#182: Chicken Potato Casserole

This isn't pretty so I wouldn't serve this at a party, but I enjoyed it!!

I'm glad we are finally eating this because I froze it in my 8x8 glass pan and I want it back!  See, this is why you need to stock up on foil pans when freezer cooking.  : )

Brian has made it quite clear that he does not like frozen potatoes in his meals.  You think I'd eventually get the hint.  But alas, I keep trying to drag him kicking and screaming over to the "casserole" side.  It's not working.  As I was about to serve this I knew he would not enjoy this meal....especially since I was serving it on the same night that Little Caesars had their $4 pizza special.  Can you see where this is going??   I loved this.  I could have probably eaten the entire pan.  Brian ate about 3 bites...and later went out and got a pizza and breadsticks for dinner.  I have to give him credit though, he did try it.  I appreciate that!  And lesson learned: no more meat/potato casseroles!!


10 oz. can condensed reduced fat and sodium cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup milk
2 cups cubed cooked chicken (I used 1 c)
1-1/4 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (I used 1/4 c)
3-1/2 cups frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed (I used 3 c)
1-1/2 cups frozen peppers and onions, thawed (I omitted)
1-1/4 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (I used 1/4 c)
1-1/2 cups crushed potato chips (I used about 1 oz baked potato chips)


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine soup, sour cream, milk, chicken and 1-1/4 cups cheese. Spread three-quarters of this mixture in a greased 2-quart baking dish.  Sprinkle hash browns and peppers and onions over the top of the casserole and press down lightly, then top vegetables with remaining soup mixture. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and potato chips.  Bake casserole, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes or until bubbly. Let stand for 5-10 minutes before serving.


To freeze, assemble casserole as directed, except do not thaw potatoes, peppers, or onions and do not sprinkle with potato chips. Wrap casserole in freezer wrap or heavy duty foil and freeze. Reserve potato chips in pantry. To thaw and bake, let thaw overnight in refrigerator. Uncover and bake at 350 degrees F for 60-70 minutes until bubbly. Then top with crushed potato chips and bake 5-10 minutes longer.

#181: Super Easy Veggie Soup

I ran across a cooking blog and while looking for dinner ideas, I came across this vegetable soup recipe.  Since I love having healthy, filling, low point soups for lunch, I figured I'd give this one a try.

Although I think this would have definitely been better if I used fresh vegetables, the ease of this recipe gives this extra stars from me.  It's not my favorite soup, but I would definitely eat and make this again.

My version is a bit different (I added more veggies, omitted ground beef, and added a lot more vegetable juice), so you might want to check out the original recipe from Ellie's blog.

1 onion, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
1 can of corn
1 can green beans
1 can sliced potatoes
1 can sliced carrots (I used fresh)
1 can diced tomatoes (I used 2 can petite diced)
1 can butter beans (drained)
1 can vegetable juice (recommended V8)--I used 46 oz...apparently you are supposed to only use an 8 oz can, but this recipe didn't specify!!
A few shakes of italian seasoning
I also added about 4 cups of water since I used so much vegetable juice
Dump all of your ingredients into a crockpot.  You do not need to drain the veggies, but I did drain the butter beans.  Stir ingredients together.  Cover and coko on low for 6-8 hours or high 2-4 hours. (I had to cook mine on high for about 5 hours to soften the carrots)

I got 7 large servings of this at 3 ww+ pts a piece

#180: Dark Chocolate Cream Pie

I COULD have taken a better photo, but once we started eating this, I didn't go back to take another one.

Real Chocolate + Pie = YUMMY! Oh I will definitely be making this one again!  And I am most proud that this did not have pudding as an ingredient...yes this was home made! (Not the crust though, I'm not that ambitious!)  This was very easy!  My pie crust edges broke a bit as I cut it though.  : (
**Halfway through cooking the crust, I put a ring of aluminum foil around the edges so they wouldn't burn.**

1-1/4 cups sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups milk (I used skim)
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
4 egg yolks, lightly beaten (I only had 3 on hand, so that's what I used)
3 tablespoons butter
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 pastry shell (9 inches), baked 


In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch and salt. Stir in milk and chocolate. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat; cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Remove from the heat.

Stir a small amount of hot filling into egg yolks; return all to the pan, stirring constantly. Bring to a gentle boil; cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Remove from the heat.  Gently stir in butter and vanilla. Spoon into pastry shell. Cool on a wire rack. Cover and chill for at least 3 hours. Yield: 8 servings.

#179: Healthy Chicken Fiesta Soup

My friend Jaime posted this recipe on our other recipe blog threecookingmamas.com.  I'm always looking for something healthy, low point and filling for lunches, so when she posted this I was excited to try it. 

Of course in typical Tracy fashion I had to make some changes to it.  (Not because I didn't like it, but to make it easier for me!)  I loved this!!  I can't wait for lunch tomorrow.

1 lb ground chicken meat, browned (I used chicken tenders and shredded when cooked)
1 (14.5 oz) can of Great Northern beans; rinsed and drained
1 (16 oz) can chicken broth
2 garlic cloves; minced
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground red pepper (I omitted)
1 Tbsp lime juice
1 bay leaf
1 (4 oz) can diced, green chiles
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
2 cups frozen corn (I used 1 cup)

Add chicken, beans, broth, garlic, salt, lime juice, bay leaf, chilies, and tomatoes to the slow cooker. (I also added 1/2 jar picante sauce and threw my raw chicken tenders in the crockpot and let it cook for 6 hours.  Then I shredded and added it back in).  

Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours. Add in oregano, ground red pepper, and corn and stir. Cover and cook for another half hour.

Ladle into bowls and serve with cilantro, cheese, and sour cream if desired. (I chopped up some cilantro and threw it right into the pot w/the oregano and corn).


1 cup = 4 WW+ points (I got 6 big servings at 4 pts each)  (without cheese or sour cream)

#178: Kale Chips

My mom gave me this recipe, and since I'm basically roasting every vegetable imaginable right now, I figured it wouldn't hurt to give this one a try.  I have never eaten kale before (and if it's in my chinese food, I normally pick it out/around it).

But the kale was inexpensive, this required no additional ingredients to be bought and she claimed it would be like kettle potato chips. 

She was wrong.  : ) 

However, I still loved it!  Chloe wouldn't touch it and after much protesting Allison finally tried it and claimed that it wasn't so bad, "but it's a leaf."   

No this does not taste like a potato chip.  But it does have the crunch of potato chips so I don't mind pretending.  You can't eat this at work though because it is a little messy (who wants little green chip crumbs stuck in their teeth at work??)

Kale (Just the leaves.  Cut around the stemmy veins too)
Olive Oil (I used about 1 tsp)
Sea salt

Wash the kale and pat dry w/a paper towel.  Mix with olive oil and toss to coat.  Bake in a 425 degree oven for about 5 minutes, the flip the leaves (ahem, kale) over.  Bake about another 5 minutes, but keep an eye on these so they don't burn.

Remove from pan, and sprinkle with sea salt. 

#177: Chicken Fried Steak Strips

Sorry no picture this time.  I only took one and it didn't turn out.

This is NOT a ww friendly meal!  I made this in December before I finally decided to rejoin and I've been pushing this one around the menu ever since in trying to avoid eating it.  So today I figured it was about time and we better just eat it for dinner.  I found this recipe on Heavenly Homemakers (a site I haven't visited too often, but she has 5 ingredient or less recipes so I will be checking her out again...and again). 

However, I don't know if I will be making this recipe again.  : (  The flour mixture had a gummy texture to it, but I don't know if it's because I used whole wheat flour or because I froze/defrosted it?  Brian thought the meat itself was too thick.  Everyone gave this dinner a 3.5.  Not a good sign in my book!
1 pound beef cube steak
1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 t. garlic powder
3/4 cup milk
oil for frying


Cut cube steak into 1 inch strips. In a bowl, stir together flour and garlic powder. Pour milk into a separate bowl. Heat oil in a skillet (350° for electric skillet or medium heat on the stove top).
Dip beef strip in milk, then in flour mixture. Dip, repeat. Dip, repeat. Dip, repeat. (More or less is fine.) Place strip in oil. Cook for about 7 minutes on each side. (Salt to taste.)

#176: Grandma Myrtle's BBQ

At my bridal shower (6 1/2 years ago) I received a bunch of recipes and I FINALLY got around to making this one that I got from Brian's grandma.  (This is exactly why I started this blog/challenge.   I have SO many recipes collected that I never get around to trying them. This is not only forcing me to try recipes I've had for a while, but I'm really enjoying making so many new things!)

Anyhow, this family loves sloppy joes and it frequently ends up on our menu because it's easy to make, freezes well, is quick to reheat and relatively low in points.  This recipe did not disappoint.  Thanks for sharing this one Grandma Hitchins!

1/4 c chopped onion
1/4 c chopped celery (I omitted)
1 lb ground beef (we used ground turkey)
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp vinegar
3 tbsp worchester sauce
1/2 tsp mustard
1 c catsup

Sautee onion and celery until tender.  Meanwhile, brown ground beef in a skillet.  (I cooked my beef and onion together).  Add vegetables when tender.  When beef is browned and crumbled, add remaining ingredients.  Simmer, covered, for at least 1/2 hour, stirring often. 

#175: BBQ Glazed Meatloaf

Attention meatloaf fans: MAKE THIS!  We LOVED this one!  This is definitely going on next month's menu...at least once.  LOVED IT!  See how nice and crispy the bottom and the edges got?  Mmmm....and no, I didn't share the ends!

I made this on my freezer cooking day, formed into the meatloaf shape, and then froze it in my silicone loaf pan.  When it was frozen, I popped it out and bagged it up.  This time, I let it defrost in the fridge for 2 days before making it, next time I'm going to try making it still frozen.  It is supposed to cook for 6-8 hours on low, but we are gone for about 9 1/2 hours so this cooked a little longer than it should.  I thought it was a tad dry, but Brian didn't agree.  I wonder if he'd notice if some of his lunch for tomorrow was missing?? 

I found this recipe on weightwatchers.com.  It was extremely quick and easy to prepare and low in points. 

1 1/4 pound(s) uncooked ground turkey breast
1/3 cup(s) dried bread crumbs, seasoned
1/4 cup(s) low-fat shredded cheddar cheese, shredded 
1/4 cup(s) onion(s), minced
1 large egg(s), lightly beaten
1 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
2 Tbsp ketchup
2 tsp packed light brown sugar
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp Heinz Spicy Brown Mustard, or other brand (I used yellow mustard...and Mr. I-don't-like-mustard couldn't tell)

Fold a 24-inch length of foil in half lengthwise. Fit into the bottom and up the sides of a 5–6-quart slow cooker insert.   (Forget all that math...just pull off 1 or 2 medium sized pieces, ball them up and place the meatloaf on top!) 

Put the turkey, bread crumbs, cheese, onion, egg, oregano, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl; mix with hands until well combined. Shape the mixture into a loaf and place on the foil in the slow cooker.  Cover the slow cooker and cook until the meatloaf juices run clear or an instant read thermometer inserted in the center of the meatloaf registers 165°F, 3–4 hours on high or 6–8 hours on low. 

Combine the ketchup, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and mustard in a small bowl. Spoon the mixture over the meatloaf, spreading it smooth.  Cover the slow cooker and cook until the glaze is heated through, about 30 minutes longer.  (I added the sauce when I put it in the crockpot and let it cook w/the meatloaf all day.  Then when I came home, I whipped together a little more and added it on top of that.  I just let it cook until everything else was ready.  Who has 30 more minutes to wait??). 

With the help of the foil, lift the meatloaf from the slow cooker and transfer to a platter. Discard foil and cut the meatloaf into 6 slices. Yields 1 slice meatloaf per serving.

1/6 of the meatloaf = 4 ww+ pts.

#174: Oatmeal Raisin Chocolate Chip Cookies

This recipe came in the mail from Great American Home Baking.  It's one of those recipe card collections where you sign up and they send you recipes to collect in a binder.  I must have made mine bigger/thicker than intended because the picture shows really crispy, thin cookies.  Mine are not like that at all.  Not that mine taste bad by any means, but not like the photo.

1 1/2 c flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 c firmly packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 sticks, softened butter
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 c quick cooking oats
1 c raisins (I used 2/3 c raisins, 1/3 c chocolate chips)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (maybe that was my problem...I cooked at 375!)
Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.  Set aside.
Place the brown sugar and butter in a large bowl.  Beat w/electric mixer set on high speed until light and fluffy.  beat in the eggs and vanilla until smooth.  Gradually stir in the flour mixture with a wooden spoon until thoroughly combined (also just used my mixer for this!  Are you starting to get a feel for why mine didn't turn out as it should have?)

Stir in the oats and raisins (and chocolate chips) until blended.  Drop the dough by rounded spoonfuls 1 1/2 inches apart on a lightly greased cookie sheet.  Flatten the dough slightly w/a fork.  Bake until golden brown, about 12 minutes.  Cook on the baking sheets for 2 minutes, then transfer to wire racks.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

I got 50 cookies out of this batch and it came to ww+ pts a piece

#173: Garlic and Cheese Breadsticks

I'm happy to say that I came up with this recipe all on my own.  Okay, that's not 100% true...I took Pillsbury bread sticks and then just added a few things to it.  Wasn't very hard or creative, but a small attempt to take something basic and jazz it up just a little.  I wouldn't give this 5 stars by any means; in fact, I'd probably give it a 3.  But for a super easy recipe, I'd make this again. 

I'm not going to put ingredient measurements on this recipe because you can just make this recipe as big or small as you want/need to.

Refrigerated Bread sticks (I used Pillsbury)
Melted Butter
Minced Garlic
Parmesan Cheese
Pizza sauce for dipping

Open the tube of bread sticks and either twist as directed or leave in rectangles (personally, I liked the unrolled ones better...and it's one less step).  In a small microwave safe bowl, melt butter.  Add minced garlic and stir to combine.  Unroll the bread sticks and brush each one with garlic butter mixture.  Then sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.  Bake at 375 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.

#172: Pizza Spaghetti Style

I've made, and frozen baked spaghetti's before, so when I stumbled upon this recipe, I figured it would be one my family enjoyed, and wanted to give it a try.  I put this into a 9 in pie pan, and it FILLED the pan!  I probably should have put it in a 8x8 or 9x9 instead!

This was yummy!  Or at least, Brian, Allison and I thought so.  Chloe however, did not eat very much of this.  Who doesn't like spaghetti???  We only ate half of this for dinner tonight so we'll be eating the other half for dinner tomorrow.  I love when that happens, because now another meal gets bumped on our menu and we can extend our number of meals made another day.  No cooking for me until March 3rd now!

1 lb. ground beef (I used 3/4 lb ground turkey)
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped (I omitted)
8 oz. pkg. button mushrooms, sliced OR 2 more bell peppers, chopped  (I omitted)
26 oz. jar pasta sauce
8 ounce can tomato sauce
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1 lb. spaghetti pasta, broken into 2" pieces (I used 1/2 lb)
3/4 cup whole milk  (I used 1/2 c skim)
2 eggs, beaten (I used 1 egg)
1 (5 ounce) package sliced pepperoni  (I used 10 slices, chopped and mixed right into the sauce)
1-1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (I omitted)
2 cups shredded Monterrey Jack cheese (I used 1 c mozzarella instead)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to boil for cooking spaghetti. Cook spaghetti according to package directions.

Meanwhile, cook ground beef, onion, green pepper, and mushrooms in heavy skillet over medium heat until beef is browned, stirring to break up beef. Drain well and add pasta sauce, tomato sauce, and Italian seasoning; stir well and let simmer while preparing spaghetti.

Next, combine eggs and milk in large bowl and beat until blended. Drain spaghetti and toss with egg and milk mixture. Spread half of spaghetti/egg/milk mixture in a 13x9" glass baking dish. Top with half of sauce and beef mixture. Repeat layers.

To freeze, cool casserole in refrigerator at this point. When cold, wrap well, label, and freeze up to 3 months. To thaw and reheat, thaw casserole overnight in refrigerator. Bake, covered, at 350 degrees F for 40-50 minutes until thoroughly heated. Uncover, top with pepperoni and cheese, and bake 10-15 minutes longer until cheese melts and edges of casserole bubble.

To refrigerate overnight and bake the next day, cover the casserole and chill for 2-24 hours. When ready to eat, bake, covered, at 350 degrees F for 40-50 minutes until hot. Then uncover, top with pepperoni and cheese, and bake for 10-15 minutes longer until cheese melts.

If baking without freezing or refrigerating, bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes until hot and bubbly. Top with pepperoni, then cheese, return to oven, and bake for 10 minutes longer to melt cheese. Let stand 5 minutes to set, then cut into squares to serve. 10 servings.

#171: Steak Fries

Who doesn't like french fries??  We make baked french fries quite often because it's easy and inexpensive and I almost always have potatoes on hand.  This recipe called for Old Bay Seasoning, so I figured it was a new spice for our potatoes and I would give it a try.

YUM!  These were good!  I didn't use very much Old Bay, just in case the girls didn't like it, but they were good and next time I will definitely add more. 

4 Russet Potatoes (or as many as you need for your family)

1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Tsp Salt
1 Tsp Old Bay Seasoning

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Cut in the potatoes lengthwise into wedges.  Place the potatoes on a baking sheet, drizzle with oil, season with salt and Old Bay seasoning and toss with your hands until the potatoes are evenly coated.  (I mixed the potatoes and oil in a Ziploc bag, then sprinkled the seasonings onto the potatoes when they were on the cookie sheet.)

Bake for 20 minutes, turn potatoes over and bake for an additional 25 minutes or until golden on the outside and tender inside.

#170: Crockpot Sausage and Peppers

I really wanted to like this.  (Brian and Allison liked this, Chloe did not) I'm not sure if it was the meat choice or the time in the crockpot, but the texture of this was a tad off (super soft!).  I'm also not sure I like that this cooked all day in red wine vinegar.  In retrospect, that's an odd choice.  You'll definitely need to do the cornstarch/mustard mix so it cuts down on the vinegar taste.  (Shhh, don't tell Brian it was dipped in mustard).  I will definitely try this again, and use turkey sausage (instead of brats) and only cook this for a couple of hours instead of all day like I did.   If you try this, let me know what you think...was it this cook's error?! 

4 large sweet peppers of assorted colors, seeded and sliced (I used 2)
1 large onion, cut into wedges
1 package (20 ounces) hot or sweet Italian turkey sausages (I used 5 turkey brats)
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1-1/2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon grainy mustard
6 multigrain submarine or hoagie rolls (about 3 ounces each)

Directions
Combine peppers, onion, sausages, vinegar, thyme and black pepper in a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker.
Cook on HIGH for 3 hours or LOW for 6 hours. Use a slotted spoon to remove peppers and sausages from slow cooker; set aside and keep warm.

Heat broiler. Pour liquid from slow cooker into a small saucepan. Whisk in cornstarch mixture and mustard. Bring to a boil; boil 1 minute or until thickened. (I was too lazy to dirty another pot, so I just did it in the crockpot...it never got thicker, but that was okay with me!)

Meanwhile, slice rolls almost all the way through lengthwise. Place on a baking sheet, cut-side up, on top rack under broiler for 1 to 2 minutes or until toasted. Cut sausages diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices and stir back into pepper mixture. Place a scant 1 cup sausage mixture on each roll. Drizzle each sandwich with a generous 2 tablespoons sauce, reserving remaining sauce for dipping. Serve immediately.

#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).