Deep Dish Pizza Casserole

Deep Dish Pizza Casserole 
Recipe adapted from Real Mom Kitchen
Makes 6 Servings

1 onion, diced
1 pound 96/4 ground beef
1 tbsp minced garlic
⅛ tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 cup low-calorie spaghetti sauce
1 tube reduced fat crescent roll dough
¼ cup parmesan cheese
 ½ cup reduced fat mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a skillet, cook onion, beef, and garlic until beef is fully cooked. Drain off and excess grease. Add red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning, and pizza sauce to beef mixture. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, Meanwhile, spray a 9 x 13 pan with non-stick cooking spray. Line bottom of pan with crescent dough and press to seal seams. Sprinkle dough with parmesan cheese. Spread meat mixture over crust and top with mozzarella cheese. Bake at 400 for 18 minutes until golden brown. 

Nutritional Information: 267 calories, 21 carbs, 10 fat grams and 22 protein grams.

Review: Pretty yummy! Super easy to make and it reheats well. We served each with a big Caesar salad (lettuce, a bit of parm, and light Caesar dressing) to boost up the calories. I’ll definitely make this again – may even add some more red pepper flakes for extra spice!

Breakfast Casserole with Biscuit Crust

Breakfast Casserole with Biscuit Crust
Found on Food.com
Makes 8 Servings

1 can biscuit dough
1 pound reduced fat sausage
2 oz. Cabot 75% reduced fat cheddar cheese
6 eggs, well beaten
1/2 cup fat-free milk
1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 425. Spray a medium-sized pan with nonstick cooking spray. Add to medium heat, and cook sausage for 7 – 8 minutes until no longer pink. In the meantime, spray a rectangular baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Press biscuits into bottom of dish, sealing areas to make a crust. Mix eggs, milk, salt and pepper together. Sprinkle now-cooked sausage on top, then cheese. Pour egg mixture over the meat and cheese. Bake for 15 minutes or until firmly set in center.

Nutritional Information: 344 calories, 26 carbs, 19 fat grams and 16 protein grams.

Review: Fab - easy, peasy, 8 filling servings, not a lot of work - YES, a keeper. And bonus, it looks pretty and puffy and reheated well. Done and done and quickly to the top of our always-in-rotation dishes!

Cheesy Chicken Broccoli & Rice Bake

Cheesy Chicken Broccoli & Rice Bake
Found on Meet the Dubien’s
Makes 4 Servings

1 can condensed cheddar cheese soup
1 can water
3 oz. shredded cheddar cheese, plus additional for topping if desired
1 cup uncooked regular white long-grain rice
2 cups broccoli florets, chopped small
16 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, raw/defrosted
salt and pepper to taste
¼ cup Italian Panko bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 375. Whisk together soup and water in a large bowl until there are no lumps. Add shredded cheese, broccoli and rice and mix well. Stir in salt and pepper. Place raw chicken in a square baking dish and add soup/rice mixture. Sprinkle bread crumbs on top. Cover with foil. Bake for 55 minutes or until chicken is cooked.

Nutritional Information: 435 calories, 48 carbs, 6 fat grams and 39 protein grams.

Review: Cheesy is right! The cheese soup with shredded cheese made a great sauce that went well with the rice and broccoli. I loved that this one pot meal cooked the chicken and the rice in the baking dish - awesome! The bread crumbs also added a nice crunchy kick. This was easy to put together, and great for pre-cooking as I could make other meals on the stovetop while this one baked! We'll be having this again for sure - it reheated well, too!

Whole pan of yumminess

Italian Egg Bake

Italian Egg Bake
Makes 6 Servings
Inspired by a Pillsbury recipe

1 pound reduced fat sausage
4 cups frozen hash-brown potatoes, thawed
4 oz. (1 cup) Cabot 75% reduced fat cheddar cheese
6 tbsp diced sun-dried tomatoes (not packed in oil)
6 large eggs
¾ cup fat-free milk
¼ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
¼ cup Progressso Panko Italian bread crumbs
4 tsp (10 grams) shredded fresh Parmesan cheese
¼ fresh basil, diced
Red pepper flakes, garlic powder, Italian Seasoning to taste

Heat oven to 450. Spray rectangular baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. In large nonstick skillet, cook sausage over medium-high heat until browned, stirring occasionally. In medium bowl, combine potatoes and 2.5 oz. cheese. In baking dish, layer potato mixture, sausage, tomatoes and half of the basil. In medium bowl, beat eggs. Add milk, salt and pepper; beat well. Add optional seasonings to taste (red pepper flakes, garlic powder, Italian seasoning). Pour evenly over potato mixture. Top with bread crumbs. Cover with foil. Bake for 30 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with remaining 1.5 oz. Cabot cheese and Parmesan cheese. Bake uncovered for an additional 3 minutes until cheese melts.

Nutritional Information: 353 calories, 24 carbs, 17 fat grams and 24 protein grams.

Review: Winner! Tasted great and was very filling - didn't take long either which is always nice. I'd pre-cooked the sausage, so it was already in a box cooked and ready, and the cheese was already grated too - this helped! I loved the addition of the fresh basil, it definitely made the recipe along with the sundried tomatoes. I also liked the add of the Italian bread crumbs - the crunchy topping was nice with the softer, fluffy egg/potato layer. I will absolutely make this again, and of course it's great that it makes 6 servings AND reheats well. And I've added it to my new favorite breakfast - move over brunch pizza squares- there's a new casserole in town! (forgive my cheesy lameness) :)

Chicken Tortilla Casserole

Chicken Tortilla Casserole
Makes 6 Servings
Recipe from me! (so exciting to make one!)

1 pound chicken
1 package taco seasoning
9 small Mission flour tortillas
1 can spicy chili beans
1 can red enchilada sauce
½ cup fat-free sour cream
2 oz. Cabot 75% reduced fat cheddar

hot sauce (optional)

Preheat oven to 350. In a large skillet add chicken, taco seasoning and 1/4 cup water. Cook until chicken is no longer pink. Remove from pan, shred with two forks, then add back to pan and stir for 1-2 minutes until blended. Mix chicken with beans. In a bowl, mix enchilada sauce and sour cream. Spread ½ of the sour cream mixture onto the bottom of a rectangular casserole dish sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Tear up 3 tortillas and spread them over the sour cream mixture. Put ½ of the chicken mixture on top of it. Sprinkle on hot sauce. Add remaining layers as follows: 3 tortillas; sour cream mixture; 3 tortillas; chicken mixture; hot sauce. Sprinkle cheese over the top and place in oven uncovered for 25 minutes.

Nutritional Information: 388 calories, 46 carbs, 6 fat grams and 29 protein grams.

Review: Awesome! Austin liked this one more than the burrito casserole! I know! This one was great - super spicy - loved the hot sauce and the enchilada sauce and sour cream mixture was very good - kind of made a thick sauce that congealed well with the flour tortillas. We'll definitely have this one again - super easy. And the chicken was CRAZY easy (I tossed it and 2 more pounds of chicken in with the taco seasoning packs - now I have "mexican" chicken for this, tacos, salads, etc.). Great, easy recipe - so glad to have another solid mexican recipe!

whole pan!

Cheesy Broccoli & Chicken

Cheesy Broccoli & Chicken
Recipe adapted from About.com recipe
Makes 4 Servings

1 can broccoli & cheese soup (not fat-free)
1 pound chicken, frozen
1 14-oz. bag frozen broccoli
½ cup skim milk
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, use more to taste
1/2 teaspoon paprika
2 teaspoons parsley, dried
Salt and pepper to taste
3 cups white rice, cooked per microwave instructions

Place chicken in crockpot. Cover with frozen veggies and soup. Add seasonings to taste. Cook on high 3 hours. Add milk and cook for another 30 minutes. Divide cooked rice into four servings, and spoon ¼ of the recipe onto each serving of rice.

Nutritional Information: 467 calories, 68 carbs, 4 fat grams and 32 protein grams.

Review: This tasted like Thanksgiving - for real! I loved how it tasted like cheesy broccoli, and the chicken just shredded right up and blended in to the mix. It tasted best fresh - super creamy and was great over the rice. Reheat wasn't bad, but I definitely had to add some water and salt to get it back up to par, so I'd suggest making this to eat that day (I would even bring this to a Thanksgiving pot luck - i'd just add cooked white rice at the end, stir, and turn it to warm! All in all, a recipe i'll make again.

Burrito Casserole

Burrito Casserole
Makes 6 Servings
Recipe adapted from Blog Chef

1 pound 96/4 ground beef
1 package taco seasoning
9 small Mission flour tortillas
1 can fat-free refried beans
1 can fat-free cream of mushroom soup
½ cup fat-free sour cream
hot sauce (optional)
80 grams Cabot 75% reduced fat cheddar (a little less than 3/4 cup)
Optional Toppings: 1 cup shredded romaine lettuce and 6 cherry tomatoes, divided

Preheat oven to 350. In a large skillet brown ground beef. Once it’s almost done, add taco seasoning and stir in refried beans. Mix until evenly blended. In a bowl, mix cream of mushroom soup and sour cream. Spread ½ of the sour cream mixture onto the bottom of a rectangular casserole dish sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Tear up 3 tortillas and spread them over the sour cream mixture (I typically lay 2 tortillas down side by side without tearing - then tear up the third to fill in blanks to make a solid layer!). Put ½ of the meat mixture on top of it. Sprinkle on hot sauce. Add remaining layers as follows: 3 tortillas; sour cream mixture; 3 tortillas; meat mixture; hot sauce. Sprinkle cheese over the top and place in oven uncovered for 25 minutes. Serve with lettuce and tomatoes as toppings.

Nutritional Information: 403 calories, 47 carbs, 7 fat grams and 29 protein grams.

Review: Two words: OH MY. This recipe seriously may trump my top Mexican recipe. No joke! I LOVE the layers, the use of flour tortillas, how that sauce mixture clings to the tortillas and makes it all taste just meshed together and creamy. I also love the hot sauce kick on those layers- perfect! Yes, time to update my top 10 - this one takes the cake. And the calories are great - love that it makes six too. Winner, winner. Austin loved it too! For less heat, simply leave out the hot sauce. You could even top with salsa if you want to leave the heat level up to each person!

Here's a pic of the full dish - how it looks coming out of the oven!

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

Recipe adapted from Erica's Kitchen Adventures
Makes 6 Servings

1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup onion, finely chopped
1 tsp minced garlic
9-oz.package smoked ham, diced
16 oz. chicken breast, cooked in salt and pepper then shredded with two forks
4 tbsp light butter
4 tbsp flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
14 oz can chicken broth
3 cups white rice, cooked per package instructions
3 oz. Cabot 75% Reduced Fat Cheddar

Preheat oven to 350. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook for 5 minutes, until tender. Then add garlic and and ham and cook for another 5 minutes until heated through. Add cooked chicken. Add butter until it is melted, then stir in the flour, salt and pepper until combined. Slowly stir in the chicken broth, then mix in rice. Transfer mixture to a 9x13 baking dish and sprinkle the top with cheese. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Nutritional Information: 394 calories, 43 carbs, 8 fat grams and 31 protein grams.

Review: YUMMY! It’s like a little taste of Thanksgiving! I loved the butter combined with the bacon – it made every bite taste flavorful and sinful. Ham just really gives that natural flavor. I could see bringing to Thanksgiving – it had that kind of flavor too it. I rarely make rice casseroles (when the rice has to cook in it) because they usually work out crunchy or mushy for me. But with this one since the rice was made separate it worked out great. I also liked how much food this one made. I’ll be making it again!

whole dish

Tuscan Macaroni and Cheese Bake

Tuscan Macaroni and Cheese Bake
Recipe adapted from Mel’s Kitchen Café
Makes 4 Servings

3 links Italian chicken sausage, diced and cooked for 4-5 minutes until heated
7.5 oz. elbow macaroni
6 oz. fat-free cream cheese, softened
80 grams shredded mozzarella cheese
1 tbsp light butter
1 tbsp flour
1 tsp sage
¼ tsp thyme
½ tsp salt
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1 ¼ cups fat-free milk
1 tomato, sliced thinly
4 tbsp Kraft parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Cook macaroni according to package directions but undercook by 1-2 minutes since it will continue baking. In a large bowl, combine sausage, pasta, cream cheese and mozzarella cheese. In a small bowl, mix flour and spices together. In a medium saucepan melt butter, then whisk in flour and spices. Allow the flour/butter mixture to cook without browning for about 30 seconds while whisking/stirring. Slowly add the milk and stir until slightly thickened, this may take 5-6 minutes. Stir constantly to prevent scorching on the bottom of the pan. When slightly thickened, pour milk mixture over pasta mixture and mix well. Pour into an 11x7-inch lightly greased casserole dish. Bake for 35 minutes. Remove cover and add tomato slices on top then sprinkle parmesan cheese on top and bake for another 10 minutes uncovered.

Nutritional Information: 456 calories, 52 carbs, 14 fat grams and 32 protein grams.

Review: We really liked this one! It was my first time cooking with fat-free cream cheese so I was a bit nervous, but loved the mix it made with the mozzarella cheese, and the milk sauce/mixture helped ensure that nothing was too dry. I also like the spices that the Italian chicken sausage added. If anything next time I may consider saving some mozzarella cheese for the top as the parm isn't very melty/pretty. All in all, I liked the bake, thought it was quick/easy to put together and it made a lot of food and is very filling!

full dish

Chicken Tortellini Bake

Chicken Tortellini Bake
Recipe adapted from Mel’s Kitchen Café
Makes 4 Servings

9 ounce package of cheese tortellini (refrigerated not dry)
1 tbsp olive oil
16 oz. chicken
3 green onions finely chopped, white and green parts
2 tbsp flour
1 cup chicken broth
8 ounces fresh mushrooms
1 cup fat-free sour cream
2 oz. cabot 75% cheddar cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 350. Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Brown chicken for 1-2 minutes and add fresh mushrooms and green onions, cooking until chicken is done and mushrooms are brown, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle flour over mixture and stir to combine for 1-2 minutes. Add chicken broth and stir until thickened, 3-4 minutes. Mix in sour cream and cook for 1-2 minutes. Spray a square baking pan with cooking spray. Pour tortellini in bottom. Put cooked chicken/sauce mixture over it and sprinkle cheese on top. Bake covered with tin foil (spray foil with nonstick cooking spray so it won't stick to cheesy top!) for 30 minutes, uncover and bake for additional 15 minutes until bubbly.

Nutritional Information: 462 calories, 41 carbs, 11 fat grams and 43 protein grams.

Review: Wow. The cream sauce this makes tastes downright bad for you. I love that! The mushrooms were a nice flavor too - very soft and melted right in to the sauce. I couldn't taste the green onions, but i'm sure I would have missed them if they hadn't been there! Also, I'm glad I put the tortellini straight in rather than boiled it - this was a tip from Mel that was definitely a time-saver! I will be making this one again - I also love that it has a short recipe list.

Whole dish

Cheesy Chicken Lasagna

Cheesy Chicken Lasagna (next time Cheesy Chicken Pasta Bake)
Adapted from a Real Mom Kitchen recipe
Makes 6 servings

2 12-oz. cans evaporated milk
1 (1 oz) package dry ranch dressing mix
24 oz. cubed, cooked, chicken
1/8 tsp pepper
12 no-boil lasagna noodles (next time 7.5 oz. barilla macaroni)
3.5 oz. 75% reduced fat cheddar cheese, grated
75 grams fresh mozzarella cheese, grated

Combine evaporated milk and Ranch dressing in a 3-quart heavy saucepan. Heat over low heat, stirring frequently until dry ingredients are dissolved. Stir in chicken and pepper. Simmer, uncovered, 25 minutes, stirring frequently. Layer: 4 lasagna noodles, chicken sauce, ½ cup cheese, 4 lasagna noodles, chicken sauce, 4 lasagna noodles, remaining cheese in 9×13 pan sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Next time, cook pasta per box instructions then mix together all ingredients except for cheese. Wait and add cheese after 30 minutes. Bake covered at 375 for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for 15 minutes.

Nutritional Information: 488 calories, 38 carbs, 14 fat grams and 47 protein grams.

Review: I really like the filling - the evaporated milk added a lot to this dish - it almost tenderized the chicken and mixed with the ranch it had a great flavor. I will say that I was NOT happy with how the top layer of the lasagna came out - too tough. I made notes above about what i'm going to do next time (make it more of a pasta bake instead of a lasagna so it cooks more evenly. I think this will make a huge difference.

Ranchero Macaroni Bake

Ranchero Macaroni Bake
Recipe adapted from a Recipes for Moms recipe
Makes 6 Servings

1 can (14.5 oz.) fat-free cream of mushroom soup
½ cup skim milk
3 oz. Cabot 75% reduced fat Cheddar cheese, shredded
1/4 cup red salsa, medium

1/4 cup green salsa, hot
10 oz. elbow macaroni, uncooked
2 oz. tortilla chips, coarsely crushed
16 oz. chicken
1 packet taco seasoning
½ cup fat-free chicken broth

Cook macaroni according to package directions. While it cooks, cook chicken in a large skillet sprayed with nonstick cooking spray over medium heat with chicken broth and taco seasoning. Cook for 7-8 minutes until no longer pink. Drain macaroni. Combine soup and milk in a large bowl. Stir in cheese, salsa and cooked macaroni. Stir in chicken. Spoon into a baking dish sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Stir; sprinkle with crushed chips. Bake for an additional 5 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.

Full Dish - 6 servings

Nutritional Information: 401 calories, 47 carbs, 6 fat grams and 32 protein grams.

Review: Very good. The green salsa really added some extra fire that I think I would have missed if I hadn't added. The soupiness helped - I was nervous at first to stir before adding the chips, but it made a big difference and helped it cook more evenly. I liked the chip layer too - very crunchy, especially against the pasta/soupiness of the rest of the recipe. All in all, I would make this again and wouldn't change anything, great pastsa bake!

Chicken Brushetta Bake

Chicken Brushetta Bake
Recipe adapted from a Lauren’s Kitchen recipe (from Stovetop)
Makes 4 Servings

1 can (14-1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 package stove top stuffing mix for chicken
1/2 cup water
1 tsp minced garlic
18 oz. chicken
1 tsp. dried basil leaves
1 oz. fresh mozzarella, grated
2 oz. Cabot 75% reduced fat cheddar, grated

Heat oven to 400°F. Mix tomatoes, stuffing mix, water and garlic just until stuffing mix is moistened. Spray a square baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Put raw chicken on bottom, then stuffing mix. Press until flat, then top with cheeses and basil. Bake 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

whole dish - 4 servings

Nutritional Information: 396 calories, 38 carbs, 7 fat grams and 41 protein grams.

Review: LOVED. Great mix and I never cook with stuffing so it was fun to use a new starch. The mix came out tasting a lot like brushetta, and I loved that it called for so much cheese, but was still so relatively low calorie. It was filling too - and the chicken layer at the bottom was moist. I love cooking chicken in the bottom of a casserole - genius. We'll be making this one again for sure -Austin was a fan, too.

Upside Down Pizza

Upside Down Pizza
Recipe adapted from an allrecipes.com recipe
Makes 6 Servings

Ingredients
1 pound 96/4 ground beef
½ cup onion, chopped
2 tsp minced garlic
2 cups jarred low-calorie spaghetti sauce
125 grams (a little over 1 cup) fresh mozzarella cheese, grated (divided)
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, grated (divided)
1 (8 ounce) light crescent rolls
¼ tsp Italian seasoning
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
Salt to taste
1 egg white
Dried basil for garnish


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat oil in a large pan. Add garlic and stir constantly for 30 seconds. Add onions and continue stirring for 2-3 minutes until translucent. Add beef, Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes, and cook, stirring every few minutes, until beef is no longer pink, 6 – 8 minutes. Once done, add spaghetti sauce and stir. Add salt if desired. In a 9x13 inch baking dish, spread a layer of sauce. Top with half of the mozzarella and half of the parmesan cheese. Add remainder of sauce then remainder of cheeses. Top with crescent rolls, pinching seams together. Brush egg white on top. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the top is brown. Sprinkle with dried basil as garnish.

Full pan cut and ready to eat - 6 servings

Nutritional Information: 367 calories, 24 carbs, 18 fat grams and 29 protein grams.

Review: We loved it! I was a little worried about crescent on top and truth be told I probably could have closed the seams better, but I was ready to stick it in the oven and try it! The sauce mix with the layered cheeses was really good - almost tasted like a parmesany spaghetti. And the breaded top added a lot to it - the crescents really baked up when on top, whereas i'm sure if they were on bottom it would have been much less doughy. We really liked it and wouldn't change it a bit - i'm glad I added the red pepper flakes and seasonings - the extra heat made it even more appealing!

Hot Chicken Salad

Hot Chicken Salad
Adapted from a Fabulessly Frugal recipe

Makes 4 Servings

1 pound chicken, cooked and cubed
1 tbsp lemon juice
15 grams slivered almonds (2 tbsp)
½ cup fat-free mayonnaise
½ cup celery, finely diced
½ cup fat-free cream of chicken soup
½ tsp minced onion, dried
28 grams Cabot 75% cheddar cheese, grated (1/4 cup)
1 oz. potato chips, crumbled
4 Mission tortillas, burrito size

Toast almonds on cookie sheet in a 350 degree oven for 7 minutes. While toasting, mix all the ingredients except cheese and potato chips. Remove almonds and add to mixture, then turn the oven to 400 degrees. Place mixture in baking dish and add cheese then chips to the top of mixture. Bake for 20 minutes Serve with wraps.

After baking - could easily spoon over noodles or rice instead! I wouldn't recommend lettuce though - I think it would make it welt. The recipe suggested croissants.

Nutritional Information: 451 calories, 48 carbs, 13 fat grams and 37 protein grams.

Review: Loved! These were insanely filling, which was awesome. The casserole could easily be put on rice or noodles, but we liked them in wraps. They were warm and gooey - the mayonnaise, cream of chicken, cheese mix really tasted like it was so bad for you, but 450 is great! Next time I may even try BBQ chips for a little kick!

Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti

Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti

Makes 4 servings

6 oz. barilla pasta
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast
Olive oil
Nonstick cooking spray
½ cup chopped onion
1 tbsp minced garlic
2 14.5-oz can stewed tomatoes, undrained
1tbsp low-sodium Worcestershire sauce
1 ½ tsp dried Italian seasoning, divided
½ tsp salt
30 grams shredded fresh mozzarella cheese
60 grams crumbled fat-free feta cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Cook pasta according to package. Drain. Cook chicken in a sprinkle of salt and ½ tsp Italian seasoning. Coat skillet with cooking spray and place over medium heat until hot. Add garlic and onion; sauté 2-3 minutes. Add tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp Italian seasoning and salt; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes. Stir in half 30 grams feta, 30 grams mozzarella, cooked pasta and chicken. Stir for 2 minutes, then spoon into 1.5-quart casserole dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake for 10 – 12 minutes.

Nutritional Information: 383 calories, 47 carbs, 3 fat grams and 41 protein grams.

Review: We love this one! One of the first pastas I ever made. It comes out a bit like brucshetta as far as soupy but thick – if that makes sense. The Worcestershire added a little kick too which was nice. Great recipe for a crowd too – the servings are generous!

whole dish

Bacon Mac

Bacon Mac
Recipe from cookinglight.com
Makes 3 Servings

1.5 tsp salt, divided
6 oz. penne
2 tsp all-purpose flour
¾ cup skim milk, divided
½ cup mozzarella cheese, grated
½ cup cheddar fat-free cheese, grated
1/8 cup sliced green onions
½ tsp hot sauce (I used siracha)
1/8 tsp pepper
4 slices turkey bacon, cooked and crumbled
Cooking spray

Preheat broiler. Bring water and 1 tsp salt to a boil. Add pasta; cook 8 minutes or until al dente; drain. Combine flour and ¼ cup milk in a small pot over medium heat. Gradually add rest of milk; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; let stand 4 minutes. Stir in ¾ cup cheese. Add ½ teaspoon salt, onions, hot sauce, pepper, and bacon; stir. Add pasta; toss. Spoon into a 2-quart broiler-safe dish coated with cooking spray; top with ¼ cup cheese. Broil 7 minutes.

Nutritional Information: 367 calories, 47 carbs, 8 fat grams and 26 protein grams.

Review: It was really good and surprisingly really filling! I think it was supposed to be a side, but I would definitely make this a meal instead.

Spicy Spaghetti Pie

Spicy Spaghetti Pie
Inspired by a Cook’s Country recipe given to me by Biz)
Makes 6 Servings

12 oz. thin spaghetti
4 oz. sliced deli pepperoni
3 14.5-oz. cans diced tomatoes
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
7 tbsp whipping cream
½ cup chopped fresh basil
3.5 oz. (or 98 grams) mozzarella, grated
Salt

Preheat oven to 475. Spray 9”x13” baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Cook pasta with salt until cooked. Drain. Meanwhile, cook pepperoni in a large skillet over medium high. Heat until crisp, 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, flakes and ¼ tsp salt and bring to boil. Stir. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until sauce is thickened, about 10 minutes. Add cream and basil and stir for 2 minutes. Add pasta to prepared dish. Press with spatula to flatten. Transfer mixture to dish and pour over noodles. Turn dish to ensure it’s soaked in. Bake for 7 minutes, add cheese, then bake for another 3 minutes until brown and bubbling, Let cool 5 minutes.

Nutritional Information: 441 calories, 56 carbs, 17 fat grams and 16 protein grams.

Review: We REALLY loved it - so flavorful. I was nervous to cook with whipping cream but it made such a creamy fabulous difference and didn't add too many calories! I was also nervous to cook with pepperoni - but this concoction was a favorite - definitely going to be a regular, thanks Biz!!

Skillet Bow Tie Lasagna

Adapted from Lynn's Kitchen Adventures
Skillet Bow Tie Lasagna
Makes 4 servings

1 pound 96/4 ground beef
½ cup diced onion
1 tsp minced garlic
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
1-1/2 cups water
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
1 tbsp dried parsley
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp salt
8 oz. uncooked farfalle pasta
3/4 cup (180 grams) fat-free ricotta cheese
4 tbsp reduced fat parmesan cheese

In a large skillet, cook beef, onion and garlic until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add tomatoes, water, tomato sauce, parsley, oregano and salt; mix well. Stir in pasta; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until pasta is tender, stirring once. (if it gets too dry add a little more water). Combine cheeses; drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto pasta mixture. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.

Nutritional Information: 463 calories, 60 carbs, 7 fat grams and 39 protein grams.

Review: We loved it! I think Austin may have even liked it more than me - the ricotta/parmesan mix was pretty fabulous! The original recipe called for cottage cheese and tomato paste instead of ricotta cheese and tomato sauce, I also used RF and FF ingredients - I really can't tell a difference in this! The recipe was super filling and I think it's going to reheat well!

Mushroom and Spinach Lasagna

Mushroom and Spinach Lasagna
Recipe from For the Love of Cooking
Makes 4 Servings

1 tbsp olive oil
8 oz shitake mushrooms, sliced
8 oz button mushrooms, sliced
½ cup sweet yellow onion, diced
1 tbsp minced garlic
2 - 4 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
1 to 1 ½ cups spinach
1/2 tsp dried oregano
Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
400 grams fat-free ricotta cheese
1 egg
2 tbsp parmesan cheese
6 no-boil lasagna noodles
160 grams mozzarella cheese, shredded (divided)
3 cups Classico Tomato & Basil spaghetti sauce

Preheat oven to 375. In a skillet over medium heat, add olive oil and cook mushrooms and onion for 10-12 minutes or until tender; add garlic and cook for 60 seconds, stirring frequently. Season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper. In a large bowl, add ricotta, egg, 60 grams of mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, oregano, basil, sea salt and pepper to taste. Combine until mixed thoroughly. Layer an 8 x 8 inch baking pan with one cup spaghetti sauce. Lay two noodles on top. Spread half of ricotta mixture on the noodles. Then spoon half of mushroom mixture on top and finish by layering on spinach leaves. Repeat with one cup sauce, two noodles, remainder of ricotta mixture, remainder of mushroom mixture and remainder of spinach leaves. Top with last two noodles. Then top with remaining cup of sauce and remaining 100 grams of cheese. Bake covered in a preheated oven at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for 15 minutes.

Nutritional Information: 434 calories, 42 carbs, 16 fat grams and 32 protein grams.

Tip: When covering with foil – spray foil well with nonstick cooking spray so the cheese doesn’t stick when removed.

Review: Amazing, amazing, nothing short of amazing. And you guys - it's meatless! Shock! But it was so filling with all of those mushrooms and it tasted absolutely sinful. Austin said he "didn't even miss the meat." WOO! This is a regular. Fo sho. It also marks my first time using no-boil noodles - i'm NEVER going back. They made this SO easy and much less time consuming.