#169: Mexican Stuffed Shells

My two favorite ethnic food groups are Italian and Mexican...this was a perfect combination of both!  Brian and I BOTH enjoyed this one.  He took the remaining ones for lunch tomorrow, and had my lunch not already been packed, I might have fought him for them.  : )  I topped mine with some sour cream...yummy!

12 -18 large pasta shells, cooked (I got 15 in our pan)
1 lb ground beef  (I used 3/4 lb ground turkey)
3 tablespoons taco seasoning
3 tbsp fat free refried beans
1/2 cup water
1 onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups salsa, divided (I used picante sauce)
1 cup grated Mexican Blend cheese, divided
24 oz tomato sauce (I used 16 oz)
chili powder, to taste
green onion, for garnish  (I omitted)

Brown ground beef and drain.  Add seasoning, water, onion, refried beans, 1/2 cup of salsa and 1/4 cup cheese.  Mix together remaining salsa, tomato sauce, and chili powder. Spread a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 12 baking pan. (I used a 9 in pie pan)  Fill each shell with the ground beef mixture and place in pan. Pour remaining sauce on top. (I did not pour any on top).  Sprinkle on the rest of the cheese (I used 1/4 c) on top and garnish with green onion. Cover and freeze at this point.

Defrost overnight and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes. (OR Cook from frozen for 2 hours at 300°F).

My version turned out to be 2 ww+ pts each.

#168: Italian Roast Wraps

Yummy, yummy, yummy.  This was easy and oh so yummy!  Mmmmmm.....  Did I mention this was easy??  The original recipe said to serve this in a flour or corn tortilla.  I knew I would not like this if I made it that way, so we served ours on crunchy tostada shells instead.  Good choice!!  You could easily top this with salsa, tomatoes, lettuce, cilantro, etc., but I didn't have any of that on hand, so cheese and sour cream were perfectly fine choices for me. 

We got 2 dinners plus an extra serving for Brian to take for lunch out of this roast.  (The girls had leftover pumpkin sloppy joes instead). 

2 to 3 pounds of frozen roast (I used a chuck roast)
1/2 pouch Italian dressing mix
Whole wheat tortillas (I used tostada shells)
Sour cream
Chopped fresh tomatoes


Place frozen roast in a crock pot. Sprinkle 1/2 pouch Italian dressing mix onto roast. (I added 1/3 c water).  Cook on low for 5 hours. (I cooked on low for 10 hours, and mine was partially thawed).  Shred meat or slice thinly. Spoon meat onto a warm tortilla and top with tomatoes and sour cream.

About 2 1/2 oz of meat = 4 ww+ pts.
Our tostada shells (Aldi brand) = 5 ww+ pts for 3 shells

#167: Oven (crock) Country Steaks

I found this recipe on Onceamonthmom's blog and figured if I could make it in a low oven, I could definitely make it in the crockpot, so why bother wasting my time with the oven!  The only downfall to that was that I put it in the crockpot still frozen, so when I came home from work, it was still in it's frozen mounded shape.  The meat, definitely was cooked, but it wasn't like each piece was sitting perfectly in juice the entire day. 

With that said though, this was pretty good.  Not something I would want every week (but I don't love round steak), but definitely something I would make again. 

3 pounds round steak, cut into 8 pieces
1/2 cup flour (I omitted)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoons pepper
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil (I omitted)
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
6 cloves, whole (I used about 1 tbsp minced)
1/2 cups onions, diced
1/2 cups celery, diced (I omitted)
2 cups beef broth

Directions:
(I skipped this step) Pat flour into steak on both sides. Heat a skillet with the vegetable oil and brown steak on both sides. Place cooked steaks into 2 8×8 baking pans or a 9×13 baking pan.  Pour all of the remaining ingredients over the steak. Cover and bake in oven at 350 degrees for 2 or more hours, until tender. If steak begins to dry out when cooking add beef broth or water.


(This is what I did):  Place the round steak piecs in the crock pot.  Pour all of the remaining ingredients over the steak. Cover and cook on low for 8+ hours (mine cooked for 10).  If steak begins to dry out when cooking add beef broth or water. 


Freezing Directions:
Prepare as above but do not bake. Instead cover and freeze. To serve: Thaw then follow baking (or crockpot) directions above.

#166: Chunky Tomato Soup

I came across a link online to download a free ebook from Betty Crocker with soups, stews and chili.  There are MANY recipes I hope to eventually make, but most are not super healthy.  This one though I knew would be a good addition to my sandwiches at lunch and be filling and get in several servings of vegetables. 

I don't LOVE this recipe, but who loves a vegetable soup with nothing else added??  Not me...hence the need to join WW.  : )  You will notice by the ingredients listed in red, that I added quite a few more veggies to this to make it more filling.

2 tbsp vegetable or olive oil (I used 1 tbsp)
1 c chopped celery
1 c chopped carrots (I used 1 1/2 c)
1/2 c chopped parsnips
1/2 c shredded cabbage
1 c chopped broccoli
2 cloves minced garlic
2 cans (28 oz ea) plum tomatoes, undrained (I used two 14 oz cans of petite diced tomatoes)
2 c water
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp pepper
28 oz vegetable broth

In a 5-6 quart dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat.  Add celery, carrots, parsnips, and broccoli.  Cook 5-7 min, stirring frequently, until carrots are crisp-tender. 

Stir in garlic and cook 1 minute longer.  Stir in tomatoes (breaking up if using plum tomatoes), water, cabbage, basil, pepper and broth.  Heat to boiling.  Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 1 hour stirring occasionally.
My version is 1 ww+ pt per serving or 4 pts for the entire pot!

#165: Johnny Marzetti with Cheesy Noodles

It always disappoints me when I make something and I LOVE it and Brian doesn't.  : (  I know it won't be returning on our menu...but this one just might.  I really did enjoy this!  I found this recipe at Once a Month Cooking and if you soy sauce, you'll like this one because you can really taste it! 

PS...Chloe liked the meat but not the noodles, but Allison had 2 full servings!! 

1 pound ground beef (I used 3/4 lb ground turkey)
1 medium green pepper, cut in strips (I omitted)
1 beef bouillon cube
2 Tablespoons water
1 teaspoon sugar
16 ounces tomatoes, diced, undrained (I used 8 oz of the tomatoes (mine were petite diced) but all of the liquid)
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/8 teaspoons garlic powder
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
8 oz egg noodles
4 oz cheddar cheese, shredded (I used 2 oz)


Directions:
Boil water for the egg noodles and cook as you prepare the rest of this dish. Brown the ground beef and onion. Drain the fat off. Add in the diced tomatoes, green peppers, garlic powder and bouillon cube. Simmer a few minutes. In a small bowl, mix together the water, soy sauce, sugar and corn starch. Add liquid mixture to skillet. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Drain cooked noodles and place them in large serving bowl or pot. Mix in cheddar cheese. Serve Johnny Marzetti over the cheesy noodles.


Freezing Directions:
Follow directions to make the meat mixture.  Do not prepare the cheesy noodles.  Freeze the meat mixture, then let thaw before serving.  Reheat meat mixture in the microwave.  Just before serving, prepare the noodles as directed then finish plating. 

#164: Zesty Slow Cooker Chicken Barbecue

I found this recipe on allrecipes.com (love that site!) and since it used minimal ingredients (all of which I had on hand too) I decided to give it a try.  This definitely takes on most of its flavor from the BBQ sauce, so make sure you use one that you really like!  We used an aldi brand BBQ sauce, which was fine with us, but I'm sure if you spent a little more and got a good bottle it would be even better.

Allison and Chloe did not eat this but Brian and I enjoyed it.
6 frozen skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 (12 ounce) bottle barbeque sauce
1/2 cup Italian salad dressing
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce


Directions
Place chicken in a slow cooker. In a bowl, mix the barbecue sauce, Italian salad dressing, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce. Pour over the chicken.  Cover, and cook 3 to 4 hours on High or 6 to 8 hours on Low.

Shred and return to the sauce to keep warm.  Serve on buns or rolls. 

The meat and sauce (bun not included in this) = 6 ww+ pts for 6 servings. 

#163: Pizza Casserole

I found this recipe when searching for freezer meals at Once a Month Cooking.  It looked yummy so I figured I'd give it a try.  It wasn't anything super special, but it was good and we all enjoyed it.  It basically was like a baked pasta dish, and Brian thought it would be better with ground Italian sausage, but never less it was good.  This recipe only serves 4 though.

1 pound ground beef (I used 3/4 lb)
16 oz pizza sauce
I added in orange puree (mix of carrots and sweet potatoes)
1 Tablespoon Oregano
1 teaspoon garlic salt
2 cups pasta, cooked and drained
2/3 cups milk
3 cups Mozzarella cheese, shredded (1 cup set aside)


While preparing the sauce, boil the pasta noodles. Brown the ground beef. When noodles are finished cooking, drain and return to pot. Together in the pot mix all ingredients, stirring thoroughly. Add to a deep dish 8×8 pan, top with remaining cheese. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 3o minutes.


Freezing Directions:
Prepare up to the point of baking, do not bake. Instead, cover and freeze. (When I made this, I just made the filling...not a fan of frozen noodles in most dishes.  Then I made the noodles yesterday and mixed it all together.  Today I just popped it in the oven when I got home).
To serve: Thaw. Bake covered at 350 degrees for 3o minutes.  Or bake double the time if frozen.  (I baked at 400 degrees for about 30 min and then uncovered and baked another 10 minutes).

#162: Chicken NOT on a stick

I love weelicious.com.  There are so many great, family friendly, kid friendly recipes.  There are several of her recipes on my menu this month!  My family loves chicken fingers and nuggets, so I intended to make these actually on a Popsicle stick as directed.  But as I started to separate my 6 lbs of chicken tenders into different meals, I ended up with a lot of little nugget size pieces, so I figured instead of putting these on a stick, I'd just roll it in the cornflake mixture. 
These were yummy!  We all enjoyed these and will be making them again.
 2 Cups Cornflakes
1 Tsp Salt
1 Lb. Chicken Tenders, remove white stringy tendon (I cut mine into nugget sizes)
1 Cup Buttermilk (I made my own)
1 Pkg Popsicle Sticks (I omitted)
5 shakes garlic salt
Vegetable Canola Oil Spray

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Place the cereal and salt in a zip lock bag food processor and crush until the size of breadcrumbs.
Pour the buttermilk in one bowl and the cereal in another.  Take the Popsicle sticks and skewer the chicken tenders on to the sticks leaving a 1 inch handle.

Roll the chicken tenders in the buttermilk and then in the cereal, coating the chicken completely.  Line a sheet tray with foil and spray it with oil.  Place the chicken tender sticks on the sheet tray and lightly spray them with oil and cover stick handles with foil so they do not burn.  Bake for 16-18 minutes or until cooked through.


To freeze: After coating the chicken with cornflakes, place on a sheet tray and freeze for 30 minutes. Transfer to a Ziploc bag, label and freeze up to 4 months. When ready, place on prepared baking sheet and add an additional 3-5 min cooking time (do not defrost).

#161: Velveeta Tex-Mex Beef and Potatoes

I think I found this recipe in one of my Kraft magazines, but I'm really not 100% sure on that.  I love potatoes, hashbrowns, tater tots, any sort of spud really...so I was eager to try this one!

This was a little spicy (too much taco seasoning and not enough Velveeta??) so the girls ate it, but didn't eat a ton of it.  Brian said he liked the meat mixture, but does not like potatoes in his food, so he didn't enjoy it...won't even take it for lunch so that's not a good sign.  I liked this, but I didn't love it.  I'd definitely eat it again, but it wasn't filling enough for me...I could have eaten a lot more than 1 serving.  : )  1 lb ground beef (I used 3/4 lb ground turkey)
1 red pepper, chopped (I used 1/2 jar of picante sauce)
1 chopped onion
1 pkg taco seasoning mix
1/2 c water
1/8 c refried beans
4 c frozen southern-style cubed hashbrowns
10 oz frozen corn (I used 1 c)
8 oz velveeta cut into cubes (I used 2 oz to make it healthier)

Heat oven to 350°F.  Brown meat with peppers and onions in large skillet; drain. Return to skillet.
Stir in taco mix and water. Add potatoes, corn and velveeta; mix well. Spoon into 13x9-inch baking dish; cover.  Bake 20 min.; stir. Bake, uncovered, 15 min. or until heated through.

#160: Chocolate Chip Biscotti

***Sorry no picture...I forgot to take one!***
I found this recipe on WW and decided to make it for book club tomorrow (I was hoping to find snacks to bring that I can actually eat!).  Anyhow, this recipe was pretty easy, except I struggled to get it to form into the log shape.  I tried rolling it (not very sucessfully), I tried using a rolling pin (too thin!), so eventually, I just pretty much squished it into the shape it was supposed to be and then just baked it.  It held together pretty well except for the ends when I cut it. 

Overall, I thought these were pretty good.  I think they are small for 3 pts+ a piece, but for a cookie, it really isn't too bad.  You need to keep in mind though that this is biscotti...so they are crunchy!  VERY CRUNCHY!  Hopefully some of my fellow book-clubbers will enjoy it as well!

2 sprays cooking spray
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp table salt
3 Tbsp mini chocolate chips (I used regular ones)
1 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp canola oil
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325°F. Lightly coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt until combined; stir in chocolate chips.
Using an electric mixer, beat sugar, eggs, oil and vanilla until frothy, about 2 minutes. Make a well in center of dry ingredients and pour in egg mixture; stir just until moistened and dough forms.

Shape dough into a 13 X 3-inch log on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes and remove from oven. Reduce oven to 300°F.  Let biscotti to cool for 10 minutes. Then cut warm log crosswise, on a slight diagonal, into twenty 1/2-inch-thick slices. Stand slices, about an inch apart, on baking sheet and return to oven to cook for 12 minutes more. The centers will be soft but biscotti will crisp when cooled. (My centers were not very soft) Yields 1 per serving.

#159: Cherry Squares

What could be easier to make than a 2 ingredient recipe?!  If you can mix ingredients with a spoon, then you can totally make this recipe.  I got this recipe off of weightwatchers.com...it is yummy!  Next time I'm going to make these in mini muffin tins!  The edges were the best part of this.   The only thing I didn't like was that all of the fruit sinks to the bottom.  I can live with that though!

1 package(s) angel food cake mix, about 14 1/2 oz

22 oz light fruit pie filling, blueberry (I couldn't find blueberry, so I used 20 oz light cherry)


Preheat oven to 350°F.
Combine cake mix with pie filling (do not add any other ingredients). Pour batter into an ungreased 9- X 13-inch baking dish (I sprayed mine so it would come out easily!).  Bake for 30 minutes. Cool and cut into 24 pieces.

Each piece = 2 ww+ pts

#158: Buttermilk "Fried" Chicken

I found this recipe in my family circle magazine and put it together on my freezer cooking day so it's really been marinating a long time!  The recipe says to marinate for an hour, but mine marinated the whole time it took to freeze, then it marinated again as it defrosted until I cooked it (2 days defrosting in the fridge).  So when we ate this, it was yummy!!  I normally have to eat my chicken with BBQ sauce or ketchup, but I didn't need it with this one.  Definitely making this one again!!

***If freezing make the marinade, place in a ziplock bag and put the chicken pieces in it.  In a separate ziplock bag, place the breading ingredients.  Place both bags together in the freezer (I put it all inside another ziplock to keep together).  Defrost in fridge until ready to use.***
Ingredients

1-1/2 cups buttermilk (I made my own)
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce (I omitted)
1 package (4-1/2 pounds) chicken pieces (I used chicken breast tenders cut into nugget size pieces)
5 cups corn flakes, coarsely crushed
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/2 teaspoon paprika
Pinch cayenne pepper (I omitted)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil  (I omitted)

In a large bowl, whisk together buttermilk, mustard, 3/4 teaspoon of the salt, 1/2 teaspoon of the garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon of the pepper and the hot sauce. Add chicken and turn to coat. Refrigerate 1 hour.

Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a baking rack with nonstick cooking spray and place inside rimmed baking sheet.

Stir together crushed corn flakes, bread crumbs, remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, the poultry seasoning, paprika and cayenne. Stir in oil until blended.  Remove chicken from marinade and dip in crumb mixture, pressing to adhere.

Place chicken on rack and bake at 400 degrees F. for 55 minutes or until instant- read thermometer registers 160 degrees when inserted in thickest part of breast.  (I cooked mine for a good 25 minutes).

#157: Hamburger Vegetable Soup

I'm always looking for healthy, filling lunches to take to school with me, so when I came across this recipe and realized I had almost all of the ingredients on hand to make 1/2 batch, I decided to give this one a try.  But as I started making it, I decided to add just about the same amount of veggies and liquid, but to half other ingredients (making it healthier!).  Although I think my version turned out a little bland, I loved it!  This will be my lunch all week!!

2 lbs. ground beef (I used 3/4 lb)
2 cups chopped onion (I used 1 small onion)
2 cups peeled and diced potatoes (I used 1 c)
2 cups sliced carrots
2 cups shredded cabbage
4 (14.5-oz) cans diced tomatoes (I used 2)
1/2 cup brown rice, uncooked (I used 1/4 c)
6 to 10 cups water (I used 8)
1 1/2 to 2 1/2 Tablespoons salt (I used 1/2 tsp...totally could use more though!)
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon thyme (I used 1/4 tsp)
2 bay leaves


Brown ground beef and onion together until meat is lightly browned. Drain off excess fat. Add all remaining ingredients and bring mixture to a boil.  Cover and simmer for two to four hours. Check periodically and add more water, if needed. Remove bay leaves and serve.


My version made 6 HUGE servings (almost 4 ladels full per serving) which = 4 ww+ per serving

#156: "Starbucks" Cinnamon Scones

MAKE THESE!  Run to your pantry to double check that you have all of the ingredients (I'm sure you do!) and then make these.  Make them for dessert tonight or for breakfast tomorrow.  In fact, you might as well make a double batch and eat one today and one tomorrow.  These are yummy!  YUMMY!!! 

I made these for the girls to take to school with them tomorrow and stupidly I tried one.  I should have just packed them in a tin and put them aside until tomorrow.  But no, I wanted to try a super small piece so I could "review" it....BIG mistake.  A super little piece turned into eating any little piece that might have "accidentally" fallen off while moving to the cooling rack...which ultimately lead to eating another one.  Grrr....do you know how many points I'm going to add just because of this?!  Going to have to workout tonight too.

2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter
1 egg, separated
3 tablespoons honey (I used maple syrup)
1/3 cup buttermilk (I made my own)
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt (I used more like 1/4)
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (I used 1 tbsp)


Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Cut in the butter and mix until crumbly. In another bowl, mix the egg yolk (save the white for later) with honey (or maple syrup) and buttermilk until blended. Then, add to the dry mixture. Stir until just combined.


Using floured hands, form the dough into a ball on a floured surface.  Roll or pat it out until it’s roughly a half an inch thick and 8 inches in diameter. Cut pizza style into equally sized pieces.  Put onto a greased baking pan. (I used a pizza pan) Then, whisk the egg white until frothy and coat the tops of the scones. Mix the sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle on top.


Bake for about 10-12 minutes.  Top with a powdered sugar/milk/vanilla glaze.

#155: Pastitsio

Yours probably won't brown up this much.  When I got home from church Brian said he was broiling the cheese because it wasn't browning....it's not supposed to since it's a milk/flour/egg mix topping.  : )

I ripped this recipe out of my taste of home magazine.  I was a little leary of making it because it called for ground lamb...which I do not eat.  But I figured I could subsitute one bird for another and used ground chicken instead. 

Chloe loved this, Allison liked this, and Brian and I both totally cleared our plates (we must have liked it!) and would totally eat it again, but thought the cinnamon gave it an different taste, as did the cheese topping.  Then after dinner tonight, as I was looking over the recipe I realized I was supposed to use grated parmesan....I used shredded Mexican blend cheese.  Might have made a difference!  We'll try this again though and hopefully will enjoy it as much as we did tonight.

Ingredients

1 package (7 ounces) uncooked elbow macaroni
1 pound ground beef or lamb (I used ground chicken)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 can (8 ounces) Hunt’s® Tomato Sauce
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, optional (I added 2 shakes, next time I'll omit)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
3 tablespoons butter (I used smart balance butter)
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups 2% milk (I used skim)
1 egg, beaten

Directions
Cook macaroni according to package directions.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the beef, onion and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the tomato sauce, 1/2 teaspoon salt, oregano, pepper and cinnamon if desired; heat through.  (I did this step and then froze the filling until ready to use)

Drain macaroni; place half of macaroni in a greased 9-in. square baking pan. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup cheese. Layer with meat mixture and remaining macaroni. Set aside.

In a small saucepan, melt butter; stir in flour and remaining salt until smooth. Gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.

Remove from the heat. Stir a small amount of the hot mixture into egg; return all to the pan, stirring constantly. Bring to a gentle boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in remaining cheese. Pour sauce over macaroni.

Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Yield: 4 servings.

My version = 14 ww+ pts for 1/4 of the pan (however, I used 2/3 of the butter/flour/egg mixture, so it actually was even less than that)

#154: Meal in One Casserole

I intended to run home during lunch to make this in the crockpot like the recipe suggests, but I really didn't want to have to run home, so I put it in the crockpot (w/out the noodles) the night before and let it go for about 2 1/2 hours.  Then I got tired of waiting for it to finish, so I just stuck it in a bowl in the fridge and finished it when I got home from work the next day. 

Brian gave this a 1.  He tried it, but ended up making himself a pita pizza instead because he said it had way too many vegetables for him.  Chloe thought it was just okay, but Allison and I loved it!1 lb ground beef (I used ground chicken)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium green pepper, chopped
1 (15 1/4 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (4 ounce) can mushroom stems and pieces, drained (I omitted)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 (11 ounce) jar salsa
5 cups cooked medium egg noodles (I used farfalle noodles)
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained (I used 1/2 can of petite diced)
1 cup water
1 cup shredded cheddar or mexican cheese blend


Original Directions:
In skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink and drain. Transfer to crock pot. Add green pepper, corn and mushrooms. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour salsa over mushrooms. Top with noodles.

Pour tomatoes and water over all. Then sprinkle with cheese. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours or until heated through.

My directions:
In skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink and drain. Transfer to crock pot. Add green pepper, corn, mushrooms, salt, pepper, salsa and diced tomatoes.  Mix to combine.  Cover and cook on low for 4 hours or until heated through.



Make noodles in a pot of water according to package directions. 

Place cooked noodles in a bowl, top with meat mixture and sprinkle with shredded cheese. 

My version = 8 ww+ pts for the meat mixture, plus 5 ww+ pts for 1 c noodles 

#153: Southwest Chicken Roll-ups

The filling squished out a bit when I took the picture...

I found this recipe on my regular search of posts from moneysavingmom and since this looked like a ridiculously easy recipe to make on my freezer cooking day, I decided to give it a try.  This was VERY easy to prepare!

First of all, I halved the recipe, just in case my family wasn't a fan.  I poached my chicken in some chicken broth the day before and then let it cool in the fridge overnight.  Then when I was ready to start cooking, this was a snap to put together.  Of course I made some additions/changes though.

This went over pretty well with my gang.  Chloe (not a Mexican food lover...can't be MY child!) wasn't a fan and preferred to eat about a cup of blueberries instead.  Allison ate all of hers and I had planned that Brian and I would both eat 2 at dinner, but instead ended up only eating one a piece...these were more filling that I expected.  Overall, I'd make these again.  They sure were easy!!

Southwest Roll-ups (this version made 7 for me)

1 cans refried beans (I used 1/2 can)
1/2 cup salsa (I used picante sauce)
2 cups cooked chicken, chopped
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (I used Mexican Blend cheese)
I added 1/4 c orange puree (mix of sweet potatoes and carrots)
8 tortillas

I used my Pampered Chef hand chop to dice/chop the heck out of my chicken!  A baby with no teeth could have eaten this filling!  (But I don't like big pieces of chicken).  Mix together beans, salsa, and chicken.  Add in and mix in cheese.  Put the tortillas in the microwave for about 15-30 seconds to soften up and so they won't break when rolled.  Spread 1/8 of mixture onto one tortilla.  Roll up and turn ends under. Stick in a freezer bag or in a 9×13 baking pan and freeze.

When ready to bake, thaw and bake in a pre-heated 350 degrees oven for 20-30 minutes until heated through. Sprinkle with more shredded cheese, if desired. Serve with salsa and sour cream if desired.

My roll-ups (w/our sour cream and only 1/2 c cheese sprinkled on top of all) = 8 ww+ pts each

#152: Grands Taco Melts

I decided to flip my taco melts over half way through cooking, so that's why the tops are a little flat and very browned.

Mine did not turn out as pretty as the picture from Pillsbury, but these still tasted pretty good!  They were a little spicy, but I would still make these again.  I topped mine with sour cream, but if you added shredded lettuce and tomatoes that would be really good too!


Allison did a pretty good job eating these, Chloe wasn't a fan, and Brian liked them and said he'd eat them again. 

1 package taco seasoning
1 1/4 c water
1/2 c salsa (I used picante sauce)
1 lb ground beef, cooked and drained (I used 3/4 lb ground turkey)
1 can (16.3 oz) Pillsbury Grands Refigerated Biscuits (any variety)
1 C shredded mexican blend cheese
1/3 c fat free refried beans
Sour Cream (if desired)

Heat oven to 375°F.  In medium saucepan, cook taco seasoning mix, water, 1/2 cup of the salsa, refried beans, and cooked ground beef until thickened.  (I added the cheese to the mixture too so I could skip a step later on).

Press each biscuit into 6-inch round.  Fill each with taco mixture (and 1 tablespoon cheese--if not already added in).  Fold dough over filling and press to seal.  Place on greased cookie sheet. 

This is where I flash froze mine until ready to use. 
Bake 9 to 14 minutes or until golden brown. (I baked mine frozen for about 25 mintues).  Serve with remaining salsa, extra cheese and sour cream.
This filling made enough for 8 taco melts plus extra filling for 4 or 5 more for another meal.

My version is 13 ww+ pts for TWO taco melts (I can't really say 6.5 pts each since the new plan doesn't do half points)

#151: Slow Cook Chicken Cacciatore

That is NOT a pretty picture.

Always looking for a crockpot recipe involving chicken, I came across this one at Taste of Home.  I prepped this on my freezer cooking day, took it out of the freezer the day before so I could defrost it enough to fit it into my crockpot and then just let it cook (mostly still frozen) all day. 

The girls weren't big fans of this, but since it's served with spaghetti they don't care what else is for dinner.  That was my mistake!  Brian enjoyed it though and even took the chicken for leftovers for lunch today.  I however, had mixed feelings on this one.  It wasn't bad, but it wasn't fantastic either.  Something in the Italian Seasoning was giving it an odd flavor.  Maybe it was because I didn't brown the chicken first, but that was a step I wasn't willing to do since it was going in the crock.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil (I omitted...see time saving tip below)
3 pounds chicken parts, skin removed (I used chicken breast tenders)
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, crushed
1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes in puree
1 pound mushrooms, cut in half (about 5 cups) (I omitted)
2 medium onions, chopped (about 2 cups) (I used 1, and quartered it)
1 medium green pepper, cut into 2-inch-long strips (about 1 1/2 cups) (I used 3/4 c)
1 1/2 cups Swanson® Chicken Stock
1/4 cup cornstarch (I forgot to add this)
1 package (16 ounces) pappardelle or fettuccine, cooked and drained (I used spaghetti since that's what we had on hand)


Directions
Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until well browned on all sides.


Stir the garlic, Italian seasoning, tomatoes, mushrooms, onions, pepper and 1 cup stock in a 6-quart slow cooker. Add the chicken and turn to coat.  Cover and cook on LOW for 7 to 8 hours or until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken from the cooker and keep warm.


(I totally forgot this step, so our "juice" was REALLY runny.) Stir the cornstarch and remaining stock in a small bowl until the mixture is smooth. Stir the cornstarch mixture in the cooker. Cover and cook on HIGH for 10 minutes or until the mixture boils and thickens. Serve with the chicken and pappardelle. Yield: 6 servings.


Time-Saving Tips: This recipe may also be cooked on HIGH for 4 to 5 hours.  To save on prep time, you can skip browning the chicken and just add it to the cooker as directed in the second step.

#150: Chocolate Chip Breakfast Biscuits

If we stay within our grocery budget this month I'll be totally amazed!  So when I was looking for a recipe to make for the girls to take to school with them to share with their friends, I needed a recipe that I already had all of the ingredients for.  Thankfully I stumbled upon this one!!

We liked these biscuits.  These would make a nice breakfast treat to take to someone's house, especially if you took the time to roll it out and made them all look the same.  (See below for my opinion on rolling out though).  Yep, I'd make these again!


3 c. flour
1/3 c. sugar
1 1/2 T. baking powder
3/4 t. salt
1/2 c. butter
1-2 c. chocolate chips
1/2-1 c. milk (I used just short of 1 c)


1. In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut butter into the flour mixture until crumbly. (This did not get crumbly for me).  Stir in chocolate chips.

2. Add the milk, a little at a time, just until dough comes together. If you accidentally add too much milk and the dough becomes sticky, just add a little more flour. 

3. Roll out dough and cut, or just drop 1/4 c. portions onto a baking sheet. (Why roll it out when you can make it easier?!  This dough does not spread out when baked, so I just pulled off pieces of dough and plopped it onto a lightly greased baking sheet.  SO easy!)  Bake at 425 degrees for 10-15 minutes, until fully cooked and lightly browned on top.

#149: Crockpot Chicken and Brown Rice

Looks appealing doesn't it??  Everything is one color!

I almost always use instant (brown) rice.  This recipe called for regular brown rice...in a crock pot...that makes me nervous that I'm going to have a very mushy dinner.  And Mr. Must-Have-Texture doesn't like a mushy dinner.  So I was very leery of making this recipe.  (As you can see it didn't stop me from putting it on the menu though!)


For a crock pot meal, it had a few more steps than I would have liked.  All crock pot meals should be 1 step...put in crock; turn on. 

The chicken was good, it was fairly moist and good, yet, nothing super special.  The rice, however although was a little sticky had an odd taste/texture.  The recipe calls for flour, and I used whole wheat flour.  That might have made a little bit of a difference, but overall I'd have much preferred grilled chicken with a side of instant brown rice.   Sadly, this is NOT a recipe we will be making again. 

1 1/2 cups of brown rice
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups milk, divided
3/4 cup flour
1 small yellow onion, diced
8 oz sliced fresh mushrooms (I omitted)
3-4 chicken breast halves or equivalent parts
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp paprika


Combine chicken broth and 1/2 cup of milk in a sauce pan. Heat over medium heat on the stove. In a separate bowl, whisk the remaining 1 cup of milk with 3/4 cup flour.


When milk and broth begin to boil, reduce heat. Slowly stir in the milk and flour mixture. Mix well and set aside to cool.


Spray crock pot with cooking spray. Put remaining ingredients, except chicken, in crock pot. Mix in cooled milk/broth. Place chicken breasts on top and sprinkle with more paprika. Cook on HIGH 4-5 hours or LOW 6-7 hours. When you remove the top, if rice is too wet, cook another 15-30 minutes without lid.

#148: Italian Asparagus Sticks

Don't judge by the picture, these are over done!

I love asparagus, especially when it is in season and freshly picked from a u-pick farm (muddy but fun!).  I wish it was available fresh year round.  : (  So I was excited to see if I could get my girls to eat these since they were hidden in panko bread crumbs.  Who doesn't love Panko?? 


The hardest part of this recipe was finding the right container to dip it into so that all the pieces were easily coated.  Next time, I'll whisk the eggs and put them in a ziplock bag and just shake it on.

I had Brian make these while Allison and I were at Church.  I told him what time to put them in the oven...but I never told him for how long.  So when church ran way over, I came home to very over (they were  burnt!) cooked asparagus.  The tops were better than the bottoms and for most of the sticks, I pulled of the panko breading and tried to salvage any asapagus that I could.  So unfortunately I can't give this recipe a true rating, however I will definitely make these again because what I did/couldy try to eat was good!  And I think the girls might try a bite or two of these as well.
Serves 4 (yeah right--try 2)
1 Cup Whole Wheat Panko or Bread Crumbs (I used white panko)

1 Tbsp Italian Herbs (you can find them in any grocery’s spice section)
1/2 Tsp Salt
1/2 Tsp Garlic Powder
2 Large Eggs
1/4 Cup Flour
1 Bunch Asparagus, cleaned and stems removed
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees and coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. Mix the first 4 ingredients in a bowl.
3. Whisk the egg in a separate bowl.
4. Place the flour in another bowl.
5. Make an assembly line with the bowls. Dip the asparagus first into the flour, then the egg and finally into the bread crumb mixture, coating evenly and repeating with all the sticks.
6. Place all of the coated sticks on the baking sheet/rack. Arrange so they’re not touching, spray lightly with oil and bake for 30-35 minutes or until the bread crumbs are golden.


*If freezing: after step 5, place sticks on a baking sheet flash freeze. When ready to eat – remove from freezer and put sticks in the oven, adding at least another 3-5 minutes baking time.

#147: Beef and Spice

When I found this recipe I was excited to see that the original recipe came from someone in Bloomington, Il!  Of course I had to try it then!! 

We were a little leery of trying this recipe only because it called for mixed pickling spice, and I normally try to use spices I have on hand.  So I went to the grocery store figuring I wouldn't be able to find this one since I've never heard of it.  Well I did find it...for $5 a container.  I really didn't want to spend that much on a recipe I might only use once.  Then in the produce section (w/the bulk spices) I actually found a bag of mixed pickling spice for $2.99!!  Now that's a spice I can afford!  So I threw all of this together (spices and all) and froze it until we were ready to eat it.  I let it defrost a little in the fridge overnight and then stuck it in the crockpot when I left for work.  This was yummy!  I will definitely use this new spice when I make this again.

Ingredients:

3 to 4 lb beef pot roast
1-lb can tomatoes (I used 14 oz petite diced tomatoes)
1 Tbsp wine vinegar
1/4 cup water
1 clove garlic, minced (I used 3tbsp)
6 whole cloves  (I omitted)
1/2 tsp mixed pickling spice (I used 1 tsp)
1 tsp salt 1/4 tsp pepper
1 bay leaf

Directions:
1. Trim fat from meat. Cut to fit slow cooker.
2. Put all ingredients into slow cooker.
3. Cover and cook 8 to 10 hours.
Can be doubled or adjusted to a larger roast if your crockpot is big enough.

#146: Homemade Pizza Pockets

I found this recipe on heavenly homemakers and put it on our January menu. Then I joined ww and realized this was NOT going to be a points friendly meal. So I had to come up with a way to keep it on the menu (it was pizza after all!) but still be able to eat it. So I found a whole wheat pizza crust recipe and substituted that crust instead.
Here is the recipe for the whole wheat pizza crust that I used as my base.  It was an easy recipe, but since you have to let the dough rise, it took a little while to make. 
The original recipe had you make your own pizza sauce. Yeah, that's one step I knew I could cut down since I had pizza sauce already open! So I skipped that step too.  So basically I used this recipe to follow the steps to assemble and bake. : ) (See below)

Overall we really liked these pizza pockets, however my dough was too thick because these were basically stuffed crusts pizza pockets.  : )  Lots of dough, barely any filling.  I'll make these again, but I have to work on my technique on rolling out the dough. 

Ingredients

1 teaspoon white sugar
1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Directions
1.In a large bowl, dissolve sugar in warm water. Sprinkle yeast over the top, and let stand for about 10 minutes, until foamy.

2.Stir the olive oil and salt into the yeast mixture, then mix in the whole wheat flour and 1 cup of the all-purpose flour until dough starts to come together. Tip dough out onto a surface floured with the remaining all-purpose flour, and knead until all of the flour has been absorbed, and the ball of dough becomes smooth, about 10 minutes. (Or just continue to let it run in your kitchen aid w/the dough hook attachment for 5+ minutes.)  :)
Place dough in an oiled bowl, and turn to coat the surface. Cover loosely with a towel, and let stand in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

3.When the dough is doubled, tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and form into a tight ball. Let rise for about 45 minutes, until doubled.

4.  Roll a ball of dough with a rolling pin until it will not stretch any further. Then, drape it over both of your fists, and gently pull the edges outward, while rotating the crust. When the circle has reached the desired size, cut into desired amount of pizza pockets (I got 16 out of my dough)

Then I followed most of the rest of the original recipe:
Place one tablespoon of pizza sauce in the center. (Mine must have been smaller, because I got 1 tsp of sauce on each of mine). Put in a small amount of your choice of toppings. Fold the dough in half. Use a fork to pinch the edges together.

Lay Pizza Pockets on a cookie sheet lined with parchment (or wax) paper. Freeze for about one hour. Pop them off the cookie sheet and put them into a freezer bag…and back into the freezer

To Bake your Pizza Pockets

For frozen Pizza Pockets, bake in a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes. If the Pizza Pockets are thawed, bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

WW + points will depend on toppings and number of crusts/pockets you get.  Ours (for 16) was 6 pts each (filling was sauce, cheese, peppers and black olives)

#145: Cheddar Cauliflower

This picture is not a good representation of this recipe since I was trying not to use too much cheese

I knew making this that Brian wouldn't dare eat this, so obviously I made this for the girls and I.  I found this recipe on Weeliscious and was eager to see if the girls would enjoy it.  I was really the only one who at it, as Allison and Chloe weren't huge fans of cauliflower.  You have to try this recipe though, anything with cheese on it has to be good right?!

Cheddar Cauliflower (Serves 4)

1 Head Cauliflower

1/2 Cup Cheddar Cheese, grated (I used about 1/4 c)
1/4 Tsp Salt
2 Tsp Olive Oil or Olive Oil Spray to coat

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Cut the cauliflower into florets, place onto a baking sheet, sprinkle with olive oil (or coat with olive oil spray), salt and toss to coat.
3. Roast the cauliflower for 30 minutes.
4. Remove the cauliflower from the oven, stir, sprinkle with cheese and roast another 3-4 minutes until the cheese is melted.
Using less cheese this is 2  ww points plus per serving.

#144: Salsa Soup

I was struggling to find something healthy, filling and low points for lunch today and through a bunch of random clicks through other people's posts/blogs, I came upon a link for Salsa soup.  It sounded a little gross (the thought of eating salsa as a soup that is!), yet hopefully healthy, I decided to take a look at it.  Then I looked in my pantry.  And I was amazed that I had all of the ingredients on hand to make a half batch!  Which worked our perfectly because it totally filled my smaller crockpot and gave me lots of leftovers for lunches. 

Ingredients:

1 onion, chopped
2 (16 ounce) can dark kidney beans
2 (15 ounce) can black beans
1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (15 ounce) can of chicken broth
2 (10 ounce) cans of Rotel, undrained 1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning
shredded Cheddar cheese (optional)
sour cream (optional)
crushed tortilla chips (optional)

Directions:
Place the onion, kidney beans, black beans, corn, tomato sauce, chicken broth, and diced tomatoes in a slow cooker. Add taco seasoning, and stir to blend. Set slow cooker for low heat, cover, and cook for 5 hours.

Serve topped with shredded Cheddar cheese, a dollop of sour cream, and crushed tortilla chips, if desired. (I DO desire, but don't want the extra points today.  Tomorrow, maybe.  Today, no.)

Soup (12 servings) w/out cheese, sour cream or tortillas = 4 ww+ pts per serving

#143: Homemade Turkey Meatballs

Sorry, picture of just the meatballs.  I forgot to take one!
Since I was making the Meatball and Stuffing Bake, I didn't want to use store bought, frozen meatballs because they are SO unhealthy.  I had 10 lbs of ground turkey in my fridge, so I decided to make my own instead.  I found the recipe from Deep South Dish and they turned out great!  In fact, I think I ate 5 or 6 before they got bagged up and put in the freezer.  They were a little soft/mushy when they first came out of the oven, so I thought we were going to hate them, but as they sat on the cookie sheet, the firmed up and tasted delish!

1 pound of ground beef

1/2 cup of dry bread crumbs (regular or Italian)

1/3 cup of onion, finely minced

1/4 cup of milk

1 egg

1 tablespoon of fresh parsley

1 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix the ground beef, bread crumbs, onion, milk, egg, parsley, salt, pepper, and Worcestershire. Gently shape into 1-inch balls. I used a small cookie scoop to keep them uniform and then gently molded them into ball-ish shapes.  Place on a baking sheet that has been coated with non-stick spray, and bake on the center rack of the oven, for about 25 to 30 minutes at 350 degrees, turning once halfway through.

To Freeze: Allow meatballs to cool completely, then transfer to a baking sheet that has been lightly coated with non-stick spray (or place on wax paper). Place into the freezer until frozen, then transfer to a freezer bag.

Makes about 24 meatballs.