheesy flavor of the original.

Get the Recipe: Three-Cheese Macaroni

Chicken Parmesan

Food Network Kitchens trimmed traditional chicken parm down to 435 calories, with less fat and more flavor from fresh tomato sauce and crisp breading.

Get the Recipe: Chicken Parmesan

Cracked Pepper Potato Chips With Onion Dip

Ellie Krieger's potato chips are baked, not fried, and are paired with a creamy onion dip made with low-fat Greek yogurt, proving that a healthy diet doesn't mean giving up your favorite snacks.

Get the Recipe: Cracked Pepper Potato Chips with Onion Dip

Bacon Jack and Jalapeno Quesadillas

Food Network Kitchens swapped in turkey bacon and reduced-fat jack cheese to make these Tex-Mex snacks irresistible and good for you.

Get the Recipe: Bacon Jack and Jalapeno Quesadillas

Baked Beans With Ham

Ellie's potluck-perfect baked beans feature lean, smoked ham instead of bacon and get their sweet side from molasses -- not refined sugar.

Get the Recipe: Baked Beans with Ham

Crabmeat Fondue

Turns out you can have creamy hot crab dip and still maintain your figure; just substitute low-fat cream cheese, milk and mayo for the full-fat ingredients in a traditional recipe.

Get the Recipe: Crabmeat Fondue

Lighter Shrimp Scampi

Traditional shrimp scampi is loaded with butter, but this version is cooked in chicken broth instead and gets an extra punch of flavor from kalamata olives.

Get the Recipe: Lightened-Up Shrimp Scampi

Sausage Phyllo Rolls

You won't miss the extra fat and calories in these savory, bite-sized snacks -- and you won't believe that one serving has just 220 calories!

Get the Recipe: Sausage Phyllo Rolls

Easy Chicken-Mushroom Quesadillas

Ellie fills a whole-grain tortilla with chicken, mushrooms, fresh spinach and a little cheese for a healthy and filling meal.

Get the Recipe: Easy Chicken-Mushroom Quesadillas

Potato and Zucchini Frittata

Using veggies, egg whites and turkey bacon, Food Network Kitchens created this trim potato and egg dish with only 255 calories per protein-filled serving.

Get the Recipe: Potato and Zucchini Frittata

Sweet Potato Lasagna

Sweet potatoes sub in for lasagna noodles in this twist on the classic, while spinach adds a pop of color (and plenty of nutrition). The result is a hearty and satisfying main dish that just happens to be vegetarian and gluten-free too!

Get the Recipe: Sweet Potato Lasagna

Low-Fat Clam Chowder

Now you can enjoy all the comfort of creamy New England clam chowder with just half of the calories, thanks to fat-free half-and-half and just enough bacon to flavor the vegetables.

Get the Recipe: Low-Fat Clam Chowder

Baked Mini Corn Dogs

Two of these mini dogs have 115 fewer calories and 50 percent less fat than a single full-size fried corn dog.

Get the Recipe: Baked Mini Corn Dogs

Crispy Baked "Fried" Chicken

Cat Cora's crispy baked chicken has 100 fewer calories than the fried version and about half the fat. "This chicken really does taste fried," Cat says.

Get the Recipe: Crispy Baked 'Fried' Chicken

Spaghetti Squash Scampi Boats

Butter, lemon, garlic and shrimp — this can't-go-wrong combo even works on roasted spaghetti squash.

Get the Recipe: Spaghetti Squash Scampi Boats

Baked Fish and Chips

This baked version of a deep-fried favorite has 144 fewer calories and 12 grams fewer fat than the average restaurant-style fish and chips.

Get the Recipe: Baked Fish and Chips

Curried Chicken and Rice Soup

Hearty chicken soup spiced with curry powder and fresh herbs will satisfy your craving for something warm and comforting without contributing extra fat to your diet.

Get the Recipe: Curried Chicken and Rice Soup

Garden Potato Salad

This version of the ultimate picnic side dish has 280 fewer calories than the traditional recipe. The secrets? Plain yogurt in place of most of the mayo, plus lots of crunchy veggies mixed in with classic potatoes.

Get the Recipe: Garden Potato Salad

Crispy Crab Cakes

These crab cakes have fewer calories than most, yet are still moist inside and crisp on the outside. Ellie relies on good-quality lump crab, not fillers, to make this cake shine.

Get the Recipe: Crisp Crab Cakes

Slim Six-Layer Dip

Thanks to the flavors of chili paste, garlic, cilantro and jalapeno, this six-layer dip tastes just as good as the original recipe, but has fewer calories and less fat.

Get the Recipe: Six-Layer Bean Dip

Rachael's Mashed Potato Skins

Potatoes are full of potassium and vitamin C, plus lots of carbohydrates for much-needed energy. Rachael Ray cuts calories in her mashed spuds by using turkey bacon and buttermilk instead of sour cream.

Get the Recipe: Mashed Potato Skins

Beef Taco Salad With Chunky Tomato Dressing

Ellie uses lean ground beef and baked tortilla chips to keep this Tex-Mex salad healhy, and she adds black beans for additional low-fat protein.

Get the Recipe: Beef Taco Salad with Chunky Tomato Dressing

Bobby's Vegetable Meatloaf With Balsamic Glaze

Bobby Flay's recipe has 300 fewer calories and 65 percent less fat than a serving of restaurant-style meatloaf. Panko breadcrumbs give the meatloaf a light, airy texture.

Get the Recipe: Vegetable Meatloaf with Balsamic Glaze

Beef Stroganoff

Ellie lightens up a comfort food favorite by substituting low-fat Greek yogurt for the sour cream used in most beef stroganoff recipes.

Get the Recipe: Beef Stroganoff

Oven "Fries"

Ellie's baked "fries" allow you to indulge your cravings without expanding your waistline.

Get the Recipe: Oven "Fries"

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

This mash gets its creamy texture not from loads of butter and cream but from the natural creaminess of Yukon gold potatoes and a touch of olive oil.

Get the Recipe: Garlic Mashed Potatoes

English-Muffin Breakfast Pizza

Pizza for breakfast? Ellie Krieger says it's an excellent source of essential nutrients like protein, calcium and fiber -- so go ahead!

Get the Recipe: English-Muffin Breakfast Pizza

Pulled BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

Not only are these chicken sandwiches a healthy meal option, but they're made with store-bought rotisserie chicken, so they make a quick weeknight dinner, too.

Get the Recipe: Pulled BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

Huevos Rancheros

Feta is a lower-calorie cheese than the usual cheddar, but it still gives this dish that great sharp-cheese flavor.

Get the Recipe: Huevos Rancheros

Portobello Lasagna Rollups

Whole-wheat noodles and part-skim ricotta and mozzarella are smart substitutions that won't affect the taste of this favorite dish: cheesy, bubbling lasagna, rolled up into individual portions.

Get the Recipe: Portobello Lasagna Rollups

Oven Baked Onion Rings

Forgo the deep fryer for a baking sheet and you'll have crisp, healthy onion rings every time.

Get the Recipe: Oven Baked Onion Rings

Whole-Wheat Apple Pancakes

Ellie keeps her healthy pancakes light and fluffy by using half whole-wheat flour and half all-purpose flour, plus low-fat buttermilk.

Get the Recipe: Whole-Wheat Apple Pancakes

Made-Over Deep Dish Brownies

A healthy lifestyle doesn't have to mean a brownie-free lifestyle, especially when you can make rich, chocolatey treats like these, with just 154 calories per serving.

Get the Recipe: Made-Over Deep Dish Brownies

Decadent Chocolate Cake

Food Network Kitchens transformed a traditional butter-laden cake into this slimmed-down, waistline-friendly, 180-calorie dessert.

Get the Recipe: Decadent Chocolate Cake

Strawberry Shortcakes

You may think of this classic as fairly healthy, but the average recipe has more than 800 calories and 56 grams of fat per serving. See how Food Network Kitchens trimmed this favorite to just 215 calories and 6 grams of fat.

Get the Recipe: Light Strawberry Shortcake

Lemon Cake With Lemon Meringue Frosting

By substituting buttermilk and oil for the butter in a traditional lemon cake recipe, Food Network Kitchens was able to slim this recipe down to 315 calories.

Get the Recipe: Lemon Cake with Lemon Meringue Frosting

Banana Cream Pie

Velvety vanilla pudding and sliced bananas in a light graham cracker crust make for a special dessert with only 215 calories per serving.

Get the Recipe: Banana Cream Pie

Cheesecake Brownies

Dense, chocolatey brownies topped with creamy cheesecake swirls can't be part of a healthy diet, can they? The answer is yes when you make Food Network Kitchens' version with only 200 calories per serving.

Get the Recipe: Lighter Cheesecake Brownies

Low-Fat Cheesecake

Food Network Kitchens cut 291 calories and 21 grams of fat off the average slice of cheesecake -- see how they did it.

Get the Recipe: Low-Fat Cheesecake

Carrot Cupcakes With Cream Cheese Frosting

You can have your cupcake and eat it, too, with Ellie's smart version, made with whole-wheat flour, applesauce and low-fat cream cheese.

Get the Recipe: Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Low-Fat Raspberry-Corn Muffins

Food Network Kitchens shaved 187 calories and 12 grams of fat off the average corn muffin. This one has another advantage: it's studded with plump raspberries.

Get the Recipe: Low-Fat Raspberry-Corn Muffins

Dark Chocolate Brownies

Ellie's brownies have half the calories and fat of normal versions. The trick: trading sticks of butter for tangy yogurt and healthier oil.

Get the Recipe: Dark Chocolate Brownies

Low-Fat Chocolate Pudding

Food Network Kitchens trimmed 96 calories and 14 grams of fat per serving from the classic pudding.

Get the Recipe: Low-Fat Chocolate Pudding

Honey Oatmeal-Raisin Cookies

Ellie's oatmeal cookies are soft, chewy and sweet, but have about half the sugars and saturated fat, fewer total carbs, and more protein and fiber than a traditional recipe.

Get the Recipe: Honey Oatmeal-Raisin Cookies

Double Chocolate Pudding Pie

Ellie's classic creamy pie has double the chocolate but half the fat of the original.

Get the Recipe: Double Chocolate Pudding Pie

Ricotta-Spinach Tacos

This quick and easy weeknight meal clocks in at just 315 calories for each serving.

Get the Recipe: Ricotta-Spinach Tacos

Panko-Crusted Chicken and Crudites With Blue Cheese Dip

Food Network Kitchens' chicken fingers and creamy blue cheese dip has only 279 calories per serving, making this nostalgic meal a smart choice.

Get the Recipe: Panko-Crusted Chicken and Crudites with Blue Cheese Dip