The hot weather is here and the right healthy cold casserole dish can instantly become a quick, delicious and nutritious option to make for yourself, your family, or even a backyard potluck. This type of dish, served hot, is very convenient in the wintertime, but it can be equally as good in the summer as long as you serve a chilled alternative.

The ideal healthy cold casserole recipe should be nutrient dense, should be affordable and, of course, be packed with flavor. These are the key components to making sure you’ll not only love how convenient it is, but you’ll adore how great it tastes.

The next time you’d like to try a healthy cold casserole, give the following recipe a try. You’ll need 2 cans of tuna,1 chopped green pepper, 1 chopped cucumber, 2 chopped green onions, the juice from one whole lemon, 1 tsp dry dill, ½ tsp Dijon mustard, 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, ¼ cup Greek-style yogurt, a dash of pepper, 1 tsp dried tarragon, 1 tbsp parsley and 3 cups of cooked brown rice.

To make this recipe, simply drain the tuna and add it to a large bowl with 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice and all the dill. Set that aside. In a small bowl, combine the rest of the lemon juice, the Dijon mustard, pepper and olive oil. Beat them together. To the cooked brown rice, add the parsley, tarragon, Greek style yogurt and the dressing you made in the small bowl. Mix thoroughly to make sure the rice is completely coated. Add the tuna mixture and toss together with the green pepper, cucumber and green onion.

Once the ingredients are well mixed, there isn’t any baking required. Instead, refrigerate until it is chilled all the way through. This meal features all the hunger satisfying benefits of a casserole, but with the lightness and coolness of a summer salad.

With this and similar recipes, you can still eat well and heartily throughout the summer months without having to resort to heavy winter recipes or excess calories. For an interesting alternative to tuna, you can always make the recipe in the same way with cooked and cubed chicken breast. Consider replacing the brown rice with whole grain pasta, instead. Penne and rotini make particularly good choices for this meal. For a meal that kids will beg you to make, simply prepare it with fun-shaped pasta, instead.