Slow-Cooker Lasagna

I fixed this recipe over the weekend and it turned out really good. I would definitely fix again.

I found the recipe on the Kraft Foods website.

Ingredients
1 lb. ground beef (I used the extra lean ground beef)
1 jar (26 oz.) spaghetti sauce (I used the light tomato/basil sauce)
1 cup water
1 container (15 oz.) BREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN Ricotta Cheese
1 pkg. (7 oz.) KRAFT 2% Milk Shredded Mozzarella Cheese, divided (used fat free mozzarella)
1/4 cup KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese, divided
1 egg
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
6 lasagna noodles, uncooked


BROWN meat in large skillet; drain. Stir in spaghetti sauce and water.
Mix ricotta, 1-1/2 cups mozzarella, 2 Tbsp. Parmesan, egg and parsley in separate bowl.

SPOON 1 cup meat sauce into slow cooker; top with layers of half each of the noodles, broken to fit; and cheese mixture. Cover with 2 cups meat sauce. Top with remaining noodles, broken to fit; cheese mixture and meat sauce. Cover with lid.

COOK on LOW 4 to 6 hours or until liquid is absorbed. Sprinkle with remaining cheeses; let stand, covered, 10 min. or until melted.

Layered Fiesta Casserole

I found this recipe on the Kraft Foods website and decided to try it out because it looked so good and easy to make. It was delish!

1 lb. extra-lean ground beef
1 green pepper, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 jar (16 oz.) Salsa
1 can (14-1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained (I omitted, the salsa was enough tomatoes)
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen corn, thawed
12 corn tortillas (6 inch) (I only used 8 tortillas)
1-1/2 cups KRAFT 2% Milk Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese, divided (I used the reduced fat mx cheese but could also use fat free cheddar)

HEAT oven to 375°F.

BROWN meat with peppers in large skillet; drain. Return to skillet. Stir in salsa, tomatoes and corn.

SPREAD 1 cup meat mixture onto bottom of 13x9-inch baking dish; top with 6 tortillas, overlapping as necessary. Cover with layers of half each of the remaining meat mixture and cheese; top with remaining tortillas and meat mixture. Cover with foil.

BAKE 25 to 30 min. or until heated through. Top with remaining cheese; let stand 5 min. or until melted.

Make Ahead
Assemble casserole as directed. Refrigerate up to 24 hours. When ready to serve, bake at 375°F for 40 to 45 min. or until heated through. Top with cheese; continue as directed.

I tried to figure out the nutritional info based on what I put in and I came up with
330cal, 7.3g fat, 24g protein, 4.7g fiber

Makes 6 servings.

Harvest Chicken with Vegetables

1 (14.5oz) can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon Mrs Dash table blend
1/4 teaspoon sugar
4 (5oz) skinless boneless chicken breast halves
1 1/2 tablespoons italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups (about 10oz) diced (1/2 inch) summer squash
3/4 cup (1/2 inch thick) slices onion
3/4 cup julienne cut red bell pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1. Combine first 4 ingredients (through sugar) in a large bowl and set aside. Coat chicken with breadcrumbs.
2. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook 2 minutes per side or until golden brown. Remove to a plate. Add squash, onion and bell pepper to pan; reduce to medium meat and cook 6 minutes (until squash is lightly browned). Stir occasionally. Return chicken to pan.
3. Spoon tomato mixture over chicken. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 15 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley.

Yield: 4 servings (1 chicken breast and about 3/4 cp vegetable mixture).

Calories 258; Fat 7g; Protein 32g; Fiber 3g

I found this recipe in the Health magazine (http://recipes.health.com/recipes/1097981-harvest-chicken-with-vegetables). I substitued the salt and pepper with Mrs Dash.

HG Slow-Cookin' Pulled Chicken

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lb. raw boneless skinless lean chicken breasts, halved
1 cup canned tomato sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
2 tbsp. plus 2 tsp. brown sugar (not packed)
2 tbsp. plus 2 tsp. cider vinegar
2 tsp. garlic powder
Optional: red pepper flakes, to taste

Directions:
Place all ingredients except the chicken in the crock pot. Stir until mixed. Add chicken and coat well with the sauce.

Cover and cook on high for 3 - 4 hours OR on low for 7 - 8 hours, until chicken is fully cooked.

PER SERVING (1/2 cup): 149 calories, 1g fat, 462mg sodium, 10g carbs, <0.5g fiber, 9g sugars, 22.5g protein -- POINTS® value 3*

NOTE: I fixed this and it was so easy and very yummy! I toasted some wheat bread and had a sandwich.

Remove all the chicken and place it in a bowl. Shred each piece using two forks -- one to hold the chicken in place and the other to scrape across the meat and shred it. Return the shredded chicken to the crock pot, and mix well with the sauce.

If you're serving a group, keep the crock pot on its lowest setting, so the chicken stays warm. If you like, season to taste with red pepper flakes. Eat up!

MAKES 7 SERVINGS

Ginormous Creamy Frozen Caramel Crunchcake

I took this recipe from the Hungy Girl cookbook and it is so easy and so good!

2 full-sized caramel corn rice cakes
1/4 cup Cool Whip Free

Cover the top half of one rice cake evenly with the Cook Whip. Place the other rice cake on top, making a sandwich. Freeze for at least 1 hour, then enjoy.

Tip: For an extra layer of fun, spread a tablespoon of fruity sugar-free preserves on the inside of each rice cake before assembling your treat. Strawberry is the best. That will add about 20 calories.

Entire recipe: 130cal, .5g fat, 70mg sodium, 28g carbs, 8g sugars, 2g protein

Memorial Day Menu

I'm doing a boot camp at my gym and we have homework every week. This week's homework is to "Design a Memorial day meal for a cookout that is healthy and low in calories.".

So, here's my meal...
Appetizer - Fresh Corn Salsa
4 tomatoes, chopped
1 cup corn kernels
1/4 cup finely chopped red onions
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 jalapeno pepper, chopped
1/4 cup fat free zesty italian dressing
lime juice to taste
Combine all ingredients, except dressing and lime juice. Add dressing and lime juice; mix lightly.
Makes 3 cups or 24 servings, 2 Tbsp. each
Served with baked chips or reduced fat wheat thins

Salad - Fruit & Almond Salad
1pkg (5oz) salad greens
1 can (11oz) mandarin oranges, drained
1 cup fresh raspberries
1 cup fat free shredded mozzarella cheese
1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted
1/4 cup fat free or light raspberry vinaigrette dressing
Combine all ingredients except dressing in large bowl.
Drizzle with dressing just before serving; toss to coat.
Note: To toast nuts in the oven, spread nuts in single layer in shallow baking pan. Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown, stirring occasionally.

Entree - Sweet BBQ Chicken Kabobs
1lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 1/2" pieces
2 cups fresh pineapple chunks
1 each: red and green pepper, cut into 1 1/2" chunks
1/2 cup bbq sauce (I use KC Masterpiece Classic Blend with only 10 calories per serving)
3Tbsp. frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Using 4 long wooden skewers, thread chicken alternately with pineapple and peppers onto skewers to make 4 kabobs.
Mix bbq sauce and juice concentrate; brush some of the sauce mixture onto kabobs.
Grill 8-10 minutes or until chicken is cooked through, turning and brushing occasionally with the remaining sauce mixture.
Makes 4 servings, 1 kabob each.

Serve with some brown rice.

Dessert - Cosmopolitan Jell-O Cups
1 pkg sugar free or fat free strawberry flavored gelatin
1 cup orange sherbert
fat free cool whip
Add 1 cup boiling water to gelatin mix in medium bowl; stir 2 min until completely dissolved. Stir in sherbert until melted. Pour into 4 martini or wine glasses. Refrigerate 2 hours or until firm. Top each with 1 tbsp. cool whip just before serving.

Taco Mac

1lb extra lean ground meat
1 large onion, chopped (I just used onion powder)
1 package low sodium taco seasoning mix
2 1/2 cups water
1 15oz can diced tomatoes
1 15oz can corn, drained
1 15oz can pinto beans, drained
1 cup uncooked pasta, wheat

Brown ground meat, onion and taco seasoning. Drain. Add rest of ingredients. Heat to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 8-10 minutes.

Makes 8 1cup servings.

I calculated each 1 cup serving to have
178.4 cal
2.6 g fat
16.9 g protein
5.4g fiber

Zucchini Casserole

4 zucchini, sliced
Mrs Dash seasonings
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
1cup shredded parmesan cheese
1 tomatoe, thinly sliced

Spray 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Cover bottom of pan with zucchini slices and sprinkle seasonings and cheese over it. Repeat zucchini/seasoning/cheese layers 2 more times. Put tomatoe slices over top layer. Cover with foil and bake at 375 for 1 hour. The last 15 minutes, remove the foil.

I did my best to figure calories, fat, protein and fiber and this is what I came up with.

This prepares 8 servings.
Each serving has 85 calories, 4.4g fat, 6.7g protein, 2.1g fiber.

Crock Pot Chicken Taco Chile

So I tried this recipe tonight and it was delish!

1 onion, chopped (I used onion powder)
1 16-oz can black beans
1 16-oz can kidney beans
1 8-oz can tomato sauce
1 package frozen corn kernels
2 14.5-oz cans diced tomatoes w/chilies
1 packet taco seasoning
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp chili powder

24 0z. (3) boneless skinless chicken breasts
chili peppers, chopped (optional)

chopped fresh cilantro


Combine beans, onion, chili peppers, corn, tomato sauce, cumin, chili powder and taco seasoning in a slow cooker. Place chicken on top and cover. Cook on low for 10 hours or on high for 6 hours. Half hour before serving, remove chicken and shred. Return chicken to slow cooker and stir in. Top with fresh cilantro. Also try it with low fat cheese and sour cream (extra points).

I put in crock pot on low and it was done in 6 hours.

Blueberry Apple Pancake Shake-Up

I got this recipe from the Hungry-Girl cookbook and they were pretty yummy!

Ingredients
1/3 cup regular otas (not instant)
2 tablespoons dry pancake mix
1/3 cup peeled and finely chopped apples
1/4 cup blueberries
1/4 cup fat-free liquid egg substitute
1 tablespoon fat-free cottage cheese
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon splenda no calorie sweetener (granulated)
dash of salt

Directions
Place all ingredients except for the blueberries and apples in a medium bowl. Add 3 tablespoons of water ans stir until thoroughly mixed.

Gently fold in apples and blueberries.

Over medium heat, in a large pan sprayed with nonstick spray, evenly pour batter to form 3 pancakes. Once pancakes begin to look solid (after about 3 minutes), gently flip.

Cook for 3 additional minutes or until both sides are lightly browned and insides are cooked through. Now plate your pancakes and enjoy.

PER SERVING (3 pancakes):
252 calories, 2.5g fat, 517mg sodium, 44g carbs, 4g fiber, 12g sugars, 13g protein
POINTS®value 4*

Here's what they look like.

De-Pudged Pigs in a Blanket

Ingredients
8 fat-free or nearly fat-free hot dogs (40 to 50 calories each)
1 can (8 servings) Pillsbury Reduced Fat Crescent Rolls refrigerated dough

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cut each dog into 4 even pieces.

Take 1 of the 8 triangle-shaped portions of the dough and stretch or roll it out slightly, making it into a larger triangle. Then cut this piece of dough into 4 long, narrow triangles. Beginning at the base of each of these triangles, roll 1 hot dog piece up in each triangle until the point of the triangle wraps around the center. Place your blanketed pigs on a large, ungreased baking pan and repeat entire process 7 more times with remaining dough and hot dog pieces. Be sure to evenly space them, as the dough will expand while baking.
Place pan in the oven and cook for about 12 minutes, until dough appears slightly browned and crip.
Enjoy!
Makes 8 servings.

PER SERVING (4 pigs in a blanket):
134 calories, 5g fat, 652mg sodium, 16g carbs, 0g fiber, 3g sugars, 8g protein
POINTS® value 3

Check out what they look like here.


NOTE: I fixed these for my daughter and she really liked them. I must say, they were pretty good. It would be a good finger food for a party.

Banana Oatmeal Muffins

I ran across this recipe and tried it, these muffins are pretty good tasting.

Ingredients -
1 cup oats
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 large bananas, mashed
1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
2 egg whites
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp ground flaxseed
1 tbsp chopped walnuts
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/4 cup water

Directions -
1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees

2. Line muffin tray

3. Combine mashed bananas, apple sauce, egg whites, vanilla extract, ground flaxseed and walnuts in medium sized bowl. Stir in cinnamon and nutmeg. Set aside.

4. In large bowl combine oats, flour, baking powder, baking soda and brown sugar. Add wet ingrediants to dry and combine well. Stir in 1/4 cup of water.

5. Pour mixture in muffin tray.

6. Baked for 20 mins.

7. Remove muffins from tray and place on cooling rack.

Servings: 12
Points Value: 2

Chicken Tortilla Soup

1 cup red or green salsa (I used red)
2 14oz cans reduced sodium chicken broth
2 1/2 chicken breasts (boiled and cubed)
low sodium corn (1/2 can)
celery (chopped, i used about 3 stalks)
1 zuchinni (chopped)
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
lime wedges (optional)
corn tortillas
sour cream (fat free, optional)
shredded cheese (reduced fat, optional)
cilantro (optional)

1. I cut up the tortillas in strips, put on baking pan and put in oven under broil until toasted.

2. In large saucepan combine chicken broth, salsa, minced garlic, chili powder and cumin; bring to boil over med-high heat. Stir in chicken, celery, zuchinni, corn. Heat through.

3. Serve in bowls; top with toasted tortilla strips, lime, sour cream, shredded cheese and cilantro.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal

I think I finally found an oatmeal I like, Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Oatmeal.

I found this recipe over on Scale Junkie Cooks blog and I tried it this morning and it was very good and very filling!

1/2 cup of oats
1/2 cup of skim milk
1/2 cup of water
1 TBLS Splenda
2 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp creamy peanut butter

Bring the milk and water to boil. Add oats and cook according to package directions. Add the splenda and unsweetened cocoa powder to milk/water/oats during the last minute of cooking. Pour oatmeal in bowl and top off with 1 tsp of Peanut Butter.

Mexican Chicken Casserole

3/4 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 green pepper, chopped
1-1/2 cups Salsa
2 oz. (1/4 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Neufchatel Cheese, cubed
1 can (15 oz.) no-salt-added black beans, drained, rinsed
1 tomato, chopped
2 whole wheat tortillas (6 inch)
1/2 cup reduced fat Mexican Style Shredded Cheese, divided

HEAT oven to 375ºF. Cook and stir chicken and cumin in nonstick skillet sprayed with cooking spray on medium heat 2 min. Add peppers; cook 2 min., stirring occasionally. Stir in salsa; cook 2 min. Add Neufchatel cheese; cook 2 min. or until melted. Stir in beans and tomatoes.

SPOON 1/3 of chicken mixture into 8-inch square baking dish; top with 1 tortilla and 1/2 each of remaining chicken mixture and shredded cheese. Top with remaining tortilla and chicken mixture; cover with foil.

BAKE 20 min. or until heated through. Sprinkle with remaining shredded cheese; bake, uncovered, 5 min. or until melted.

Easy Chicken & Cheese Enchiladas

1 can (10 3/4oz) Campbell's Healthy Request Cream of Chicken Soup
1/2 cup fat free sour cream
1 cup salsa
2 tsp chili powder
2 cups cooked chicken
1/2 cup fat free cheddar cheese
8 corn tortillas, warmed
1 small tomato, chopped
1 green onion, sliced

1. Stir the soup, sour cream, salsa and chili powder in bowl.
2. Stir 1 cup soup mixture, chicken and cheese in another bowl.
3. Divide the chicken mixture among the tortillas. Roll up the tortillas and place them seamside up in 11x8 shallow baking dish. Pour the remaining soup mixture over the filled tortillas. Cover the baking dish.
4. Bake @ 350 for 40 minutes or until the enchiladas are hot and bubbling. Top with tomato and onion.

You can also stir in 1/2 cup black beans, drained and rinsed, into the chicken mixture before filling the tortillas.

King Ranch Casserole

1 chicken (I used 2-3 boiled chicken breasts), cubed
1 bag fat free cheddar cheese
1 can Healthy Request 98% fat free cream of chicken
1 can Healthy Request 98% fat free cream of mushroom
1 can rotel
1 bag corn tortillas (12-18 tortillas)

Mix cream of mushroom, cream of chicken, rotel and chicken.
Spray 9x13 pan with non stick spray.
Tear corn tortillas up.
Layer corn tortillas, 1/2 chicken mixture, 1/3 bag of cheese.
Repeat layer of corn tortillas, 1/2 chicken mixture, 1/3 bag of cheese.
Layer rest of corn tortillas and cheese on top.
Bake 40 minutes @ 350.

Indian Tacos

1 lb extra lean ground meat
1 green pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 package taco seasoning mix
15oz can black beans
15oz can tomato sauce
8oz can reduced fat crescent rolls
1cup fat free cheddar cheese

toppings: fat free sour cream, salsa, tomatoes, lettuce, black olives

Spray 9x13 glass dish with cooking spray. Unroll rolls onto bottom of pan. Bake at 375 until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Brown meat, peppers and onions. Add taco seasoning, tomoato sauce and beans. Pour mixture over rolls. Bake 10 minutes. Add cheese and bake 5 minutes more.

Add toppings.

Serves 8
5 WW points per serving

Chicken & Rotel Casserole

I got this recipe from someone I work with. Well, I don't know if I can call it a recipe, it was something he threw together and I ended up making it this weekend and modified it. I don't really have measurements but I'll give it a try.

3lb chicken breasts, cubed into small chunks
1 can corn (no salt added)
1 can rotel (i used the mexican lime and cilantro but i've used regular rotel before)
2 zuchinnis, sliced
1 cup brown rice, uncooked

Spray a frying pan with non stick cooking spray. Cook the cubed chicken in frying pan. Season with Mrs Dash Table Blend and Mrs Dash Lemon and Pepper and a little Worcestershire sauce. After the chicken is cooked, add the can of corn (including water it's packed in), the can of rotel, and the cup of brown rice. Using the can of rotel, add another can of water. Cook over medium heat. When almost done (when rice is almost done), add the sliced zuchinnis.

Enjoy!

Hungry Girl Meatloaf

I found a meatloaf recipe in the Hungry Girl cookbook and I tried it out and it was awesome!

crazy-good turkey taco meatloaf

ingredients
1 lb raw extra-lean ground turkey (i couldn't find that so i used extra-lean ground meat)
2 slices fat-free cheddar cheese (i just used the shredded fat free cheddar cheese)
1/2 cup shredded fat-free cheddar cheese
1/2 cup canned sweet corn kernels
1/4 cup chopped green bell peopper
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup salsa
1/2 packet of taco seasoning mix, dry

directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cook peppers and onions for 3 minutes over medium heat in a pan sprayed with nonstick spray.

In a large bowl, combine onions and peppers with turkey, corn, and seasoning mix. Spread half of the mixture evenly into the bottom of a loaf pan (about 9" x 5") sprayed with nonstick spray.

Layer the two slices of fat-free cheese on top of the mixture (try to keep slices away from the pan's edges). Evenly top with the remaining meat mixture.

Pour the salsa over the top of the loaf. Cook in the oven for 30 minutes.

Top loaf with shredded cheese. Return loaf to the oven and cook for another 15 minutes.

Makes 6 servings.

Per serving: 127 calories, 1g fat, 688mg sodium, 7g carbs, .5g fiber, 2g sugars, 22g protein