Stuffed Cabbage Casserole

Stuffed Cabbage Casserole
as seen on Skinnytaste
Serves 9-12, depending on portion sizes.  Freezer friendly.

Ingredients
2 tsp olive oil, divided
1 lb. 95% lean ground beef
1 large onion, chopped fine
1 tbsp finely minced garlic
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp sweet Hungarian Paprika
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste 
1 1/2 heads green cabbage, coarsely chopped
1 can (14.5 oz.) petite dice tomatoes with juice
1 can (15 oz.) tomato sauce
1/4 cup water
2 cups cooked brown rice 
2 cups low-fat mozzarella cheese 

Directions
-Preheat oven to 350; spray 9x13 pan with nonstick spray
-Heat a large frying pan on medium heat; add ground beef and cook until brown
-In the same pan, add 1 tsp olive oil, chopped onion and cook over medium heat until the onion is translucent and starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic, dried thyme, and paprika and cook about 2 minutes more. Then add the diced tomatoes with juice, tomato sauce, and ground beef. Add water to the pan. Simmer until it's hot and slightly thickened, about 15-20 minutes.
-While the mixture simmers, core the cabbage and slice into 1-inch pieces.  Heat the remaining olive oil in a pan and add cabbage.  Cook until cabbage is wilted and about half-cooked, turning over a few times so it all wilts and cooks.  Add salt and pepper.
-When meat and tomato mixture has thickened, add in the rice and mix to gently combine.
-Layer half of the cabbage on the bottom of the pan, then half the meat mixture, then the rest of the cabbage, and remaining meat.  Cover with the cheese, top tightly with foil and bake for 40 minutes.

Pierogie Bake

One of my work friends, and fellow pierogi lover, sent me a text that said she had a new recipe for me and that it was "better than sex."

Well. I HAD to make it, didn't I?
Not the prettiest picture, but holy sweet mother of pearl, this was amazing. Make it. Tonight.

Pierogie Bake
Ingredients
1 package pierogies (I used the church lady pierogies and used 8. You can use Mrs. T's, but I find that a travesty to the pierogie)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
Jalapenos (optional and I used some of the chopped, canned variety)
Olive oil for sauteeing
4 oz cream cheese
1 /2 C FF chicken broth
2 C cheddar cheese
4 slices turkey bacon, cooked and chopped
Green onions, sliced
Sour cream for serving

Directions:
-Preheat oven to 400 degrees
-Layer pierogies in a 9x13 baking dish
-In a nonstick skillet, heat olive oil. Saute garlic, onion and jalapeno until soft.
-Add cream cheese and chicken broth to skillet and stir until combined and heated through. Pour over pierogies (it will sink to the bottom of the dish). Cover with cheddar cheese and bake until cheese is melted.
-Sprinkle with bacon and green onion. Serve with sour cream.

Enjoy the giant pile of love.

Oh and I know, not the best picture. But trust me.

Lenten Favorite:Mac and Cheese!

I am not one to eat Velveeta.  It kind of scares me, to be honest.  And I have never been keen on what I have always thought to be a plastic-processed taste.  I searched long and hard for a recipe, tried a few and never really liked them.  A good friend of mine SWEARS by this recipe (wherever she found it) and I decided to give it a whirl.  I lowered the fat content by using skim milk and 2% cheese.  

And you know what?  She was right.  It is a great, simple recipe and perfect for Fridays during Lent.  Although this was a great recipe, my search for the "perfect" mac and cheese continues!

Oh, and sorry the picture sucks.  It is really hard to get a good picture of mac and cheese!

Simple Mac and Cheese

Ingredients

2 C macaroni

3 Tbsp butter

2 Tbsp flour

1/2 tsp salt

Dash of pepper

2 C milk

1/4 C onion, chopped (I omitted)

8 oz cubed Velveeta

Directions

-Preheat oven to 350.

-Cook macaroni according to directions.  When drained, put macaroni into a 2 1/2 quart baking dish.

-Melt butter.  Add flour, salt, pepper and stir.  Add milk, stirring occasionally, until bubbly.

-Add onion and Velveeta, stirring until cheese is melted.  Pour over macaroni.

-Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and spray with Pam.  Bake for 35-40 minutes, until bubbly and top is browned.

Baked Ziti

This is a super easy meatless meal for a weeknight! And the kids love it so much they both had three servings AND a salad!

Baked Ziti

Ingredients

1 lb ziti or penne pasta (you could also use rotini; basically whatever you have on hand)

8 oz. low fat/fat free ricotta

1/4 C egg substitute (equivalent of 1 egg)

3 C tomato sauce

2 C shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Directions:

-Preheat oven to 350

-Boil pasta until al dente; drain

-Mix half of the ricotta and egg substitute in a small bowl. Add remaining ricotta to warm pasta and mix. Then add egg/ricotta mixture to pasta and combine well.

-Add about 1/2-1 C sauce on bottom of 9x13 baking dish and spread to cover bottom. Mix 2 C sauce with pasta mixture and pour pasta in baking dish; pour rest of sauce on top of pasta. Top with mozzarella cheese.

-Bake until cheese is melted, slightly brown and bubbly.

Cheesy Potatoes

Everyone has their own version of this recipe, but my family loves this version. I was given the recipe from my aunt, along with her BBQ pork recipe and this is always a sure hit at any party! Easy to make ahead and freeze!

Cheesy Potatoes

Ingredients

2 lbs frozen hash browns, thawed

1 C butter, melted

A pint of sour cream

1 can cream of celery soup

2 C shredded cheddar cheese

1 tsp salt

1/2 C chopped onion (I omit this)

2 C crushed Corn Flakes

Directions

-Preheat oven to 350

-Mix 1/2 C melted butter with potatoes

-Mix sour cream, onions, cream of celery soup, salt and cheese and add to potato mixture

-Spread in a 9x13 pan

-Mix Corn Flakes and remaining butter together and spread on top of potatoes

-Bake for 45 minutes until bubbly and brown

*If you want to freeze this, prepare it but do not thaw out before baking; just put it right into the preheated oven!

Pierogi Lasagna

Taters. Cheese. Lasagna. 'Nuff said. And no, this is not Weight Watchers-friendly.

*If you are unfamiliar with pierogi, they are these delicious filled dumplings, normally with potatoes and cheese, but also with saurkraut, ricotta, or different fruits. I have known people outside of the Cleveland area who have never had one. They have no idea what they are missing out on!

Pierogi Lasagna

Ingredients

12 lasagna noodles

Butter or vegetable oil (I used 6 tbsp of butter)

3/4-1 C onions (I chopped up two)

6 cups mashed potatoes (I used an instant mashed potato to save time)

2 C shredded cheddar

Directions:

-Preheat oven to 350

-Boil lasagna noodles, drain, and set aside

-Sautee onions in butter (save 1/2 C after sauteed for top)

-Add cheese and sauteed onions (be sure to save some for the top!) to taters

-In a greased 9x13 pan, layer 3 lasagna noodles, then add dollops of tater filling and spread over noodles. Continue layering until you have 4 layers of noodles and 3 layers of potato filling.

-Drizzle rest of butter/onion on top.

-Cover and bake 20 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes. Serve with a side of sour cream

Pizzanga

The kids love it. The adults love it. Pizza in pasta form? You can't go wrong!

Pizzagna

courtesy of Rachael Ray

Ingredients

• 1 pound pasta curls (I used cavatappi, but campanelle can be used or even rotini in a pinch)


• Salt


• 1 cup ricotta cheese


• 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, a couple of handfuls


• Handful parsley, finely chopped


• 1/2 cup sliced pepperoni, cut into thin strips


• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan


• 1 green or red bell pepper, seeded, quartered and thinly sliced (I used green, which the kids the picked out)


• 1 onion, quartered then thinly sliced


• 2 cloves garlic, sliced


• 12 crimini mushrooms (baby portabellos), thinly sliced (I omit this because husbo HATES mushrooms)


• Black pepper


• 1 (28-ounces) can crushed tomatoes (I forgot to buy this, so I added a can of Hunts Traditional sauce)


• 3/4 pound fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced


• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano


• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes


• Loaf of crusty bread

Directions

Preheat broiler.

Bring a pot of water to a boil, add pasta and salt the water.

While the water boils combine ricotta, Parmigiano, parsley and pepperoni in a large bowl and reserve.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat with extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan. When the oil is hot, add the peppers, onions, garlic and mushrooms. Saute 6 to 8 minutes until tender and mushrooms are dark. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper. Stir in tomatoes and reduce heat to low.

Add a ladle of starchy cooking water to the ricotta just before you drain the pasta. Drain pasta then toss with ricotta and pepperoni mixture. Pour pasta into a baking dish and top evenly with peppers, onion and mushroom sauce. Top with a layer of mozzarella, oregano and red pepper flakes. Place under hot broiler and melt cheese until golden and bubbly. Remove and serve with crusty bread.

Buffalo Chicken Lasagna

This is one of my husband's favorite dinners. OK, I admit it...mine too. J even ate the entire thing without complaining about the spiciness! We accompanied it with a salad and it was yummy! Unbelievably, it is a Weight Watchers dinner!

Buffalo Chicken Lasagna

from Aimee's Adventures

12 Lasagna noodles (to save WW points, use whole wheat; I use regular)

2 lbs ground chicken

3 cups Hunts Four Cheese Spaghetti Sauce

1 cup mild buffalo wing sauce (I use Frank's Buffalo Wing Sauce...not so mild but amazing)

1 C or less water (the original recipe calls for 1 1/2 cups...it is too runny. Next time I will probably use 3/4 C)

15 oz nonfat ricotta cheese

1/2 cup egg substitute

9 slices 2% pepperjack cheese (which I can never find so I use regular)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a nonstick skillet, brown the ground chicken. When cooked, stir in sauces and water. In a small bowl, combine ricotta cheese and egg substitute. Spray a 9x13 pan. Layer a cup of the sauce mix on the bottom and arrange 4 noodles over the sauce. Layer with more sauce and the ricotta mixture. Repeat layers until you end with a layer of the sauce mixture. Cover and bake for 70 minutes. Uncover and place cheese slices on top and bake for another 15 minutes uncovered. Let stand 10-15 minutes per serving.

Serves 9

Approx. 6 points per serving

Recipe: Doritos Beef Casserole

The kids requested this, as it is one of their favorites! I mean, who doesn't love a dinner involving Doritos??

Doritos Beef Casserole
from somewhere on the Weight Watchers website

6 ounces reduced fat cheddar cheese
2 tbsp taco seasoning mix (1 package)
1 can Cream of Chicken soup, 98% fat free
1 (11 ounce) can Rotel Tomatoes
6 ounces Baked Doritos, nacho cheese
8 ounces 95% lean ground beef

Brown beef, adding the taco seasoning as instructed on the package. Mix the tomatoes and soup together. In an 8x8 baking pan, layer the beef, soup mixture, crushed Doritos, and then cheese, repeating until ingredients are exhausted. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes

6 servings @ 5 points a serving